Include environmental review document (web link).
The objective of this assignment is to familiarize you with the basics of the CEQA process which, put simply, is a set of laws and procedures that guides land-use in our communities – housing, transportation systems, industry, agriculture, open space, recreation, and more. CEQA truly impacts our everyday lives. After completing the assignment, you should have learned about issues such as:

Types of projects required to undergo CEQA review

Identify and understand key CEQA terms – definition of “environment,” significant environmental impacts, adverse and cumulative impacts, mitigations, growth-inducing, alternative projects, overriding social (economic) benefits, environmental change, scoping, challenging a project legally and politically

The CEQA review process

Identify CEQA land-use projects in your community

How to provide input and shape land-use decisions in your community
Where to locate an environmental review document (e.g., EIRs, Mitigated Negative Declarations)

Identify a Lead Agency responsible for approving a land-use project.
Identify the elected body responsible for community development decisions.
Be familiar with reading an environmental review document
Understand CEQA guidelines by which to provide substantive input (on the record) for a project

Understand the political process by land-use decisions are ultimately made

Describe, summarize, and comment on a environmental review document
Assignment
Choose and then locate a CEQA environmental review document – either an EIR or Mitigated Negative Declaration – on a land-use project of your choice from any city or county in California (Cougar Courses lists several planning websites in this area). The documents are usually located under a government department such as land-use, planning, community development, or related name.
You should provide a critical assessment of the environmental review document as if you were an environmental economist providing an expert report or analysis to your employer or constituent group. This includes basic information about the project and review document, including:
Project Description (including clear location – maps are great)
Lead Agency (city, county, other)
Stage of planning review (e.g., scoping, a draft or final document, approved or not, and the like)
Type of environmental review document – EIR or Mitigated Negative Declaration (do NOT choose a negative declaration)
Why did the lead agency require an EIR or Mitigated Negative Declaration? Explain.

List/describe the main (proposed) environmental impacts and any mitigation measures in the review.
Identify/describe any controversial issues (e.g., political, community disagreements, etc.) and/or environmental impacts (traffic, changing community makeup, water quality, species protection, news reports, as a few examples.)

Identify any environmental impacts that were not identified or sufficiently mitigated to below a significant level
Write the evaluation as a professional report on behalf of your employer (or constituent group) within the legal context of CEQA. Avoid statements not supported with economic reasoning or evidence within CEQA guidelines.

There is no set format for the report. Assignments should generally range in 5-to-8 pages if written concisely (12-point font and minimum 1-inch margins excluding title page, references, tables) although there is no firm length requirement – mainly, submit a well-written that sufficiently addresses the key issues in the review. A good writing rule is to use words as if they were money.

Grades based on the economic evaluation of the project as well as writing and presentation.

Last Completed Projects