[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 18 (Thursday, February 8, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S1228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THOMAS (for himself, Mr. Craig, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Murkowski, 
        and Mr. Enzi):
  S. 301. A bill to amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
to require that Federal agencies consult with state agencies and county 
and local governments on environmental impact statements; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the State and 
Local Government Participation Act of 2001 which would amend the 
National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA. This bill is designed to 
guarantee that federal agencies identify state, county and local 
governments as cooperating agencies when fulfilling their environmental 
planning responsibilities under NEPA.
  NEPA was designed to ensure that the environmental impacts of a 
proposed federal action are considered and minimized by the federal 
agency taking that action. It was supposed to provide for adequate 
public participation in the decision making process on these federal 
activities and document an agency's final conclusions with respect to 
the proposed action.
  Although this sounds simple and quite reasonable, NEPA has become a 
real problem in Wyoming and many states throughout the nation. A 
statute that was supposed to provide for additional public input in the 
federal land management process has instead become an unworkable and 
cumbersome law. Instead of clarifying and expediting the public 
planning process on federal lands, NEPA now serves to delay action and 
shut-out local governments that depend on the proper use of these 
federal lands for their existence.
  The State and Local Government Participation Act is designed to 
provide for greater input from state and local governments in the NEPA 
process. This measure would simply guarantee that state, county and 
local agencies be identified as cooperating entities when preparing 
land management plans under NEPA. Although the law already provides for 
voluntary inclusion of state and local entities in the planning 
process, too often, the federal agencies choose to ignore local 
governments when preparing planning documents under NEPA. 
Unfortunately, many federal agencies have become so engrossed in 
examining every environmental aspect of a proposed action on federal 
land, they have forgotten to consult with the folks who actually live 
near and depend on these areas for their economic survival.
  States and local communities must be consulted and included when 
proposed actions are being taken on federal lands in their state. Too 
often, federal land managers are more concerned about the comments of 
environmental organizations located in Washington, D.C. or New York 
City than the people who actually live in the state where the proposed 
action will take place. This is wrong. The concerns, comments and input 
of state and local communities is vital for the proper management of 
federal lands in the West. The State and Local Government Participation 
Act of 2001 will begin to address this troubling problem and guarantee 
that local folks will be involved in proposed decisions that will 
affect their lives.

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