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Introduction to the Program 

The Department of Environment and Society (ENVS) at Utah State University (USU) and the Shipley Group, Inc. (Shipley) have formed a partnership to provide a certificate program that offers training related to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA is an important environmental law that requires analysis of impacts, alternatives, and mitigation measures for all major federal actions affecting the environment, both within the territorial boundaries of the United States and at foreign military installations. Government agencies, private businesses, public interest organizations, and other groups involved in the NEPA process need individuals who have been trained in decision-making, analysis, and documentation aspects of NEPA, as well as the accompanying Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations and various agencies’ NEPA implementing procedures.

The NEPA Certificate Program was designed to prepare natural resource and environmental professionals to meet the challenges of complying with the act and working effectively on NEPA documents. We believe participants who successfully complete the program will have a solid understanding of both the spirit and the letter of the law, and will be more effective members of interdisciplinary teams responsible for developing NEPA documents.

The NEPA Certificate Program

Certificate Requirements

The NEPA Certificate will be issued by USU. To receive the certificate, a participant must complete the following set of requirements:

• apply and be accepted into the NEPA Certificate Program;
• register for and successfully complete seven graduate level courses taken for grades (4 required courses and 3 elective courses);
• undertake an individual capstone experience, for graduate credit that involves a negotiated project, internship, or comprehensive examination;
• maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA for program courses (grades below C will not be accepted);
• abide by the Code of Policies and Procedures for Students at Utah State University.
• A participant who successfully completes the curriculum will receive an official USU certificate of completion from the NEPA Certificate Program, and notification of this certificate will appear on the person’s official USU transcript.

Application Procedures

To apply and be accepted into the NEPA Certificate Program, a person must do the following:

 

1. Complete and submit a NEPA Certificate Program application form to the Department of ENVS at USU.
2. A copy of this form can be obtained by contacting Judy Kurtzman at 435-797-0922 or by email or by filling out and printing the Electronic Application Form.
3. Provide a transcript documenting the completion of a bachelor’s degree.
4. Mail both the application and transcript documentation to:

Curriculum

Program participants are required to take a total of 8 courses: 4 required core courses; 3 elective courses; and, a capstone course. Courses are offered at USU and other locations around the country. All courses are offered in the short-course format of either 2 or 3 consecutive eight-hour days (depending on the course). Each course is worth 1 or 2 academic credits. We will attempt to schedule courses so one required course (2-credits) and one elective course (1-credit) are scheduled back-to-back in the same week. This will allow working professionals to minimize the number of trips needed to complete the certificate program.

Courses offered as part of the NEPA Certificate Program may be taken for university graduate credit whether or not a participant in the course is enrolled in the certificate program. Those taking the course for credit will receive a letter grade. Course attendance and test scores will determine participants’ grades. Tests for the courses will be based on information from the lectures and assigned course materials. Testing will generally consist of a take-home test the participant completes within 8 weeks of taking the course and returns to the USU Program Administrator for grading.

Core Courses - 8 semester credits

Participants are required to take four of the following courses, preferably in the order in which they appear below. Participants must take the first three courses (NEPA 6200, 6210 and 6220), but can choose between the last two courses (NEPA 6230 Risk Communication or NEPA 6260 Cultural and Natural Resource Management) to meet the core course requirements. If a participant would like to take both courses (NEPA 6230 and 6260), one can be used toward the 3 elective course requirement. Each course will consist of 3 instructional days, with additional time required to complete reading and examination assignments. Each course will be worth 2 semester credits.

NEPA 6200 How to Manage the NEPA Process and Write Effective NEPA Documents     2 credits

Student Competencies:

• Manage the NEPA process so the spirit and the letter of the act are fulfilled legally and efficiently.
• Implement the CEQ regulations and agency regulations so the spirit and the letter of the directives are fulfilled.
• Oversee contractors who conduct environmental analyses and/or write EISs/EAs.
• Review EISs, EAs, RODs, FONSIs for compliance with NEPA, the CEQ Regulations, and the agency implementing procedures.
• Write high-quality EAs, FONSIs, Notice of Intent, EISs, and other environmental documents using approved NEPA, CEQ, agency, and GPO guidelines.

NEPA 6210 Clear Writing for NEPA Specialists         2 credits

Student Competencies:

• Identify those writing and editing requirements unique to NEPA documents.
• Practice interdisciplinary team skills as they relate to each phase of the analysis and documentation process.
• Prepare high quality, well-edited NEPA documents.

NEPA 6220 Reviewing NEPA Documents         2 credits

Student Competencies:

• Check for appropriate environmental analysis.
• Set clear review priorities.
• Use the CEQ format to guide document reviews.
• Check for issue tracking and document consistency.
• Check for document quality and readability.
• Apply strategies for providing effective feedback.

