YJgirl
April 24th, 2008, 05:10 PM
Bureau of Land Management Contacts: MattSpangler (202-452-5130)For immediate release: Thursday, April 24, 2008 PegSorensen (202-557-3564) BLM Announces Revisions to Handbook Designed to Make Environmental Reviews More EfficientThe Bureau of Land Management today announced new guidance designed to makeits environmental reviews more effective and efficient.The BLM published in the Federal Register a notice announcing theavailability of the revised version of its handbook guiding implementationof the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The NEPA Handbookprovides instructions, procedures, and examples for complying with theCouncil on Environmental Quality?s regulations and the Department of theInterior?s Departmental Manual guidance for implementing NEPA.The objectives of the NEPA Handbook are to establish systematic practicesfor integrating NEPA into the planning and decisionmaking processes used bythe BLM, and to promote efficiency in the preparation and documentation ofNEPA compliance. The NEPA Handbook is intended for use by BLM managers,field staff, and other personnel for oversight and compliance with NEPAwithin their program areas.The NEPA Handbook was last revised in 1988. The current version is theresult of nearly two years of work by a diverse team of BLM specialists whodrafted the revised NEPA Handbook based on changes in Departmental Manualguidance regarding implementation of NEPA for public land management.Revisions to the 1988 NEPA Handbook were designed to support decisionmakingby BLM staff, as well as to avoid redundant or unnecessary documentation.Key changes in the new version include guidance on cumulative effectsanalysis; definition of issues requiring analysis; clarification of themeaning of ?significant? effects; and discussion of public involvementrequirements for environmental assessments and other proceedings.In today?s notice, the BLM invites the public to share comments on the NEPAHandbook, though a formal comment period on the document was not opened.The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 mandates that every Federalagency prepare a detailed statement of the effects of ?major Federalactions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.? TheNEPA process is intended to help public officials make decisions that arebased on an understanding of environmental consequences, and take actionsthat protect, restore, and enhance the environment.In August 2007, the BLM published a set of revisions to the Department ofthe Interior?s Departmental Manual, which guides the BLM?s implementationof NEPA. The revisions to the Departmental Manual have also beenincorporated into the NEPA handbook.The BLM manages more land ? 258 million surface acres ? than any otherFederal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western States,including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, alsoadministers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout thenation. The BLM?s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health andproductivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present andfuture generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing suchactivities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development,and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, and culturalresources on the public lands.