Environmental Impact Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real CFP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Environmental Impact Assessment flashcards as text
Which federal agency has primary jurisdiction over EFH consultations for Pacific salmon under the Magnuson-Stevens Act?
Answer: NOAA Fisheries (NMFS)
NOAA Fisheries (NMFS) manages EFH designations and consultations for federally managed marine and anadromous species including Pacific salmon under Magnuson-Stevens.
Under CEQ NEPA regulations, what is the maximum time allowed for completing a final EIS after the draft EIS comment period closes (unless extended)?
Answer: 90 days
CEQ's updated regulations set a page and time limit framework, with final EIS to be completed within approximately one year of the notice of intent, though in practice 90 days post-draft is a common completion target for FEIS release.
Which aquatic life use designation in state water quality standards is most directly relevant when assessing impacts of a proposed project on a trout fishery?
Answer: Cold water fishery or trout production waters (Class A/B)
Cold water fishery or trout production designations set the most stringent water quality criteria (e.g., dissolved oxygen, temperature) applicable to protecting salmonid habitat.
Which impact is classified as 'indirect' rather than 'direct' in a fisheries EIA for a new highway crossing a salmon river?
Answer: Increased fine sediment delivery to spawning gravel from upland impervious surface runoff years after construction
Indirect impacts are later in time or farther removed in cause-and-effect from the action; increased runoff-driven sedimentation from impervious surfaces is a classic indirect impact occurring post-construction.
A fisheries manager reviewing an EIA for a hydropower project should focus on which operational parameter as most critical to downstream fish passage and survival?
Answer: Minimum instream flow releases (minimum bypass flows)
Minimum bypass flow releases determine whether downstream habitat remains suitable for fish, making them the most operationally critical parameter for downstream fish passage and survival.
Which document records the federal agency's final decision on a proposed action analyzed in an EIS, including mitigation commitments?
Answer: Record of Decision (ROD)
The Record of Decision (ROD) is the final NEPA document that states which alternative the agency selects, explains the rationale, and commits to mitigation measures and monitoring.
During a fish passage EIA, a culvert is found to have an outlet perched 1.5 feet above the downstream channel at low flow. What is the primary fisheries impact concern?
Answer: Complete or partial blockage of upstream fish migration
A perched culvert outlet creates a waterfall that fish cannot jump, completely or partially blocking upstream migration to spawning and rearing habitat.