How can an EMS support future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation?
EMS is a tool used to identify and manage day-to-day activities and their environmental impacts. NEPA is a legal requirement that defines a process to identify environmental impacts of certain proposed agency actions and to address the impacts. When linked together, the EMS can provide the management structure to meet the NEPA requirements (impact identification and project planning) and ensure that the NEPA document does not sit on the shelf but is integrated into effective environmental management. Here are a few resources that may assist in merging an EMS with NEPA documentation: • http://www.fs.fed.us/emc/nepa/ems/includes/ems_nepa_paper.pdf#search=’EMS%20and%20NEPA’ • http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/policy_guidance/envir_policy/media/WebEMSAdaptive.pdf • http://www.fs.fed.us/emc/nepa/ems/includes/ems_nepa_paper_boling.
