NEPA training and awareness not only support compliance with NEPA documentation requirements, but also can help improve an installation's planning practices, and therefore its ability to effectively maintain stewardship of its environmental resources.

Army Responsibilities & Policies on NEPA Training and Awareness

The newest version of AR 200-2, renamed as Environmental Analysis of Army Actions, was published as 32 CFR Part 651 in the Federal Register of 29 Mar 02 (67 FR 15289-15332). (You may download the entire FR publication as a .PDF file by accessing the GPO Access Web site, selecting the correct year/volume, entering the correct single issue date, and then searching on the full citation (67 FR 15289-15332). Then on the subsequent page for that date, find the entry for "Environmental Analysis of Army Actions.")

Generally, for this topic the regulation spells out:

• Responsibilities. Commanders of installations, U.S. Army Reserve Support Commands, and National Guard Adjutant Generals, specifically, must "Ensure NEPA awareness and/or training is provided for professional staff, installation-level proponents, and document reviewers (for example, master planning, range control, etc.)."
• Policies. The Army requires:
  • Support for program efficiencies through -
    • Awareness and involvement of the proponent in the NEPA process; and
    • NEPA technical and awareness training, as appropriate, at all decision levels of the Army.
  • Army leadership and commanders at all levels to ensure environmental responsibility and awareness among personnel.

Courses in or for Army and Defense Department

NOTE: Course descriptions and schedules are often located in separate portions of the linked websites.

• US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Learning Center (ULC), Huntsville, AL. PDSC charges tuition for all attendees. All courses may be taught in Huntsville or regionally in USACE Districts or Divisions. More detailed course descriptions are provided on the web site in the downloadable "PROSPECT Purple Book" course catalog, or by clicking on the course number.
  • Environmental Impact Assessment of Projects (short title Env Impact Assessment), Crs #169, 1 week. For NEPA practitioners and planners, especially those who work in or with the Army Corps of Engineers. Emphasizes CEQ Regulations, Engineer Regulation ER-200-2-2, and "Procedures and Guidelines for Water Resources Implementation Projects." For additional information on ecological and cultural resources impact analysis, see courses #168 and #299 below.
  • Preparing, Organizing, Writing, and Editing EISs and EAs (short title Env Writing), Crs #198, 3 days. For NEPA practitioners, managers, reviewers, and contributors.
  • Ecological Resources: Inventory and Evaluation (short title Ecological Resources), Crs #168, 1 week. For technical personnel who identify, evaluate, analyze, and or manage ecological resources, including those involved with NEPA analyses. Project and Program managers may also benefit. Field exercises included.
  • Cultural Resources: Identification, Analysis, and Evaluation (short title Cultural Resources), Crs #299, 1 week. For planners, environmental managers, project managers, and others who will participate in assessment and/or management of cultural resources.
• Army National Guard Bureau (ARNG)
  ARNG arranges NEPA courses for National Guard environmental staff and proponents. Details are available on Guard Knowledge Online in the ARNG Environmental Programs area (GKO account required) — in the Document Library section select "Training Calendar Info Papers 09" and then find "Information Paper — 2009 Duke NEPA Course" (may be on second page of listings).
• U.S. Navy
  The Navy's Civil Engineer Corps Officers' School (CECOS), Port Hueneme, CA, offers classroom NEPA courses under the Environmental Management Academic Category. These contain significant content specific to Navy regulations and processes, many of which are known to be considerably different from Army's. These may be of value to Army staff who must interact with Navy proponents or with Navy participants in Army or Joint actions.
• U.S. Air Force
  The Air Force Civil Engineer & Services School (CESS), part of the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH, offers the Air Force's 5-day Environmental Impact Analysis Process (EIAP) course. This may be of value to Army staff who must interact with Air Force proponents or with Air Force participants in Army or Joint actions.

University Programs

• Duke University's Environmental Leadership Program offers a series of NEPA for public sector and Federal agency NEPA practitioners and executives. You may also wish to view information on Duke's NEPA Certificate program.
• Utah State University offers a NEPA Certificate Program for private sector and Federal agency NEPA practitioners. Additional information is available at the College of Natural Resources NEPA pages.

Other Training Resources

• The Council on Environmental Quality (part of the White House Executive Office) maintains the NEPANet website. The CEQ maintains a list of nationally available NEPA training courses.
• The National Association of Environmental Professionals typically provides several NEPA short courses on the Sunday before the start of its annual convention, and offers a substantial NEPA track during the convention itself.