NEPA 6230 Risk Communication for NEPA Specialists         2 credits

Student Competencies: 

• Understand the fundamentals of risk communication.
• Respond effectively in a low trust, high stress environment.
• Understand how an effective communication strategy includes both internal and external communication.
• Write clear, easy-to-understand, audience-based documents.
• Build a clear, simple response to questions from the public and the media.

NEPA 6260 Cultural and Natural Resource Management         2 credits

Student Competencies:

• Manage the natural and cultural resources of your agency.
• Understand the pertinent laws, and associated executive orders and regulations.
• Integrate natural and cultural resources funding requirements with an environmental budget.
• Request assistance of contractors, non-profit organizations, or other government agencies on cultural and natural resource issues.

Elective Courses - 3 semester credits

Participants are required to take three courses from the following list. Each of these courses consists of 2 instructional days, with additional time required to complete reading and examination assignments. Each course will be worth 1 semester credit.

NEPA 6270 Environmental Compliance Overview         1 credit

Student Competencies:

• Understand why environmental compliance is desirable, necessary, and a personal responsibility.
• Identify key laws and regulations, with associated penalties, that affect environmental compliance.
• Understand how key compliance issues are related to everyday activities.
• Understand how a rigorous environmental compliance program can ensure awareness and long-term compliance.

NEPA 6280 Interdisciplinary Team Building         1 credit

Student Competencies:

• Choose or appoint an IDT leader and IDT members to satisfy legal requirements and the need for cooperative and constructive team members.
• Develop jointly with the IDT a scoping document.
• Negotiate, to the degree appropriate, the details of the scoping document with the responsible official.
• Conduct IDT meetings.
• Use sound review techniques.
• Provide timely updates.
• Record team meetings.
• Arrange for feedback on the NEPA analysis process, documentation, and the IDT process.

NEPA 6300 Effective Environmental Contracting         1 credit

Student Competencies: 

• Understand the differences between a specification and a statement of work.
• Apply the various methods of specifying.
• Know the parts of the contract and how they fit together. Be familiar with the regulations that govern contracting.
• Plan a SOW or Specification.
• Draft and revise SOWs and specifications.

NEPA 6310 NEPA Writing for Technical Specialists         1 credit

Student Competencies:

• Analyze a writing situation.
• Plan a document; Write effectively.
• Manage the review process.
• Edit their work and the work of others.
• Write in a variety of media, including online.

NEPA 6320 Cumulative Impacts Analysis and Documentation         1 credit

Student Competencies:

• Understand the working definition of “cumulative impacts.”
• Understand compliance requirements of full NEPA disclosure.
• Develop a scoping and public involvement strategy for determining cumulative impacts.
• Choose correct methodologies for determining impacts of specific resources.
• Know how to place cumulative information into the various chapters of a NEPA document.

NEPA 6330 Environmental Conflict Management for NEPA Specialists         1 credit

Student Competencies:

• Understand the nature of conflicts and opportunities for negotiations
• Understand traditional and current approaches to environmental management and policy making
• Understand conflict management styles and situational effectiveness
• Gain collaboration skills
• Gain skills to enhance the decision-making process and handle potential conflict situations

NEPA 6350 Socio-economic Impact Analysis         1 credit

Student Competencies:

• Identify, analyze and document social issues surrounding federal agencies’ proposed actions.
• Inform decision-makers and the public of social effects of proposed federal agencies’ actions.
• Incorporate SIA into the interdisciplinary process of preparing environmental documents.

NEPA 6360 Overview of the Endangered Species Act         1 credit

Student Competencies:

• Understand the ESA and its requirements and regulations.
• Understand the implications if ESA is violated.
• Know how to consult under section 7 of ESA, informally and formally.
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
• Know how the ESA affects tribes and the Tribal Consultation requirements.

NEPA 6380 NEPA Project Management         1 credit

Student Competencies:

• Use a model for managing NEPA projects.
• Know critical quality control milestones for the NEPA process.
• Judge the quality and adequacy of a NEPA document.
• Know how to set resource, time, and quality parameters for NEPA analysis and documentation.
• Know techniques for communicating with and managing people for efficient NEPA analysis.
• Know what is important to manage and monitor for one NEPA project, or multiple projects.

NEPA 6370 NEPA Capstone         1 credit

Judy Kurtzman
Utah State University
Department of ENVS
5215 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-5215
435-797-0922

Email: Judy Kurtzman

NEPA Certificate Program Director: Joanna Endter-Wada

The NEPA Certificate Program courses may also be applied toward a Master’s of Natural Resources in Ecosystems Management, a 33-credit, nonthesis degree offered at USU through the College of Natural Resources . For more information on this degree program please go to the MNR website: Masters of Natural Resources  or contact Judy Kurtzman