Course Abstract

SECTION 404 NEPA MERGER 01 PROCESS TRAINING
FOR PRACTITIONERS, TECHNICAL PARTICIPANTS AND EXECUTIVES

Background
The Section 404 NEPA Merger Process has been applied to surface transportation projects in the State of North Carolina since the original agreement integrating Section 404 permit requirements with the NEPA process was signed in May 1997. In May 2001, multiple state and federal agencies began an initiative to modify the original process to incorporate experience gained with years of use of the 1997 agreement, guidance from the USACE-NCDOT-NCDENR permit process improvement workshop, and incorporation of the streamlining provisions of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century (TEA-21). The modified agreement was signed in May/June 2005 by the primary signatory agencies [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR)].

Purpose
The purpose of the Section 404 NEPA Merger 01 Process Training is to generally familiarize practitioners, technical participants and executives with the Section 404 NEPA Merger 01 Process Information as approved in May/June 2005 by the primary signatory agencies. Successful completion of the training will result in more timely, cost-effective and environmentally sound NCDOT project delivery. Merger meetings will be more efficient, and therefore the frequency of merger meetings at which concurrence is reached will increase. The training will increase awareness that merger meetings should be approached as problem-solving sessions. The training will also help to ensure that roles and responsibilities of merger process practitioners are commonly understood. Ultimately, the training should foster interagency cooperation and team-building.

The Section 404 NEPA Merger 01 Process Training courses will provide an overview of Section 404 NEPA Merger 01 Process Information, including the MOU, Merger 01 Screening Process, Process I, II and III, Merger Project Team meeting information (Appendix A), and Implementation Guidance for Conflict or Dispute Resolution (Appendix B). The training courses will specifically provide the common language of Merger 01, the different stages of transportation planning and design, the integration of NEPA/404 requirements, the sequential steps in the concurrence point system, the information needs for the public and the review agencies, and the general methods to avoid and minimize impacts to the human and natural environment to the maximum extent practicable.

The training is intended for practitioners, technical participants and executives who take part in the Section 404 NEPA Merger 01 Process from the following entities: (1) state and federal agencies that are listed as primary and partnering signatories to the Section 404 NEPA Merger 01 Process Information as approved in May/June 2005; (2) Metropolitan Planning Organizations; (3) Rural Planning Organizations; and (4) consulting firms. The course will be offered at three levels: the practitioner's course will be a detailed overview; the technical participants' course will be a general overview; and the executive course will be a high-level overview. The Section 404 NEPA Merger 01 Process training will be repeated on a regular basis to ensure that new staff have an opportunity to attend.