National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
EMC Hot Topics Carousel
Our carousel is a rotating set of images, rotation stops on keyboard focus on carousel tab controls or hovering the mouse pointer over images. Use the tabs or the previous and next buttons to change the displayed slide.
The NEPA Staff Welcomes You
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Staff supports the Forest Service’s compliance with the environmental laws and regulations that guide management of the lands and resources of the National Forest System. This site is designed to provide you access to helpful information related to the Agency's management of the NEPA process.
The Forest Service has amended its NEPA regulations, effective November 19, 2020. The amendments establish new and revised categorical exclusions and a Determination of NEPA Adequacy provision. See Forest Service NEPA Procedures, Policy, and Guidance for more information.
Forest Service NEPA Procedures, Policy, and Guidance
Archived Content
Climate Change
Cooperating Agencies
- Cooperating Agency Guidance - FS, BLM, USPS - (.pdf - 240 KB)
- See - CEQ Guidance Memos on Cooperating Agencies
- Executive Order Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation - (.pdf - 123 KB)
Cumulative Effects
- CEQ - Considering Cumulative Effects Under NEPA
- EPA - Consideration of Cumulative Impacts in EPA Review of NEPA Documents - (.pdf - 71 KB)
Department of Interior
- Requirements for DOI Review of External Agencies Environmental Documents - (.pdf - 182 KB)
Energy Policy Act of 2005 Categorical Exclusions
- Guidance of 09/01/2011 - (.pdf - 26 KB)
- Guidance of 06/09/2010 - (.pdf - 259 KB)
Environmental Impact Statements
Filing an EIS with the Environmental Protection Agency
- Where To File An EIS
- Office of the Federal Register
- EISFiling System Guidance
- Regional NEPA Contacts and EIS by State
- EPA's Environmental Impact Statement Database
List of Agencies for Distribution of Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements 10/28/2020 - (.xlsx, 23 KB)
Environmental Justice
- Executive Order of 2/11/94 on Environmental Justice
- USDA Departmental Regulation on Environmental Justice (5600-2) - (.pdf - 327 KB)
- CEQ - Environmental Justice and NEPA
- CEQ - Environmental Justice - Guidance Under the NEPA - (.pdf - 2.45 MB)
- EPA - Office of Environmental Justice
- EPA - Environmental Justice Considerations in the NEPA Process
- EPA - Final Guidance for Incorporating EJ Concerns in EPA's NEPA Compliance Analyses - (.pdf - 453 KB)
- EPA - Final Guidance on Considering Environmental Justice During the Development of Regulatory Actions - (.pdf - 594 KB)
- Final Guidance for Consideration of Environmental Justice in Clean Air Act 309 (EIS) Reviews - (.pdf - 78 KB)
Federal Register Notices
- Federal Register Homepage
- Federal Register Drafting Handbook (See Chapter 3)
- Plain Language Tools
- About Forest Service NEPA Notices in the Federal Register-Using EPA's FR Environmental Documents Homepage
NEPA Learning Teams
References and Resources
- Environmental Sciences Division of Argonne National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science
- Coarse-Scale Spatial Data for Wildland Fire and Fuel Management
- NEPA Net - NEPA Statute, Guidance and Information Links from the Council on Environmental Quality
Training Courses-Forest Service NEPA
- Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management - Information, Tools, and Training
- National Environmental Conflict Resolution Conference
- Online NEPA Concepts Course - Module 1 & 2
- Online NEPA Concepts Course - Module 3
- Pathways to Career Growth in NEPA - Gaining Compentency Through Development Opportunities