Overview
Climate change is one environmental effect that may be appropriate for managers of federal lands to consider when undertaking environmental analysis as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process. In many ways, consideration of climate change is similar to the consideration of any other environmental effects. Considerations related to climate change include: 1. The effects of a project on climate change (through greenhouse gas emissions or carbon sequestration). 2. The effects of climate change on a proposed project. In other words, how climate change may influence the purpose and need for projects in the short-term (within the next 10 to 15 years) and long-term (over the next several decades); and 3. The implications of climate change for the environmental effects of a proposed action. These considerations may receive different levels of emphasis at different stages of the NEPA process and depending on the nature of a project and its potential effects.
This series of web pages is designed to provide examples and resources for natural resource management professionals engaged in environmental analysis as part of the NEPA review process. However, these pages do not represent official agency guidance.
Related Pages:
Introduction to Incorporating Climate Change in the NEPA Process