To post a job, click here: https://naep-jobs.careerwebsite.com/employer/pricing/

House Oversight Hearing on NEPA on Wednesday, April 25

The full House Committee on Natural Resources will hold an oversight hearing on "The Weaponization of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Implications of Environmental Lawfare" at 2 PM, EDT, on Wednesday, April 25. The invited witnesses are:

• Mr. James Coleman,Professor of Law, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
• Ms. Melissa Hamsher, Eclipse Energy Resource Corporation, Vice President, Environmental Health, Safety, and Regulatory
• Dr. Laura Alice Watt, Professor, Department of Geography, Environment, and Planning, Sonoma State University, Member, Resilient Agriculture Group
• Mr. Horst Greczmiel, Former CEQ Associate Director of NEPA Oversight

Additional details about the hearing, including the hearing memo, are available at: https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=404527&wpisrc=nl_energy202&wpmm=1

2018 NEPA Advanced Training

 June 5, 2018 - Rosemead, CA | June 7, 2018 - San Jose, CA

The National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) and California AEP are proud to present the 2018 NEPA Advanced Training. 

This workshop will expand the participant’s knowledge of advanced topics in the area of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) practice. This intensive workshop will focus on training environmental professionals to more efficiently complete NEPA environmental reviews and improve the interagency coordination process, while sharpening advanced impact analysis skills. The training workshop will present information in light of 2017 NEPA Cases and new federal guidance embodied in Presidential Executive Order 13807 on Establishing Discipline and Accountability in the Environmental Review and Permitting Process for Infrastructure.

This training will be held on two dates at two locations in California:

• June 5, 2018 - Rosemead, CA
• June 7, 2018 - San Jose, CA

For additional information including agenda and speakers, click here.

REGISTER NOW!

 House Committee Hearing on Modernizing the National Environmental Policy Act

On November 29th, the US House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee held an oversight hearing on "Modernizing NEPA for the 21st Century." Video of the hearing, the hearing memo, and information about the witnesses are available at https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=403418&wpisrc=nl_energy202&wpmm=1.

One of the four witnesses was Dinah Bear, a former CEQ General Counsel who has spoken at NAEP annual conferences. As is frequently the case for such hearings, both the committee members and the witnesses presented a range of opinions on the effectiveness of NEPA and potential changes to the act and its implementing regulations. The NAEP NEPA practice encourages NAEP members and affiliates, particularly those involved with NEPA, to watch the video of this hearing.

EPA/NACEPT Seeking Membership Nominations

CALL TO ACTION: 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently seeking nominations from a diverse range of candidates to serve on the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT).  This is a great opportunity for concerned citizens to assist the agency in advancing its mission to protect human health and the environment.

EPA established NACEPT in 1988 to provide advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology and management issues.  Members serve as representatives from academia, business and industry, non-governmental organizations, and, local, state, and tribal governments. 

EPA is seeking nominations from candidates representing all sectors noted above.  Individuals with a strong background in the following fields are encouraged to apply: data management/monitoring, social science, economic initiatives, public health, biodiversity, community sustainability, environmental policy/management, and environmental justice. 

The following criteria will be used to evaluate nominees:

• Professional knowledge of environmental policy, management, and technology issues.
• Demonstrated ability to assess and analyze environmental challenges with objectivity and integrity. 
• Middle/Senior-level leadership experience that fills a current need on the Council.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, and consensus-building skills.
• Ability to volunteer approximately 10 to 15 hours per month to the Council’s activities, including participation in face-to-face meetings, video/teleconference meetings and preparation of documents for the Council’s reports and advice letters.

In order to fill anticipated vacancies by April 2018, nomination packages should be received by January 3, 2018.  For full details regarding the nomination process and to learn more about NACEPT, please visit: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-11-21/html/2017-25188.htm

Download FULL Word doc

NAEP Annual National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Report for 2016

The National Association of Environmental Professionals’ (NAEP’s) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Practice (formerly known as the NEPA Working Group) is pleased to present our ninth NEPA Annual Report. This report contains summaries of the latest developments in NEPA as well as the NEPA Practice’s efforts for the past year. This annual report is prepared and published through the initiative and volunteer efforts of members of the NAEP’s NEPA Practice. The 2016 NEPA Annual Report includes:

