pathway-decision

To determine the NEPA pathway, evaluate the project's action type, acreage, and extraordinary circumstances to return a CE, EA, or EIS recommendation along with the applicable CE category and compliance reasoning.

An Environmental Impact Statement is typically required over a Categorical Exclusion when timber salvage actions trigger extraordinary circumstances or exceed acreage limits, prompting an automated review of 36 CFR 220.6 categories.

Extraordinary circumstances screening directly affects NEPA environmental review decisions by flagging conditions like listed species or designated areas, which automatically elevate a project from a Categorical Exclusion to an EA or EIS.

Yes, you can automate CE category lookup by inputting forest action types and acreage, which evaluates the project against 36 CFR 220.6 categories to determine if a Categorical Exclusion applies.

For a 3,000 acre timber salvage project with listed species, the NEPA pathway recommendation requires an EA or EIS because the listed species represent extraordinary circumstances that preclude a standard Categorical Exclusion.

Limitations of automated NEPA pathway decision screening include reliance on accurate initial inputs for action type and acreage, and it provides a reasoning chain and confidence score rather than replacing final administrative environmental review determinations.