Topic: Introduction to NEPA
Speaker: Lorraine Ahlquist
This meeting will be virtual.
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This lecture will provide an introduction to The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), one of the first laws establishing a national framework for environment protection. In this course, participants will gain a foundation in the history, purpose, guidelines, documentation and processes of NEPA. Learn how NEPA integrates with environmental laws implemented at the state level, and how to effectively approach a joint environmental review process that complies with federal and state requirements.
Lorraine Ahlquist is a Senior Regional Project Manager at Rincon Consultants, Inc. and has over 20 years of experience in the state, federal, private research and academic sectors. She has focused on issues related to regulatory management and research within the following areas: environmental policy (California Environmental Quality Act-CEQA and National Environmental Policy Act-NEPA), community based natural resources management, urban planning and management (including areas of regulatory oversight), bio-diversity conservation, environmental education, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), plant, animal, and water protection, and global climate change.
Her responsibilities have included the preparation and review of environmental documents such as Environmental Impact Reports (EIR), Mitigated Negative Declarations (MND), Negative Declarations (ND), environmental documents Addendums, Categorical Exemptions (CE) and Initial Studies under CEQA. Other federal (NEPA) transportation, military and energy projects have included the preparation, review and coordination of Environmental Impact Study (EIS), Environmental Assessments (EA) and Categorical Exclusions (CatEx.) for Caltrans Local Assistance and Oversight, Department of Army, Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, and United States Corps. of Engineers as well as coordinating reviews of technical studies for state and federal compliance. Lorraine has been involved in the approval and review of Tentative Parcel Maps, Minor and Major Use Permits, Zoning ordinances, and environmental review of private land development (L-Grading permits) and coordination on several County and City of San Diego Capital Improvement Projects (CIP), Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU) public works projects.