Environmental Impact Analysis & Planning Flashcards

Which document must an applicant submit to initiate formal Section 7 ESA consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?

Answer: Biological Assessment

A Biological Assessment (BA) is prepared by the project proponent to analyze potential effects on listed species and triggers formal Section 7 consultation.

The 'no-action alternative' in an EIS is required because it:

Answer: Provides a baseline for comparing the effects of the proposed action and other alternatives

The no-action alternative shows what would happen if the project is not implemented, serving as the reference point for measuring impacts of all action alternatives.

An environmental planner assessing stormwater impacts for a new development would primarily consult which regulatory framework?

Answer: Clean Water Act NPDES Phase II stormwater program

The NPDES Phase II program regulates stormwater discharges from small MS4s and construction sites under the Clean Water Act.

In environmental impact analysis, 'reasonably foreseeable future actions' are included in cumulative impact analysis because:

Answer: They represent projects likely to occur and whose combined effects with the proposed action could be significant

Reasonably foreseeable actions, even if not yet approved, are included because their combined effects with the project could cross significance thresholds.

A Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA) is used in environmental planning primarily to:

Answer: Quantify compensatory mitigation needed to offset lost ecosystem services from an environmental injury

HEA is a scaling tool used in natural resource damage assessments and mitigation planning to ensure that restoration projects provide equivalent ecological gains to offset documented losses.

When a proposed federal project undergoes changes after the Final EIS is approved, a Supplemental EIS (SEIS) is required if:

Answer: The changes cause significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns

CEQ regulations require an SEIS when substantial changes to the project or significant new information would materially alter the environmental analysis.

The primary purpose of a Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in the NEPA process is to:

Answer: Formally document that an EA found no significant impacts, thus eliminating the need for an EIS

A FONSI concludes the EA process by documenting the agency's determination that no EIS is required because impacts are not significant.