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Refuge Roads Transportation ConferenceAugust 29-30, 2006

John S. HumestonFHWA – Office of PlanningPlanning Oversight & Stewardship Team

john.humeston@fhwa.dot.gov

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Integrated Planning Linking Planning and NEPA concepts

FHWA initiatives

Relevant SAFETEA-LU Section 6001 requirements

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Planning and NEPA Linkages:A Systems Perspective

Land UseSystem

TransportationSystem

Water ResourcesSystem

Other Natural,Cultural Resource

Systems

Integrated ApproachIntegrated Approach

landdevelopment

proposal

roadimprovement

proposal

wetlandsidentification

habitat orhistoric places

to preserve

opportunities to support multiple community goals

and improve quality of life

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Stronger Linkages:Connecting Decision ProcessesOther Planning Processes•Land use•Watershed•Habitat•Cultural resources

Transportation Project Development•Environmental analysis and permitting•Right-of-way•Engineering design

Transportation Systems Planning & Programming•Project locations•Conceptual design

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Getting to Business

Data and analysis tools

Inter- and intra-agency coordination

Decision process changes

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Data and Analysis Tools What is to be done with the data?

Comparing (a la SAFETEA-LU) Sharing

Issues: Not only GIS Privileged information Continual updating

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Inter-Agency Coordination Agencies are currently set up for project

reviews Potential solutions

Staff funding Standing inter-agency meetings Formal agreements

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Decision Process Changes Documented Involvement Decisions made

NEPA principles used in analysis ‘Hand-Off’ products Potential mitigation activities and areas

considered

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Linking planning and NEPA ideas are not new; there are related previous and ongoing efforts

GreenInfrastructure

Planning

ScenarioPlanning

CommunityImpact

Analysis

Transportation-Land-UseIntegration

Others

Visualization

Eco-Logical

Context-SensitiveSolutions

Linking PlanningLinking PlanningAnd NEPAAnd NEPA

Everything is connected

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FHWA Initiatives

Eco-Logical

Scenario Planning

Exemplary Ecosystems

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Related SAFETEA-LU Provisions

Sect. 6001 Environmental Mitigation Consultation with Resource Agencies Consideration of Resource Maps and

Inventories Visualization of Plans

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SAFETEA-LU: Mitigation Development of Transportation Plans

Mitigation Activities

Types/ areas

In consultation with wildlife, land management, and regulatory agencies

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SAFETEA-LU: Consultation MPOs shall consult

Consultation shall involve Comparison of transportation plans with State

conservation plans or maps Comparison of transportation plans to

inventories of natural or historic resources

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SAFETEA-LU: Participation Plans

Participation plan to be developed in consultation with all interested parties

Reasonable opportunities to comment on contents of transportation plan

Methods, to maximum extent practicable: Public meetings Visualization techniques Information electronically accessible, such as World

Wide Web