In early April, the USDA finalized its rule modernizing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations.
The final rule adopts the changes introduced in its Interim Final Rule last July, which consolidated seven agency-specific NEPA regulations into one department-wide framework, reducing the volume of regulations by 66%.
“Since last July, agencies at USDA have shown they can reduce environmental review timelines by up to 80%,” said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “Those savings benefit the American people, and quicker reviews mean the loans, critical infrastructure, and forest health projects our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities depend on can move forward sooner.”
