Explanation. All State
Conservationists and Directors, Caribbean and Pacific Islands Areas,
are to submit reports for the period beginning October 1, 2008, and
ending September 30, 2009. For each EA and EIS for which NRCS
was the lead agency, report the following information using the
format shown at http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/guidance.html under “CEQ Memorandum
to Heads of Federal Agencies: Reporting Cooperating Agencies
in Implementing the Procedural Requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act” (see Attachment).
(1) For EIS’ with
a Notice of Intent published between October 1, 2008, and September
30, 2009, report:
(i) The title of the EIS.
(ii)
The names of the cooperating agencies for the EIS.
(iii)
The names of agencies which declined an invitation to
participate as a cooperating agency, or who requested but failed to
reach agreement on establishing cooperating agency
status.
(iv) Agencies whose cooperating agency status was ended and
the reason(s).
(2) For EAs, the
lead agency will report:
(i)
The number of EAs completed between October 1, 2008, and
September 30, 2009.
(ii) The number of those EAs which included participation of
one or more cooperating agencies.
(iii)
The reasons agencies did not accept invitations, or reach
agreement to participate as cooperating agencies, or ended the
cooperating agency status prior to completing the EA.
Negative reports are
required. The Data Quality Act applies to the information we
report, so it is important to be accurate.
Submit copies of all
reports, including negative reports, to the Ecological Sciences
Division (ESD) no later than Friday, January 8, 2010. Reports
are to be sent by electronic mail to james.j.campbell@wdc.usda.gov; by facsimile to (202)
720-1814; or by regular mail to James Campbell, NRCS, ESD, Room
6158-South, Post Office Box 2890, Washington, D.C. 20013.
For more information,
see the above-referenced guidance, the “Cooperating Agency Report to
the Council on Environmental Quality Frequently Asked Questions and
Answers” at http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/Attach2FAQsDec04.pdf, and other related
documents at http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/guidance.html.
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