WG Telecon Minutes 14 Nov

NAEP NEPA Working Group
Teleconference Meeting Notes, 11/14/07

Attendees:

Paul Amato, Michael Collins, Paula Bienenfeld (Recorder), Nick Chevance, Elizabeth Copley, Ron Deverman, Harold Draper, Al Herson, Denise Keele, Yardena Mansoor, Joe Musil, Grace Musmumeci, Kathleen Riek-Miller, Bill Sadline, Owen Schmidt, Karen Vitulano, Lasantha Wedande, R.C. Wooten

Agenda

1. Overview, new items
2. Update on conference planning
3. Elections for NEPA Working Group
4. New CEQ NEPA Coll. Handbook
5. Forest Service
6. Next steps for NEPA Annual Report

Update on Conference Planning

Michael:
The Program is pretty much put together; there will be a heavy emphasis on climate change. NAEP is joining with the CA AEP group. There will be six concurrent sessions during all time slots. There will be 4 pre-meeting events. There will be a symposium on CEQA, NEPA, and climate change. CA Attorney General’s Office, etc., and other high-level agency staff will attend. Wednesday evening: the President’s reception will be in the exhibitors’ area. There will be a career fair. Thursday: There will be concurrent sessions, through Friday, to 1:15 pm
Friday: there will be hot topic lunches, including 3 that are of interest to the NEPA group, incl. Horst Griswall from CEQ. The NEPA Business Meeting will be held Thursday at 5-6 pm. A new chair and vice chair will be appointed at that meeting. There will be field trips, and three keynote speakers.

Questions:
Karen: when will sessions be on the website? A: Next week. The conference is at the Omni Hotel and they are taking reservations now.

Elections for NEPA Working Group

The terms are 2-year terms. Michael was elected in 2006. He will solicit nominations and will send out an email ballot. You can self-nominate. Information will be out in late January/early February 2008.

NEW CEQ NEPA Handbook

CEQ released a new edition of the handbook coming out of the 2003 Task Force report. This handbook—NEPA and collaboration. It is the second official final product from that Working Group/Task Force. The first one was the EMS NEPA Guide. There is a link on the CEQ website. See it at: http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/ntf/Collaboration_in_NEPA_Oct_2007.pdf

There are two more in draft form; all are posted on the website: http://www.nepa.gov/nepa/nepanet.htm

Harold, a member of the EA Working Group.: Programmatic Agreement is circulating within the Federal Government.
Yardena, a member of the Categorical Exclusions Working Group. The federal agency comments have been submitted.

Owen Schmidt: These are non-confrontational. In 1997 CEQ put out a draft memo on addressing global warming in NEPA documents; that was never finalized.

Forest Service

Peter Havens (Vice-Chair) has invited the Forest Service to attend one of our telephone calls to brief us on their EIS production status and lessons learned. The purpose of the brief would be informational only and not an opportunity to comment on the ongoing NEPA process.

Denise Keele: Two suits have been filed. One California court ruled this violated NEPA. This is a fascinating topic. Went to Congressional hearing in May. There are questions, e.g., what is a P. Analysis? The person from the USFS requested to be on the call to give an update of this in next month’s conference call (PH note: now scheduled for Jan).

Concern: we may be flooded with requests. Trying to instigate a follow-up study.

Next Steps for NEPA Annual Report

Outline in an email from Michael. Background:
Two years ago there was the idea for a report to summarize the state of NEPA. An outline was set up, but it bogged down. Now, a 2006 update is underway, so it was decided to prepare a 2007 Edition. The idea is to release it around the time of the annual meeting. Items to add/remove from the list? Michael asks for volunteer to coordinate; to assign the remainder of the topics. Grace offered to help coordinate this.

Questions.
Owen: Is this a print publication?A: It will be a pdf on the NAEP website. There will be possible hard copies at the annual meeting. Owen suggested developing a wikipedia-type site for NEPA. For example, DOT has a NEPA website. Michael thought that was a great idea.

There was some discussion of the information on the website as current. Elizabeth Copley said she could look for Army changes and would take the lead on that.

Q: What about people in different states and agencies? Michael stated it was good to create a way for people to input new information in real time. He will go to the Board and see what’s available. We need to get organized and see what we need, we need option gatekeepers.

Q by Michael to Owen: Are there software packages to support this? A from Owen: No, but I see what I like and I use it on the web. We could have a wiki or a blog. (PH note: a test blog was setup 12 Dec 07)

Seconds:
Announcement by Joe Musell: Board elections are coming out. Offices are for a three-year term; four slots are open; all are self-financing.

MEETING ADJOURNED

Respectfully submitted,
Paula Bienenfeld