Much of the work performed by FTN for the gas industry has been conducted according to National Environmental Policy Act guidelines (NEPA). Projects have included large-scale gas exploration activities within US Forest Service (USFS), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Projects on USFS lands required Biological Evaluations (BEs) of the impacted area, which address fauna and flora surveys that focus on Proposed, Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive (PETS) species included on the Regional Forester’s list of species. The PETS species list includes both federally listed species and species of concern to USFS at the regional level.
Projects on USACE, BLM, and private lands required evaluation only of federally listed species. For submittals to BLM, FTN provided Biological Assessments (BAs) that included extensive description of onsite plant communities and wildlife components that BLM utilized in their own Environmental Assessments (EAs), which were prepared to address individual gas exploration projects.
