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Environmental planning: what it is and what environmental planners do

Environmental planning means weighing environmental effects in plans and decisions before they are made. For federal agencies, NEPA requires it: a systematic, interdisciplinary approach to planning and decisionmaking that may affect the environment[1]. Environmental planners do that work through NEPA and CEQA reviews, agency consultation, permit coordination and public involvement.

By Ilya Volodarsky. 17 sources, last read on . This page explains the law; it is not legal advice.

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    Describe the project and ePlan drafts the first document of the review, here a scoping letter, from a reference document; every fact it can't confirm is marked for you.

    ePlan vs. by hand

    How ePlan compares to drafting a Scoping Letter by hand

    The same document, two ways to a first draft.

    ComparedePlan.aiBy hand
    Consultation documentsePlan.aiDrafts documents such as a biological assessment or a Section 106 letter to the SHPO, for your team to review, sign and sendBy handWrite each one from a past example
    Starting pointePlan.aiA plain-language project description, or the PDFs, Word files and GIS files (shapefile, GeoJSON, KML, GeoPackage) you already haveBy handA blank template, or last year's document retyped
    Precedent researchePlan.aiA research agent searches agency project pages, CEQAnet, the Federal Register, eCFR and EPA's EIS database for your project and up to two analog projectsBy handSearching each agency site and PDF library by hand
    Missing factsePlan.aiEvery fact ePlan can't confirm stays a highlighted [INSERT] placeholder until someone fills itBy handGaps surface in review, or not at all
    Cost to startePlan.aiScoping letters are free. EAs, EIRs and decision memos are on Max at $199 a monthBy handStaff or consultant hours for every draft

    ePlan.ai as of October 2026. “By hand” means a Word template, past documents and agency PDFs. Your team reviews, edits and signs every draft.

    What is environmental planning?

    It starts before a project is fixed. In transportation, FHWA's Planning and Environment Linkages weigh environmental, community and economic goals early and carry that work into environmental review[4].

    For a project, planning becomes environmental review: under NEPA a categorical exclusion, an EA or an EIS[2]; under CEQA an initial study, then a negative declaration or an EIR[3]. Both are forms of environmental impact assessment.

    What environmental planners do day to day

    On one project: the Park Service's rehabilitation of 42 miles of Mojave National Preserve roads, designed by FHWA. In March 2025, FWS asked for a U-shaped bend at every end of the desert tortoise fence; the design changed and FWS concurred March 27. The EA was out for comment April 9 to May 8, the California SHPO concurred May 13, and the FONSI was signed July 18[6].

    The recurring tasks:

    • Drafting NEPA and CEQA documents, such as an EA within 75 pages and one year[7]
    • Consulting agencies with jurisdiction or special expertise before an EIS[1]
    • ESA section 7 and Section 106 consultation[8][9]
    • Coordinating environmental permits and the consultations other laws require[10]
    • Public comment: an EIS notice of intent; 30 to 60 days on a draft EIR[7][11]
    • Mitigation follow-up: CEQA's reporting or monitoring program[12]

    Environmental planner jobs: who hires, pay and training

    BLS counts environmental planners with urban and regional planners: about 45,800 jobs in 2025, 74% in local government, 9% in state government and 9% in architecture and engineering firms[5]. Local governments also run reviews for federal grants, such as HUD's Part 58[13]. On federal projects a sponsor may prepare the document under the agency's supervision[7], so planners work both as reviewers and as consultants who draft.

    The median wage was $89,320 in May 2025. The typical entry-level education is a master's degree in planning or a related field, and BLS projects 4% job growth from 2025 to 2035, about 3,200 openings a year[5].

    Where ePlan fits in environmental planning

    ePlan handles the drafting: it researches precedent and drafts scoping letters, categorical exclusion decision memos, EAs and CEQA documents, marking every fact it can't confirm. Consultations, permits and decisions stay with your team. See NEPA software.

    Outline

    An environmental planning workflow for one project

    The steps for a federally funded or permitted project.

    1. Purpose and need

      Stated in every environmental document[7].

    2. Does NEPA apply?

      Not if the action isn't final, is categorically excluded, clearly conflicts with another law or is nondiscretionary[2].

    3. Level of review

      An EIS if significant effects are reasonably foreseeable; otherwise an EA[2].

    4. Site screening

      Map what lies near the site with EPA's NEPAssist and check listed species in USFWS IPaC[14][15].

    5. Scoping and early coordination

      A scoping letter, agency calls and pre-application talks with permit offices such as the Army Corps[1][16].

    6. Consultations

      Species and historic properties reviews, alongside the document, not after it[10][8][9].

    7. Analysis and draft

      Reasonably foreseeable effects and a reasonable range of alternatives, within page limits[1][7].

    8. Decision and follow-up

      The agency decides and carries out its commitments; CEQA adds mitigation monitoring or reporting[17][12].

    Sources

    Where each statement comes from

    Show all 17 sources
    1. [1]42 U.S.C. 4332 - Cooperation of agencies; reports; availability of information; recommendations; international and national coordination of efforts. United States Code, 2023 edition (GovInfo). Read October 2, 2026.
    2. [2]42 U.S.C. 4336 - Procedure for determination of level of review. United States Code, 2023 edition (GovInfo). Read October 2, 2026.
    3. [3]CEQA Guidelines, Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15063 - Initial study. Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School), California Code of Regulations. Read October 2, 2026.
    4. [4]Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL). Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Review Toolkit. Read October 2, 2026.
    5. [5]Urban and Regional Planners, Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, October 29, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    6. [6]Finding of No Significant Impact: Kelso-Cima Road and South Kelbaker Road Rehabilitation. National Park Service, Mojave National Preserve, July 18, 2025. Read October 2, 2026.
    7. [7]42 U.S.C. 4336a - Timely and unified Federal reviews. United States Code, 2023 edition (GovInfo). Read October 2, 2026.
    8. [8]16 U.S.C. 1536 - Interagency cooperation (ESA section 7). United States Code, 2024 edition (GovInfo). Read October 2, 2026.
    9. [9]54 U.S.C. 306108 - Effect of undertaking on historic property (NHPA section 106). United States Code, 2024 edition (GovInfo). Read October 2, 2026.
    10. [10]33 CFR part 333 - Processing of Department of the Army Permits and 33 U.S.C. 408 Permissions, National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current. Read October 2, 2026.
    11. [11]CEQA Guidelines, Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15105 - Public review period for a draft EIR or a proposed negative declaration or mitigated negative declaration. Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School), California Code of Regulations. Read October 2, 2026.
    12. [12]Public Resources Code § 21081.6 - Mitigation reporting or monitoring program. California Legislative Information, October 1, 1994. Read October 2, 2026.
    13. [13]24 CFR 58.1 - Purpose and applicability. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current. Read October 2, 2026.
    14. [14]NEPAssist. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, January 20, 2026. Read October 2, 2026.
    15. [15]Information for Planning and Consultation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Read October 2, 2026.
    16. [16]Procedures for Implementing NEPA; Processing of Department of the Army Permits (interim final rule), 90 FR 29465. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Register (GovInfo PDF), July 3, 2025. Read October 2, 2026.
    17. [17]The NEPA Process (flowchart). Council on Environmental Quality, nepa.gov, January 2026. Read October 2, 2026.

    Written by

    Ilya Volodarsky

    Ilya Volodarsky founded ePlan.ai. He co-founded Segment and is co-founder and CEO of Wildfires.org.

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    • Environmental review is what NEPA or CEQA requires for one action. Planning is broader: where and how to build, plus the consultations, permits and public involvement around the review.

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