Tip #1
“The ICI discussion must clearly identify the rationale for including/excluding resources in the analysis. Customize the section to include relevant resources based on the particular project and the findings of the direct impacts analysis.”

Tip #2
“Resource study areas (RSAs) must be clearly defined (both the physical and temporal boundaries), and will likely vary for each resource. The rationale for the selection of these areas should also be included in the discussion.”

Tip #3
“The relationship between transportation and land use must be acknowledged if appropriate to the project. The ICI analysis must adequately discuss baseline conditions and the scope for potential changes in access and economic development/land use conversion. All other planned actions, including other reasonably foreseeable transportation projects, must be accounted for during the analysis.”

Tip #4
“Added capacity projects in non-attainment areas should analyze air quality in the ICI section. This analysis needs to address ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), and MSATs, using the non-attainment area as the RSA, and should include a brief summary of the direct impacts rather than repeating the entire direct impacts analysis verbatim.”

Tip #5
“Keep in mind that although the transportation agency may not be responsible for the mitigation of an indirect or cumulative impact, it is still necessary to do a thorough analysis of all the ICI impacts that may occur in relation to the project as part of the NEPA process.”

Related posts:

1. 5 Questions With… Susan Lassell
2. Indirect Impacts in Recent Transportation EISs and EAs
3. AASHTO Section 4(f) Guidance

What one piece of advice would you give to a new NEPA Pro today?

Embrace change. NEPA was a pretty stable, fairly consistent machine for a very long time. You will find that things are now evolving almost on a daily basis. Learn everything you can about key subjects like indirect and cumulative impacts analysis, LEP, EJ, and permitting. Those are the emerging big issues. At the same time, get conversant with cultural resources and things like T, E, and SOC species. You can’t specialize, but you need to find your niche. More and more companies want to develop aspects of expertise that they can trust will be done properly, but they also want people who are ably cross-trained.

What is one improvement that you hope to see in NEPA documents in the near future?

Image from City of Evansville

This is a very sensitive topic, and one that is loaded with a lot of vested interests. Anything I’d want to see changed in one way, at least one person would want kept the same or changed the other way. That said, I’d like to see more meaningful data. For example, when we do EJ to the block level we are missing out on the elderly, single moms, poverty, and disabled. I once designed a low-income housing project and gave it to female architect friend of mine who was a single mom, and I asked her to critique it. I really should have had her in on the ground floor, because by the time I got done with her revisions it was a whole different complex. For example, we don’t consider the impacts on wheelchair bound folks and moms who need to get three kids (one is a stroller) to the bus stop when we temporarily relocate it.

What is the most exciting development in NEPA work today?

I think the most exciting thing is that the work is becoming more complex. In the old days you could write an entire EA without talking to a single resident or ever leaving your office. Now I find that I need to visit my sites almost on a weekly basis. I’ve been working on a project for a couple years and not so long ago I learned something about the changing neighborhood I’d never known before. New neighbors move in and things that were constant for the whole project change over night.

How do you keep up with trends and developments in NEPA and environmental documents?

I think it’s a mindset. I think a lot of people feel that once they have their requisite hours of whatever they can settle into their jobs. Sharks die if they stop moving. You need to look for places that you can actively (not academically) expand your knowledge base. Read, write, and speak.

What is biggest challenge facing NEPA pros in the coming years?

Pretty much everything I’ve said so far. But I think you’ll find that if you wait for the coming years you’re in for a big shock. New massive challenges are coming almost daily. Expect more stringent review from the Corps. State, federal, and local budgets are shrinking so expect them to want more for less. The recession won’t last forever and the developers will be back. Expect a lot of work from those folks, so learn how to fight and which fights are worth stocking up on bandages, extra blood, and gauze.

Related posts:

1. 5 Questions With… Susan Lassell
2. Starting a business changes how you…write?

Susan has practiced historic preservation planning in the environmental compliance context for over 15 years, including positions with private sector firms in Washington D.C., California, and Texas.

How do you describe your job to non-historians/NEPA people?

SL: I help integrate the preservation of historic resources into overall project planning on local, state and federal construction projects.”

What one piece of advice would you give to a new Historic Preservation Planner today?

SL: Draw yourself a 9 square chart, three columns across and three columns down; write “Federal, State, local” across the top and “Public, Private, Non-profit” down the side. Make it your goal to fill each of those cells at some point over the life of your career, whether it’s your day job, a volunteer opportunity, or serving on a board of directors. Being an effective preservation planner requires the ability to see things from many perspectives, and this is a good way to broaden your perspective!

How do you keep up with trends and developments in NEPA and environmental documents?

SL: It seems there’s never enough time for this! However, I keep up by reading new guidance published by client agencies such as the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Historical Commission, . . . and attending annual professional meetings such as the TxDOT Environmental Coordinators meeting and Preservation Texas‘ “Summit on Texas Preservation”.

What is your favorite website for historians (work or non-work related)?

SL:  NewspaperARCHIVE.com gives you amazing access to newspapers small and large, dating back to the 19th century, and is very easy to search.

What is one improvement that you hope to see in either NEPA documents or in Intensive Surveys in the near future?

SL: While archeological reports are systematically archived by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), hundreds of historic resources surveys are conducted each year in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act that are not centrally archived and thus are effectively unavailable. A central repository, preferably an on-line, public-access, digital archive, of publicly funded historic resources surveys would be of great benefit for all future projects.

Related posts:

1. 5 Questions with Tim Kroeker
2. 5 ICI Analyses Tips with Susan Geist