We’re Going Virtual - April 6-8!
SWCA has taken our Streamlined NEPA Process and Analysis Workshop and converted it to a fully online course.
This virtual workshop will provide the tools you need to write NEPA documents that are clear, concise, and defensible, and facilitate the rigorous NEPA process in less time, all from the comfort of your own home or office.
Both new and experienced NEPA practitioners will be provided an overview of the NEPA process, a review of legal requirements and pitfalls, and an opportunity to work on real-world NEPA projects in an instructional and interactive workshop atmosphere. The course was inspired by evolving federal agency direction to complete NEPA projects within aggressive, truncated schedules and mandated page limits. It was developed by SWCA after years of training federal agencies on how to develop effective NEPA documentation. The course will also include an overview of recent NEPA case law and regulatory shifts, including the potential ramifications of the most recent proposed changes to the CEQ regulations.
Dates
April 6-8, 2021 | 8am-12pm MDT
Course Fees
- Non-Government Rate - $795
- Government Rate - $695
- Tribal Rate - $595
Space is limited! Register today to reserve your spot!
Course Materials
Registration includes a “NEPA Course Survival Kit.” This kit, mailed to your provided shipping address, includes the course training manual and workbook. You can also expect to receive some fun “swag” from SWCA!
Matt was an excellent instructor. Seems to know the topic inside and out and displays a great deal of energy teaching the class. Great course!
Intended Audience:
Industry managers and planners who work on federal lands or with federal permits
Agency planning and environmental coordinators
Municipal planners
Consultant project managers and resource specialists
Decision-makers involved in or reviewing NEPA documents
After completion of the workshop, participants will:
- Understand the overall philosophy and purpose of NEPA.
- Receive a basic overview of the CEQ guidelines and NEPA case law.
- Have a working knowledge of the stages and levels of the NEPA process.
- Understand the implications of the decisions required throughout the NEPA process.
- Be prepared to determine and appropriate situations for categorical exclusions (CE), environmental assessment (EA), and environmental impact statements (EIS).
- Have the practical skills to be able to write streamlined defensible NEPA documents that meet applicable agency schedule and page requirements (for example, recent stringent DOI requirements for a 150-page EIS with a Record of Decision within 1 year of the Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS).
- Learn the role of major federal agencies in the NEPA process and understand the responsibilities of the “third party” NEPA consultant in agency analysis.
- Have an understanding of the responsibilities and ethics of the lead agency, cooperating agencies, and NEPA consultant.
- Understand the step-by-step process from project kick-off through publication of a decision.
- Learn how to design a NEPA process and maintain the administrative record to minimize litigation risks.
This is real world stuff that he is throwing at you and [you are] learning from that.
Course Instructor
Matt Petersen
Senior Project Manager/NEPA Specialist,
SWCA Environmental Consultants
Matt has 30 years of experience as a resource specialist. He has managed or contributed to 50+ large-scale EISs throughout the U.S. and has used this experience to develop real-world based workshops and trainings. He has the unique experience of leading these workshops while continuing to work on large-scale, controversial NEPA projects.
Daily Class Breakdown
Day 1
- Course Overview
- Introduction to NEPA
- Project Kickoff: Identifying the Players and Appropriate Level of NEPA Analysis
- Document Outline: A Plan for Concise and Defensible NEPA
- Purpose and Need: Setting the Stage for the Project
Day 2
- Developing a Reasonable Range of Alternatives
- Eliminating Alternatives from Detailed Analysis
- Planning for Streamlined Issue-Based Impact Analysis
- Identifying Substantive Issues
- Eliminating Non-Substantive Issues
Day 3
- Cause-and-Effect: Identifying Impact Indicators and Methodology
- Writing Streamlined Impact Analysis
- Cumulative Impacts Analysis
- Course Closeout/Questions
Course Instructor
Instructor
Matt Petersen
Matt Petersen has a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries from Texas A&M University and an MS in Aquatic Ecology from Utah State University. He has managed, provided NEPA oversight, or worked as a resource specialist, for more than 50 large-scale EISs, including projects from Alaska to Vermont. His NEPA project experience encompasses agency resource management plans, mining, oil and gas, pipelines, transmission lines, wind farms, airports, and power plants.
He has and continues to use his experience to develop and teach real-world based NEPA workshops and trainings for the BLM, Forest Service, Federal Aviation Administration, various Water Conservancy Districts, Department of Defense, and other federal agencies and industry clients. Matt is one of those rare instructors that both instructs NEPA and works on large-scale controversial NEPA projects on a daily basis. As an example, in the last 3 years Matt has managed the TransWest Express Transmission Line EIS (BLM, Western Area Power Administration, and Forest Service) and the Bald Mountain Mine Expansion EIS (BLM).
Additionally, Matt is currently providing NEPA management, oversite and/or alternatives facilitation on multiple EISs, including the Robinson Mine, the Gibellini Mine EIS, the Bears Ears National Monument Management Plan EIS, and the Willow Creek Oil and Gas Master Development EIS. Matt is also a regular contracted instructor for several NEPA classes for the BLM National Training Center (NTC).