Compendium of Useful Practices

Programmatic Analysis and Tiering

This case study is provided as an example of a programmatic assessment that does not result in any decisions and is used in subsequent NEPA analyses and documents.

Project: Ozark-Ouachita Highlands Assessment

Practice: A broad assessment of baseline resource and environmental conditions of a large landscape. These assessments provide context for determining what changes in land use plans need to be considered, focusing NEPA purpose and need statements for forest plan analyses, and arraying information for cumulative effects analyses.

Agency: Forest Service

Point of Contact: Bill Pell (501) 321-5320, bpell@fs.fed.us

Dates: Began: 1997 Ended: 1999

Project Description: The Forest Service initiated the assessment and worked with other agencies to develop a synthesis of the best information available on conditions and trends in the Ozark-Ouachita Highlands, 6.5 million acres of public land and waters. These conditions and trends will have a bearing on the future management of the Region's national forests. The assessment report does not make decisions, but provides information for planning. The assessment serves as the basis for defining planning questions and structuring the purpose and need for changes in management on forest plans. It also serves as a basis for focusing the NEPA process at the forest plan level.

The assessment addresses the condition of lands and waters for over 6.5 million acres of Federal land. It addresses the terrestrial, aquatic, atmospheric and socio-economic aspects of the assessment area. This assessment contributes to the revision of 3 National Forest long-term management plans.

Internet Site: Welcome to the Ozark / Ouachita Highlands Assessment Page available at http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ooha/welcome.htm

Value as a Practice:

Results: This project demonstrates the concept of assessing the current conditions and contrasting those with desired conditions before development of a purpose and need for action or initiating the NEPA process. These assessments serve as excellent benchmarks for environmental analysis and cumulative effects assessments for program or forest plan level NEPA analyses.

Challenges overcome: Maintaining a focus on the pertinent management questions to be addressed and the data and information necessary to address these questions; maintaining databases that were easily accessed and available in standard formats; limiting the assessment to summaries of existing and desired conditions without proposing actions for change.

Challenges remaining: Keeping the plan and analysis dynamic and current. Maintaining cooperation and coordination among interest groups for amending forest plans in the Region.

Source of information/references: "Ozark-Ouachita Highlands Assessment - 5 volume report, 1999