# Presentation: 816371

## Linking Planning & NEPAFHWA Environmental ConferenceJune 28, 2006

- Shari Schaftlein
- FHWA Office of Project Development & Environmental Review
- Shari.schaftlein@dot.gov
- 202-366-5570

## Our Ideal Goal!

## Integrated Planning:A Systems Perspective

- Land Use
- System

- Transportation
- System

- Water Resources
- System

- Other Natural,
- Cultural Resource
- Systems

**Integrated Approach**

- land
- development
- proposal

- road
- improvement
- proposal

- wetlands
- identification

- habitat or
- historic places
- to preserve

- opportunities to support multiple community goals and improve quality of life

- Integrated Planning:A Systems Perspective

## Towards Integration: Making Better Connections

**Transportation Systems Planning & Programming**
- Project locations
- Conceptual design

**Transportation Project Development**
- Environmental analysis and permitting
- Right-of-way
- Engineering design

**Other Planning Processes**
- Land use
- Watershed
- Habitat
- Cultural resources

**Notes:**
To make this integration a reality on the ground, what is needed is better connections in and among planning and project development processes – better connections between the considerations used in transportation systems planning and those used in transportation project development, as well as better connections between these transportation decision processes and other planning processes, including land use, watershed, habitat, and other resources.

Linking Planning and NEPA is about ways to foster stronger connections.

## Evolving the State of Practice

- Multi-Species
- Habitat
- Conservation
- Plans

- Scenario
- Planning

- Special Area
- Management
- Plans

- Programmatic
- Approaches

- Others

- Green
- Infrastructure
- Planning

- Transportation-
- Land-Use
- Integration

- Context-
- Sensitive
- Solutions

**Integrated**
**Planning**

## How do you do it? We can help...

- SAFETEA-LU Provisions
- FHWA Initiatives
- Research Efforts
- Partner Activities

## Related SAFETEA-LU Provisions

- Sect. 6001
- Environmental Mitigation
- Consultation with Resource Agencies
- Consideration of Resource Maps and Inventories
- Visualization of Plans
- Sect. 6002 – Environmental Process
- Sect. 1119 – Wildlife Vehicle Collisions
- Sect. 6008 –  Context Sensitive Solutions

**Notes:**
May want to mention the Planning NPRM.

Published June 9.

Comments due September 7.

## Linking Planning and NEPA: Connecting SAFETEA-LU Sections

**Section 6001**
- Coordination with land and resource agencies, others
- Consideration of land use, resource concerns in the planning process

**Section 6002**
- Early coordination with resource agencies, other stakeholders for process improvement and higher predictability

**Linking Planning and NEPA**
- Mechanisms and tools for coordination
- Planning products for use in NEPA

**Notes:**
SAFETEA-LU 6001 is about early coordination with and consideration of land use and resource agencies and concerns, while 6002 is about early coordination for improving the project development process and increasing predictability.

Linking Planning and NEPA provides mechanisms and tools to facilitate this early coordination, and provides ideas for planning products that can be used to increase predictability in NEPA and permitting.

## FHWA Initiatives – Drivers & Trends

- Stewardship & Streamlining
- Wetland Mitigation Peer Exchange
- Exemplary Ecosystem VFG
- Streamlining E.O. – Integrated Planning
- Linking Planning & NEPA Guidance
- Scenario Planning
- PPP – Certainty
- Eco-Logical
- NEPA Indirect & Cumulative Impacts
- GIS Competency
- Context Sensitive Solutions
- Programmatics/Tiering
- Collaboration

## Partner Activities – Drivers & Trends

- Watershed Plans – New ACOE Regs, EPA Paper
-  State Wildlife Action Plans
-  Green Infrastructure Planning
-  Defense-Base Realignment, Agriculture, Energy-  	Pipeline Safety, Homeland Security
-  Green Highways Partnership – Mid Atlantic
-  E.O. on Cooperative Conservation
-  National Resource Agency Liaisons (ACHP, ACOE, FWS, USFS)

**Notes:**
Fourth bullet addresses the “deep pockets” working on major infrastructure projects

## Research – Drivers and Trends 

- NCHRP – Policy, Legal, Technical, Case Studies
- TRB Committees – Summer and Annual Meetings
- Vendor Presentations
- Business Case – transaction costs, project and ecological benefit
- STEP Program: HEP investments, leveraging, and partnerships
- SHRP-II: eight projects, $12.75 million

## 6001: Consultation with Resource Agencies

- Why state and local?
- Ask or tell?
- Flow chart exchange – who, when, how
- Who with?
- Land Use
- Natural Resources
- Environmental Protection
- Conservation
- Historic Preservation
- Tribes

## 6001: Models of Cooperation

- Shuttle Negotiation
- Group by Topic
- Group by Physical Boundaries
- Group by Level of Government
- Opportunistic (State GIS Council)
- Live vs. Virtual
- Government vs. Non-government conveners

## 6001: Consideration of Resource Maps and Inventories – Providing Context

- Data Rich vs. Poor
-  Maps vs. Inventories
-  Public vs. Private lands
-  Public knowledge vs. Confidential
-  Best Available Science vs. Precautionary Principal
-  Project Regulator vs. Strategic Planning
-  Fill Data Gaps vs. Follow the Mapping

## Current Activities / Resources

- Linking Planning and NEPA Workshops
- Conservation and Transportation Planning Workshops (three for this year)
- GHP Ecosystem Theme Team, solicitation of projects
- Outreach materials: resource handout, web site, presentations
- National Presentations: SCOE, SCOP, AMPO, TRB
- 6001 Technical Panels
- GIS Peer Exchange Findings

## In your area, where are the MPOs and State DOT along this continuum?