The BLM's actions in Alaska are governed by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and other laws, including the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA). When an activity or action is proposed on BLM-administered lands, the BLM must analyze the proposed action to assess how it may affect the quality of the human environment. There are four possible levels of analysis:
- Categorical Exclusion (CX): actions that do not individually or cumulatively have significant effects on the human environment.
- Documentation of NEPA Adequacy (DNA): previously analyzed actions that require no further analysis.
- Environmental Assessment (EA): a concise analysis of an action's effects to determine whether they are significant.
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): where an action may have a significant effect on the human environment, a detailed written analysis is required.
FLPMA requires that the BLM prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of the land.
Thus, whether an action is analyzed by CX, DNA, EA, or EIS, adverse environmental effects are mitigated.
The BLM maintains registers of environmental documents. The registers and associated documents are available for public review if you visit our offices during normal office hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding federal holidays.
The column at right contains links to NEPA registers maintained by BLM offices in Alaska.
References
The United States Department of Interior's Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969:
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