9629

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9629
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Selected NEPA Documents.
• USFW Year: 1993.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

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reassignments. Reassignments will be coordinated with the Service's
Regional Environmental Coordinators (REC) and other appropriate Service
entities. OEPC-controlled documents received in DHC will normally be
processed and mailed to the Region and field office within one working
day's time. Environmental documents which require a response in less than
two weeks are normally transmitted to the Region and field offices by
"overnight" mail, fax, or by an appropriate form of electronic
transmission.
C. Lead Bureau.
(1) The DOI bureau having either greatest expertise or jurisdiction by law
for an action proposed by another Federal agency is designated lead bureau.
The lead bureau is determined by OEPC. When OEPC designates the Service as
.lead bureau, it has responsibility for preparing DOI's response. Either
the Regional Office or the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service
(Director) can be responsible for collating Comments, as described in
505 FW 3.2. This responsibility is indicated in the OEPC memorandum and/or
the Ecological Services (ES) transmittal. The ES transmittal will provide
the necessary instructions. DHC or another designated Division will
collate bureau comments when the Director is assigned lead by OEPC.
(2) If conflicting bureau positions cannot be resolved on a proposed
project, resolution will be made by either the Department's REO or by OEPC,
in consultation with the Service and the other involved bureau(s). When
the Service, as lead bureau, prepares the collated DOI response for the
REO's or OEPC's signature, the original of each bureau's comments and/or
notes of phoned comments or "no comments" must accompany the letter.
Q. Lead Service Region. When projects cross Regional boundaries or
otherwise involve more than one Region, the Assistant Director - Ecological
Services (through DHC) will collate and submit the Service's response. If
a proposed action has potential site-specific impacts, the document is sent
for review to the responsible Region and Service field office. If two or
more field offices are involved, lead is assigned to the one responsible
for the geographic area in which the greatest potential impact may occur.
Unresolved differences on the Service position between Regions will be
resolved by the Director.
E. Programmatic or National Reviews. For proposed actions having national
impacts or for programmatic statements, DHC will assign review and comment
responsibility to the Service's Washington Office division or unit with the
necessary expertise.
F. Noncontrolled Reviews. Environmental documents and other project
reviews prepared by other DOI bureaus may be received by Service field
offices directly from the preparing bureau or from DHC. If the preparing
bureau sends a copy to DHC, DHC will control it with an "EC" number. Other
site-specific bureau-prepared environmental documents received directly by
Service field offices may be commented on directly from the field level or
as per Regional Office instructions. Copies of noncontrolled review
comments should be sent to DHC. OEPC does not control bureau-prepared
environmental documents and other project reviews, with the exception that