Of the 29 other regulatory review plans released by federal agencies in May, the plans of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Department of Interior contain information relevant for many AMWA members.
Among the five items the Interior Department said it would review is the Endangered Species Act (ESA) rules with an eye toward improving conservation effectiveness and reducing administrative burdens. The department said that its review of the ESA will also be aimed at enhancing clarity and consistency for impacted stakeholders and agency staff, and encouraging partnerships, innovation and cooperation.
Interior’s plan also says that the Bureau of Land Management will amend its regulations to remove obsolete land classifications and consolidate land use decisions into one overall process.
CEQ's plan pointed to its efforts alread in progress to "modernize and reinvigorate” implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). CEQ has released two guidance documents to federal agencies regarding NEPA implementation. One document speaks to improving public involvement and transparency in environmental decisionmaking. The other document addresses the appropriate use of “findings of no significant impact” in the context of Environment Assessments.
CEQ also cites the August 11, 2010 update of its FOIA regulations addressing “transparency and public disclosure.”