CHAPTER 10 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS PROCEDURES IN THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

• Jurisdiction: United States

Natural Resources Environmental Law
(Feb 1972)
CHAPTER 10
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS PROCEDURES IN THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
RICHARD F. JOHNSON
CHIEF, PLANNING COORDINATION STAFF BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
DENVER, COLORADO

February 26, 1972

FOR THE

NATURAL RESOURCES ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

INSTITUTE (ROCKY MOUNTAIN MINERAL

LAW FOUNDATION)

With some 8-1/3 million acres of land in Colorado to be responsible for, the Bureau of Land Management has its environmental work cut out for it. Practically everything we do, or nearly every action we're called upon to take, has some effect upon the environment. Timber sales; road or reservoir or fence construction; purchasing an easement; getting rid of an insect, disease, or plant infestation; or authorizing others to use the public lands for a variety of purposes. Among the latter are mineral prospecting and leasing permits; issuing rights-of-way and special land use permits; or permitting various public purpose uses (schools, waste disposal sites, parks, and the like).

The National Environmental Policy Act tells us not only to use a systematic, interdisciplinary approach in our decision making, but that we are to assess all our actions from a human environmental view. If such an assessment indicates a significant effect, then an environmental (102) statement shall be made.

The Council on Environmental Quality, in their April 23, 1971, Guidelines, and subsequently the Department of the Interior Manual,

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further expanded this for us. They both said we must establish internal formal procedures for identifying those actions which require an environmental statement.

President Nixon's Executive Order 11514, and both CEQ and the Department of the Interior have further directed us to develop procedures for getting the public into the action. Not only must we provide people with information about what's going on, but actively seek their understanding and their views.

So, these are the two broad areas of concern that I'll address myself to briefly today.

- Identifying BLM actions which require an environmental statement.

- How you, as members of "the public" can become involved with us in this, and other, decision making.

All along the line, ever since passage of the National Environmental Policy Act, the words "major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment" have been used. We have no problems with the intent — the philosophy — behind the words. Both CEQ, our Department guidelines, and even the BLM Manual, have all given us some broad concepts to be guided by in considering what makes up a "major Federal action;" or what is meant by a "significant effect on the human environment." "What" we want to do isn't the problem. It's "how" we go about doing it that's been the knotty point. Just about a year ago we put together our own format here in Colorado on how...