In the mid-19th century, Henry David Thoreau wrote, “In wildness is the preservation of the world.” This thought marked the beginning of this country’s literary American Renaissance and it became the cornerstone of America’s environmental consciousness. America’s heritage is rich in its regard to the environment. We all associate Thoreau with Walden Pond, and the year spent in a small cabin in the woods near the pond shore. Those of us who have visited Concord, Massachusetts know that Walden Pond is only about a mile from downtown Concord. We also know that about every other day Thoreau walked into town to get provisions, call on friends, or have dinner with his parents. But the words he wrote while living at Walden Pond have inspired us all. Thoreau was one of the first writers to describe his experience with Nature; to experience its beauty, its strength, and the wisdom that comes to you in moments of quiet reflection.

During the decade of the 1960’s and 1970’s, there were many literary figures writing of the simplicity, the beauty, and the spiritual depth of Nature, giving us vivid imagery that represented our emotional landscape.  For example, Theodore Roethke’s The Far Field that included the wonderful “North American Sequence,” was published in 1964 and instantly won the National Book Award for that year.  Mary Oliver, one of the finest nature poets to have ever lived (Oliver passed away in January 2019), published American Primitive in 1978 to much literary acclaim, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

One of the human attributes that I absolutely believe in is a code of ethics or standard by which to live – professionally and personally. NAEP expects environmental professionals to live by their “Code of Ethics and Standards for Practice for Environmental Professionals.” As an organization IdAEP, the Idaho Chapter of NAEP, adopted this code of ethics and standards and, consequently, we have the same expectation for our chapter members. 

On March 10, 2020, NAEP submitted comments to the Council on Environmental Quality on CEQ’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking revising its regulations for implementing the procedural requirements of NEPA. The proposed rulemaking was published in the Federal Register on January 10, 2020, and the comment period closed on March 10. These comments include contributions from several NAEP members and were discussed during the February 19 meeting of the NEPA Practice.

Read NAEP's Comments

Read the Proposed Rulemaking

What does the term “Environmental Professional” mean to you? I recently met a person actively engaged in urban planning, green activism, and urban forestry in a government role that didn’t consider himself an environmental professional. This got me thinking, is being an environmental professional determined by a certification, a certain type of job, or a mindset? 

The National Association of Environmental Professionals' (NAEP's) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Practice is pleased to present our eleventh NEPA Annual Report. This report contains summaries of NEPA developments during 2018 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.

Learn More

Our life together as environmental professionals is certainly a given. There are, from the onset, common bonds because of the professional work that we do. As we grow in our careers we realize the importance of giving our volunteer time to an association we align with and believe in. For most of us that association is NAEP. The reward is more than volunteer positions standing out on our resume, more than showing commitment to our respective environmental field. For those of us that belong to NAEP and/or a NAEP Chapter, we know that our NAEP friends, especially those that take on volunteer and leadership positions, hold for one another an inexplicable, sometimes unexplainable, caring for each other. It’s a caring that transcends our professionalism, our commitment to NAEP and the environmental professions. Below are what I call value statements that hopefully bring meaning to the intent and spirit of getting involved and staying involved in NAEP and its Chapters:

I do not know about many of you, but my academic training was as a biologist and the course work needed for my degree did not include leadership. My experience has been gained more associated with boots on the ground vs academic training. Being an analytical individual, I tried to see what worked and what did not work. There were a lot of leadership books out there that I read (some good and some not so good) and tested some of the concepts. Some concepts worked and some did not. Some of the things that I have tested and seem to be beneficial are as follows:

Submit your nominations for the 2020 At-Large Board Members. Make sure to submit your nomination by 8:30 AM PT on November 25, 2019

On behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF), we invite you to register as a potential reviewer for the 2020 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and STEM Education at accredited, non-profit US institutions of higher education. See the Program Solicitation, NSF 19-590 for more details on GRFP. NSF seeks a diverse mix of researchers and educators from a wide range of institutions, geographic locations, and disciplinary and interdisciplinary backgrounds to serve as reviewers.

The ‘nature’ of the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) – is that of an organization with national and chapter members spread out across a multitude of disciplines, generations, stages of career development, employment, education, and experience. Surprisingly, this diverse membership often comes together ‘under one roof’ to embody the mission of NAEP in developing the highest standards of ethics and proficiency in the environmental professions, and promoting excellence in decision-making related to environmental, social, and economic impacts of those decisions. It is the effort of many ‘individuals’ and ‘thoughtful individual actions’ that bring validity to this organization. In other words, NAEP would not exist without the people who make the difference by ‘living’ their profession and upholding the values and high expectations of NAEP.

At the NAEP conference membership meeting in Baltimore I had the privilege to speak to our member professionals about leadership and the benefits of volunteering. I share my thoughts by starting with a quote from the poet David Whyte: “Inside everyone is a great shout of joy waiting to be born.” (from The House of Belonging).

On July 30, 2019, NAEP submitted comments to the Council on Environmental Quality on CEQ's Draft National Environmental Policy Act Guidance on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The guidance, once finalized, is intended to replace the 2016 final guidance that was withdrawn in early 2017.

We Need You: A Message from the Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Practice

Hi Everyone,

Advanced NEPA Workshop in Anchorage Alaska! 

Join us on July 19 in Anchorage, Alaska! 

We asked the NAEP Fellows and NAEP Leadership to provide some thoughts and reflections on the recent 2019 NAEP Annual Conference held in Baltimore, MD. What was offered forth were words of encouragement, enthusiasm, connection, environmental challenge, genuine love and respect for NAEP friends and participants, and an overall glowing sense of this association’s leadership. Here are the thoughts and reflections of Gary Kelman, Marie Campbell, John Irving and John Perkins.

Free Webinar: Application of Environmental Justice to State Environmental Impact Assessment

Want to learn about how to apply environmental justice practices to State environmental impact assessments? Well - you're in luck! The Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a webinar that will provide a basic primer on environmental justice (EJ) methodologies, which can be used by state practitioners during National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and other environmental impact assessments.

It will also build on this foundation with presentations regarding the State of Alaska's efforts to address health issues in environmental impact assessment and the State of Kentucky's efforts to address transportation-related community impacts. 

Read More and Register!

Members save nearly $105 million through environmental practices 

On May 23, 2019, Betty Dehoney, newly sworn-in President of the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) and John Irving, Interim President of Idaho Association of Environmental Professionals (IdAEP) signed a Chapter Affiliation Agreement at NAEP’s Board Meeting in Baltimore, MD, making IdAEP an official chapter of the national organization!

Friendships begin with a belief that there is something of value in two people connecting and talking about topics that interest them professionally and personally. Friendships also begin with small steps because we are somewhat guarded in what we reveal about ourselves initially until we develop trust in the relationship. One of the greater rewards of being a NAEP member is the friendships you make over time that become vitally important professionally and life-lasting personally.