NEPA as a Tool for Strategic Analysis and Decision Making

Programmatic analyses under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are broadly scoped for assessing the environmental impacts of federal actions across a span of conditions, such as facilities, geographic regions, or multi-project programs. Programmatic NEPA analysis can be an excellent decision-making tool that facilitates proactive and strategic considerations of environmental and other important criteria ahead of the need for site-specific or project-level action. Employing a programmatic approach can lead to more informed decision making and to streamlined processes for individual actions. This article showcases examples of effective programmatic NEPA analysis and explores the use of programmatic NEPA analysis as a tool for strategic analysis and decision making.