Since we spend some quality time on this blog talking about NEPA, you might be interested in commenting on this draft CEQ guidance. the climate change and mitigation and monitoring might be particularly relevant to our discussion, since the draft guidance seems to extend the NEPA regs to past implementation of the decision. Here are some questions relevant to federal land management, and the bolded ones seem to have to do with LMPs:
CEQ also requests comment on land and resource management issues, including:
1. How should NEPA documents regarding long-range energy and resource management programs assess GHG emissions and climate change impacts?2. What should be included in specific NEPA guidance for projects applicable to the federal land management agencies?
3. What should be included in specific NEPA guidance for land management planning applicable to the federal land management agencies?4. Should CEQ recommend any particular protocols for assessing land management practices and their effect on carbon release and sequestration?
5. How should uncertainties associated with climate change projections and species and ecosystem responses be addressed in protocols for assessing land management practices?
6. How should NEPA analyses be tailored to address the beneficial effects on GHG emissions of Federal land and resource management actions?
7. Should CEQ provide guidance to agencies on determining whether GHG emissions are “significant” for NEPA purposes. At what level should GHG emissions be considered to have significant cumulative effects. In this context, commenters may wish to consider the Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, 549 U.S. 497, 524 (2007).
Here’s the link.
New CEQ NEPA Guidance In conjunction with NEPA’s 40th Anniversary Celebration, CEQ is publishing three draft NEPA guidance documents for review and comment. Below are links to the draft guidance documents and instructions for submitting comments:
– ESTABLISHING AND APPLYING CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS
Comments are due 45 days after publication of the Federal Register notice.
Submit Comments to http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/initiatives/nepa
– MITIGATION AND MONITORING
Comments are due 90 days after publication of the Federal Register notice.
Submit Comments to http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/initiatives/nepa
– CONSIDERING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Comments are due 90 days after publication of the Federal Register notice.
Submit Comments to http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/initiatives/nepa
Additional information is available at www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives