Forest Service Schedule of Proposed Actions - Related Information
What is a SOPA?
As part of carrying out the mission of the Forest Service, agency resource specialists develop proposals that
will enhance or maintain resource values on public lands, as well as generate products. In addition, the public
may submit proposals for various uses such as rights-of-way, land exchanges, and recreational events. A
necessary part of the planning for these is the environmental analysis and documentation, pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and agency direction.
The Schedule of Proposed Actions provides a list of proposals that will begin or are undergoing environmental
analysis and documentation so that people can become aware of and indicate their interest in specific proposals.
The Schedule of Proposed Actions includes proposals whose decisions are expected to be documented in a Decision
Memo, Decision Notice, or Record of Decision, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and agency
direction.
The Schedule of Proposed Actions is published in January, April, July, and October. It contains the best available
information at that time. Proposals that start and finish before the next schedule is produced will be listed in
the next schedule as Completed.
How to read the SOPA (legend)
The Schedule of Proposed Actions is presented in a tabular format to facilitate its use. Proposals are grouped by
the administrative unit they affect, in a descending organizational order. For each proposal there are eight boxes
of information as presented below:
Box 1: The first column contains the Project Name and expected type of analysis, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Box 2: The second column contains the thematic Project Purpose(s) of the proposal.
Boxes 3 through 5: The third, fourth, and fifth columns contain information about the estimated and actual status of the planning efforts (Planning Status, Decision, and Expected Implementation).
Box 6: The sixth, last, column contains the Project Contact information.
Boxes 7 and 8: Below the second through sixth columns, are two rows. The first row is a brief Project Description. The second row is Location information.
Legend
Project Name: The name of the proposal.
Project Purpose: The thematic purpose(s) of the proposal.
Description: A brief description of the nature of the proposal.
Location: Where the proposal would occur—may include Forest Service
administrative unit name, state, county, legal description, and/or other physical
description.
Planning Status:
- Developing Proposal indicates that formal public scoping is expected to start within the
period of time for which the SOPA is published.
This status provides an early notice of proposals being developed and upcoming scoping.
- In Progress is initiated by public scoping of a proposed action. For an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS), the start of public scoping is denoted by the publication of the Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal
Register. For an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Decision Memo (DM), the start of public scoping is
determined by the Line Officer (e.g., mailing, public meeting, legal notice in newspaper, etc.). A project
remains In Progress until it is either put On Hold, Cancelled, or Completed.
- On Hold indicates that planning for the project has been suspended and will likely be resumed at a later
date. On Hold projects will remain on the schedule until Cancelled or Completed.
- Cancelled indicates that planning for the project has been terminated. Cancelled projects will be listed
as such once on the schedule and then removed.
- Completed indicates that all of the planned decision documents have been signed. Completed projects will
be listed as such once on the schedule and then removed.
Estimated and actual planning status dates are also provided as relevant.
Decision: Date when a decision is expected to be approved or was actually approved by signing the decision
document.
Expected Implementation: An estimate of when activity might occur on the ground.
Project Contact: The person who should be contacted for additional information about the proposal,
or to be involved in future public involvement efforts.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is our basic charter for protection of the environment. It establishes
policy, sets goals, and provides means for carrying out the policy. NEPA procedures provide the direction to help
public officials make decisions that are based on the understanding of environmental consequences, and take actions
that protect, restore, and enhance the environment. NEPA procedures also require that environmental information is
available to citizens before decisions are made and actions are taken that may affect the human environment. The Forest
Service's Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA) is one way of providing information to the public. The Schedule of Proposed
Actions is not intended to be a substitute for scoping and public involvement.
Also see the Forest Service NEPA website and
the Council on Environmental Quality's NEPAnet website.
Abbreviations and Definitions
- CE
- Categorical
Exclusion:
A category of actions, which generally do not individually or cumulatively have
significant effect on the human environment, for which neither an Environmental Assessment nor Environmental
Impact Statement is required. Additional information about a CE can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 30.
- DM1
- Decision
Memo:
Decision document for an action that has been categorically excluded from documentation in
an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. Additional information about a DM can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 30.
- DN1
- Decision
Notice:
Decision document resulting from an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant
Impact. Additional information about a DN can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 40.
- EA
- Environmental
Assessment:
A concise public document that briefly describes the environmental impacts of a
proposal and alternatives, along with analysis for determining whether to prepare a Finding of No Significant
Impact or an Environmental Impact statement. Additional information about an EA can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 40.
- EIS
- Environmental
Impact
Statement:
A detailed public document disclosing environmental impacts of a proposal
and alternatives. Additional information about an EIS can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 20.
- FR
-
Federal
Register:
A legal newspaper published every business
day by the National Archives and Records Administration, containing Federal agency regulations; proposed rules and
notices; and Executive orders, proclamations and other Presidential documents.
- FONSI
- Finding
of
No
Significant
Impact:
A document that briefly presents the reasons why an action
will not significantly
affect the human environment and for which an Environmental Impact Statement will not be
prepared. Additional information about a FONSI can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 40.
- NOA
- Notice
of
Availability:
Notice published in the Federal Register
that an Environmental Impact Statement is
available. Additional information about a NOA can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 20.
- NOI
- Notice
of
Intent:
Notice published in the Federal Register that an Environmental Impact Statement will be
prepared. Additional information about a NOI can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 20.
- ROD1
- Record
of
Decision:
Decision document resulting from an Environmental Impact Statement.
Additional information about a ROD can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 20.
- Scoping
- The procedures by which the Agency identifies important issues and determines the extent of analysis necessary for an informed
decision on a proposal. Scoping is part of the public involvement process.
Additional information about scoping can be found in
Forest Service Environmental Policy
and Procedures Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 10.
- SOPA
- Schedule
of
Proposed
Actions:
A list of proposals that will begin or are undergoing environmental
analysis and documentation so that the public can become aware of and indicate their interest in specific proposals.
1 Note that some decisions may be subject to administrative appeal (see the Forest Service
Environmental Appeal and Litigation website).
Applicable to the Schedule of Proposed Actions of the National Forests in Alaska: Chugach and Tongass.
- CZMA-FAA1
- Coastal
Zone
Management
Act
-
Federal
Agency
Activity
(15 CFR 930.35 and .36):
Forest Service will provide either a consistency determination or negative determination to the Alaska Office of
Project Management and Permitting.
- CZMA-FAA2
- Coastal
Zone
Management
Act
-
Federal
Agency
Activity
(15 CFR 930.36(c)):
Project is generally consistent with the Alaska Coastal Management Program.
- CZMA-FAA3
- Coastal
Zone
Management
Act
-
Federal
Agency
Activity
(15 CFR 930.34(c)):
Forest Service does not expect to provide a consistency determination or a negative determination.
- CZMA-FAA4
- Coastal
Zone
Management
Act
-
Federal
Agency
Activity
(15 CFR 930.36):
Forest Service has not decided whether it intends to provide a consistency determination.
- CZMA-FL/P1
- Coastal
Zone
Management
Act
-
Federal
License
/
Permit
(15 CFR 930.53):
Applicant must provide a consistency certification to the Alaska Office of Project Management and Permitting
and obtain from it approval before Forest Service can issue permit.
- CZMA-FL/P2
- Coastal
Zone
Management
Act
-
Federal
License
/
Permit
(15 CFR 930.54):
Alaska Coastal Management Program consistency certification normally not required.
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