Environmental Planning

Natural Resource and Conservation Service

• Planting appropriate herbaceous and woody vegetation on disturbed sites to restore and maintain the sites ecological functions and services. (04d-NRCS)

• Replacing and repairing existing culverts, grade stabilization, and water control structures and other small structures that were damaged by natural disasters. (06d-NRCS)

• Removing storm debris and sediment following a natural disaster where there is a continuing and eminent threat to public health or safety, property, and natural and cultural resources and removal is necessary to restore lands to pre-disaster conditions. (09d-NRCS)

• Stabilizing stream banks and associated structures to reduce erosion through bioengineering techniques following a natural disaster to restore pre-disaster conditions to the extent practicable, e.g., utilization of living and nonliving plant materials in combination with natural and synthetic support materials. (10d-NRCS)

• Restoring an ecosystem, fish and wildlife habitat, biotic community, or population of living resources to a determinable pre-impact condition. (13d-NRCS)

• Repairing or maintenance of existing constructed fish passageways, such as fish ladders or spawning areas impacted by natural disasters or human alteration (d(12))

Farm Service Agency 

• Construction or ground disturbance actions. (E2) 

• Siting/construction/operation of microwave/radio communication towers less than 200 feet in height without guy wires on previously disturbed ground. (A-4).

• Adding fiber optic cable to transmission structures or burying fiber optic cable in existing transmission line rights-of-way; (A-6).

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• The disposal, demolition or removal of real property, buildings, and structures, including associated site restoration, and the disposal of personal property and debris. (F7 - PDF, 547 KB)

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

• New construction or improvement of land, operations, or support facilities, fiber optics, and communication towers; (C-4 , C-5, C-6, C-7, and C-8)

• Construction, additions, and modifications to transmission facilities, new or existing powerlines, electric power substations and interconnection facilities. (B4.6, B4.11, B4.12, B4.13)

• Installation, modification, operation, or decommissioning of commercially available Solar photovoltaic systems (B5.16)

• Electric vehicle charging stations; (B5.23)

• Routine repair, preventative, and predictive maintenance activities, are required to maintain and preserve buildings, structures, infrastructures, and equipment in a condition suitable for a facility to be used for its designated purpose. Such maintenance may occur as a result of severe weather (such as hurricanes, floods, and tornados), wildfires, and other such events. (B1.3)

• Repair, replacement, upgrading, rebuilding, or minor relocation of pipelines within existing rights-of-way, provided that the actions are in accordance with applicable requirements (such as Army Corps of Engineers permits under section 404 of the Clean Water Act). (B5.4)

• Construction and subsequent operation of short (generally less than 20 miles in length) pipeline segments conveying materials between existing source facilities and existing receiving facilities (such as facilities for use, reuse, transportation, storage, and refining), provided that the pipeline segments are within previously disturbed or developed rights-of-way. (B5.5)

Bureau of Indian Affairs

• Utility installations along or across a transportation facility. (L.1) (.pdf - 700KB)

• Activities involving remediation of hazardous waste sites if done in compliance with applicable federal laws such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (P.L. 94-580), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (P.L. 96-516) or Toxic Substances Control Act (P.L. 94-469). (K(2)) (PDF, 676 KB)

Bureau of Land Management

• Disposal of mineral materials in amounts not exceeding 50,000 cubic yards or disturbing more than 5 acres, except in riparian areas. (F10) (PDF, 212 KB)

• Granting and amending rights-of-way in existing or compatibly developed rights-of-way for facilities, utility service, or terminal access roads.  (E12, E13, E17) (PDF, 212 KB)

• Placement and use of temporary portable corrals and water troughs. (D2) (PDF, 212 KB)

• Emergency Stabilization actions in response to disaster events that threaten public health or safety, property, and/or natural and cultural resources, and are necessary to repair or improve lands unlikely to recover. (CE I1) (PDF, 212 KB)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• The construction of new, or the addition of, small structures or improvements for the restoration of wetland, riparian, instream, or native habitats, which result in no or only minor changes in the use of the affected local area. (B(3))

• The reintroduction or supplementation (e.g., stocking) of native, formerly native, or established species into suitable habitat within their historic or established range, where no or negligible environmental disturbances are anticipated. (B(6))

National Park Service

• Changes or amendments to an approved plan when changes would cause no or only minimal environmental impact. (12.5 B (1)) (PDF, 212 KB)

U.S. Geological Survey

• Collection of data and samples, and test or exploration drilling or trenching (B, G, L) (PDF, 145 KB).

• Establishment and/or operation of survey marks, field instruments, and research/monitoring devices (H) (PDF, 145 KB).

• Off-road travel or minor activities to gain or prepare access to sites (K, P) (PDF, 145 KB).

Federal Highway Administration

Emergency repair, restoration, retrofitting, or replacement actions for transportation facilities damaged by an incident resulting in an emergency declared that is in operation or under construction when the incident occurred. (C9)

• Actions to maintain, restore, or enhance terrestrial ecosystems that generally involve physical disturbance of no more than 125 acres. (CE 30) 

• Forest management activities to manipulate species composition and age class or regenerate forest stands up to 125 acres and requiring no more than 1 mile of temporary or seasonal permanent road construction and Salvage of dead and/or dying trees up to 250 acres and requiring no more than 1 mile of temporary or seasonal permanent road construction. (CE 31)

• Development of dispersed recreation sites (generally not to exceed 10 acres in size) to support activities such as hunting, fishing, primitive camping, wildlife observation, hiking, and mountain biking. Actions include, but are not limited to, installation of guardrails, gates and signage, hardening and stabilization of sites, trail construction, and access improvements/controls. (CE 22)

• Development of public use areas that generally result in the physical disturbance of no more than 10 acres, including, but not limited to, construction of parking areas, campgrounds, stream access points, and day use areas. (CE 23)