1. Introduction
2. The NEPA Practice in 2016
3. Just the Stats on 2016 EISs filed with the U.S. EPA
4. Preparation Times for Environmental Impact Statements Made Available in 2016
5. Recent Congressional Legislation Regarding NEPA
6. 2016 NEPA Cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeal and Cumulative Impacts Cases

In 2016, announcements of 312 Draft, Final, and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) were published in the Federal Register. The Forest Service published the most documents with 67 (21% of total), followed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (37/12%), Bureau of Land Management (30/10%), Fish and Wildlife Service (18/17%), and Federal Highway Administration (16/5%) (based on information in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) database of EISs; http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/nepa/eisdata.html). Additional statistics, including those on EPA’s ratings of Draft EISs, is provided in Section 3 of the Annual Report, “Just the Stats.”

The NEPA Annual Report also found that the average time to prepare the 177 Final EISs issued in 2016 (measured from Notice of Intent to Final EIS) was 5.1 years. While this continues the recent trend of increasing Final EIS preparation times, the average time to prepare the Draft EISs issued in 2016 again showed signs of a decreasing trend. Seventeen percent of Final EISs were prepared in two years or less, a small increase from 2015. Substantially more information is provided in Section 4 of the Annual Report, “Preparation Times for Environmental Impact Statements Made Available in 2016.”

Although numerous bills addressing NEPA were introduced in the 114th Congress, few that were enacted into law contained substantive NEPA provisions. Among those with substantive changes to NEPA practices were the FAST (“Fixing America’s Surface Transportation) Act, particularly its Title XLI, and the WIIN (Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation) Act. These acts, along with the NEPA-related bills introduced in the 114th Congress and early in the 115th Congress, are described in Section 3 of the Annual Report, “Recent Congressional Legislation Regarding NEPA.”

In 2016, the U.S. Courts of Appeal issued 27 substantive decisions involving implementation of NEPA. The 27 cases involved 7 different departments and agencies, with the agencies prevailing in 21 (79 percent) of the cases. Detailed summaries of these cases are provided in Sections 6 and 7 of the Annual Report. The 2016 NEPA Annual Report is available at no cost to NAEP members as an NAEP Member Benefit. NAEP also provides copies to Federal agency NEPA liaisons.

Past issues of the NAEP NEPA Annual Report are available on the NAEP website at https://naep.memberclicks.net/members-only-section.

For a full copy of the 2016 report click here to join NAEP – NAEP Membership Application.

If you are already a member of NAEP and need assistance logging onto the NAEP website please contact Lynne Bynder at lbynder@naep.org or by phone at 760-636-0065.

^{Updated Oct 11, 2017}

NAEP is very excited to welcome three new Young Member Representatives

We would like to introduce Jess Cadorette, Aubrey Gann, and Dana Morey, each of whom is bringing a fresh and new perspective to our Board about how we can attract and provide sustained value to younger professionals!

Jess Cadorette

Jessica Cadorette is a 2016 graduate of Neumann University. Her degree is in Communications and Media Arts, but her passion lies in protecting our natural environment for generations to come. She currently works for an educational media company helping to script video content and write lesson plans for K-12. One of the series she’s working on is an environmental literacy series for Discovery Education, Discovery Channel’s online educational portal for educators and students. She looks forward to a life-long career serving the environment and advocating for sustainable ways of life.

Aubrey Gann

I graduated with my Bachelors in Environmental Studies in 2016 and I am now pursuing a Master’s in Environmental Policy and Management with a concentration in Fisheries and Wildlife Management as well as a certificate in Emergency Management Executive Leadership. I work as a medical system server administrator for the hospital located on Fort Drum, New York and a Staff Sergeant in the US Army Reserves as an instructor. I serve as the APUS NAEP chapter president this year and served as vice president in 2016 and webmaster in 2015. I am also a member of the AMU/APU chapter of The Wildlife Society and the Ecological Society of America.

Dana Morey

Dana strives to be an environmental protection leader in her physical and virtual communities. She has over 9 years of experience working for a Tribal Environmental Protection Department, exposing her to environmental planning, policy development, environmental compliance, and solid and hazardous waste management. Dana is a member of the American Public University Student Chapter of NAEP and served on the chapter leadership team from 2014-2016 while working toward her Master’s in Environmental Management and Policy. She lives in Southern California with her husband and pug. Dana is excited to be a new NAEP volunteer and a Young Member Rep!

Look forward to hearing from these awesome ladies in the future!