Part 516: NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969

This Departmental Manual Release revises Part 516.  It includes revisions to Chapters 1 through 7 and adding new chapters 8-15.  Chapters 1 through 6 contain the compliance guidance for the Department's preparation and filing of environmental documents.  Chapter 7 contains the compliance guidance for review and comment of environmental and other project documents circulated by other agencies.  These revisions include Departmental NEPA reforms that provide for increased public participation; use of community-based NEPA training and consensus-based management; increased use of integrated analysis, tiered and transferred analysis; and adaptive management.  In addition, the revisions update the chapters to comply with new requirements and modern technologies.

The bureau appendices formerly in Chapter 6 are removed and placed in new Chapters 8 through 15.  Each bureau appendix is now in a separate chapter which facilitates compatibility with the Department's electronic retrieval system.  The chapters have not been revised.  Bureaus will examine the chapters in light of these Departmental revisions and make any required revisions in the near future.

In consultation with the Council for Environmental Quality it was determined that the categorical exclusion previously listed as 516 DM 2, Appendix 1, paragraph 1.5 is not necessary.  As such, it is removed in this revision.  In order to keep the historical context of the categorical exclusion numbering system the same as the previous version, paragraph 1.5 is now listed as reserved.