# Presentation: 896330

## FLH Environment Staff ConferenceVancouver, WASeptember 12, 2007

## Perspectives and Expectations

- Transportation Planning Process in the
-      Federal Lands Highway Program
- Implementing the New Planning Rule
- Program Stewardship and Oversight
-      -Protecting Environmental Resources
-       -Evaluating Transportation Needs
-       -Linking Planning and NEPA
- How Can We Make It Happen?

## Why Transportation Planning?

- Improve overall decision-making and program management
- Improve asset management
- Better linkage to the project development process
- More effective “players” in the process
- Required by Title 23, Section 204
- Benchmark is statewide and metropolitan planning

## A Planning Process forFederal Land Management Agencies

- Long-range transportation planning
- Multimodal, integrated transportation systems
- Regionally significant projects, conformity, and the TIP
- Public participation
- Management systems (Pavement, bridge, safety, congestion)
- Relationship with States, MPOs/RPOs and gateway communities

## Transportation Planning Template

- Major components:
-  Scope of the Planning Process
-  Long-Range Transportation Plans
- Unit Plans
- Regional or Tri-Agency (State-Level Forest Highway) Plans
- National Program Level Plans
-  Public Participation
-  Transportation Improvement Programs
-  Conformity
-  Management Systems

## New Rule Opportunities ForConsultation/Coordination

- Transportation Plans/STIP/TIP
-      Consult with Federal/Tribal land management agencies in the areas of  land use management, natural resources, environmental protection, conservation, historic preservation and transportation.
- Congestion Management Process
-      Pursuit of a cooperatively developed and implemented metropolitan-wide strategy.
- Intelligent Transportation Systems             Regional Architectures

## Some Specifics

- For MPOs:
- Should consult or coordinate with officials responsible for other types of planning affected by transportation
- Plans and TIPs shall consider other related planning activities
- Process shall provide for the design and delivery of transportation services within the metro area that are provided by Federal land management agencies and tribes that receive assistance under the Federal Lands Highway Program [recipients of assistance under section 204].

## Key Coordination Link

-  Both States and MPOs:
-      ...shall, to the extent practicable, develop a documented process that outlines roles, responsibilities, and key decision points for consulting with Indian Tribal governments and Federal land management agencies in the development of plans and STIPs/TIPs.

## How Can We Make It Happen?

- FLH provides technical assistance
- Data and information
- Coordination assistance
- Process improvements
- Training and capacity building for Federal land management agencies
- Work with States and MPOs to achieve meaningful consultation/coordination

## Linking Planning and NEPA

- Federal Lands Highway Business Plan, 2008-2012
- FLH Strategic Implementation Plan 2007         (and 2008?)
- Phased Programming Team Action Plan

## FLH Business Plan

- Streamline the Environmental process for FLH administered projects, including more effective linkage of transportation planning with the NEPA process.
- Full development of FLHP transportation planning procedures and transportation improvement program procedures

## 2007 Strategic Implementation Plan

- Development of long-range transportation plans
- Develop and approve an FLH four-year TIP process

## Phased Programming TeamAction Plan

- Forest Highways
- Use Tri-agency meetings to discuss transportation planning
- Forest Plan updates
- Alignment of project selection criteria to transportation plans and management systems

## Phased Programming TeamAction Plan

- Park Roads
- Use SMAC meetings to discuss transportation planning outcomes
- General Management Plan updates
- Opportunities for FLH to provide technical assistance

## Phased Programming TeamAction Plan

- Refuge Roads
- Coordination with FWS Regions
- Comprehensive Conservation Plan updates
- Opportunities for FLH technical assistance

## FLHP Transportation ImprovementProgram Process

- More consistent process among FLH Divisions
- Update on two-year cycle
- Document project consistency with long-range plans
- Document purpose and need
- Document conformity
- Public participation