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Assessing and Managing the Ecological Impacts of Paved Roads (2005)

Chapter: Appendix C: Congressional Declaration of National Environmental Policy, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Congressional Declaration of National Environmental Policy, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2005. Assessing and Managing the Ecological Impacts of Paved Roads. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11535.
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Appendix C
Congressional Declaration of National Environmental Policy National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42, SECTION 4331

(a) The Congress, recognizing the profound impact of man's activity on the interrelations of all components of the natural environment, particularly the profound influences of population growth, high-density urbanization, industrial expansion, resource exploitation, and new and expanding technological advances and recognizing further the critical importance of restoring and maintaining environmental quality to the overall welfare and development of man, declares that it is the continuing policy of the Federal Government, in cooperation with State and local governments, and other concerned public and private organizations, to use all practicable means and measures, including financial and technical assistance, in a manner calculated to foster and promote the general welfare, to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans.

(b) In order to carry out the policy set forth in this Act, it is the continuing responsibility of the Federal Government to use all practicable means, consistent with other essential considerations of national policy, to improve and coordinate Federal plans, functions, programs, and resources to the end that the Nation may—

  1. fulfill the responsibilities of each generation as trustee of the environment for succeeding generations;

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Congressional Declaration of National Environmental Policy, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2005. Assessing and Managing the Ecological Impacts of Paved Roads. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11535.
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  1. assure for all Americans safe, healthful, productive, and aesthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings;

  2. attain the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment without degradation, risk to health or safety, or other undesirable and unintended consequences;

  3. preserve important historic, cultural, and natural aspects of our national heritage, and maintain, wherever possible, an environment which supports diversity, and variety of individual choice;

  4. achieve a balance between population and resource use which will permit high standards of living and a wide sharing of life's amenities; and

  5. enhance the quality of renewable resources and approach the maximum attainable recycling of depletable resources.

(c) The Congress recognizes that each person should enjoy a healthful environment and that each person has a responsibility to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the environment.

Information available at: http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/nepanet.htm (accessed March 2, 2005).

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Congressional Declaration of National Environmental Policy, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2005. Assessing and Managing the Ecological Impacts of Paved Roads. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11535.
×
Page 293
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Congressional Declaration of National Environmental Policy, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969." Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. 2005. Assessing and Managing the Ecological Impacts of Paved Roads. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11535.
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All phases of road development—from construction and use by vehicles to maintenance—affect physical and chemical soil conditions, water flow, and air and water quality, as well as plants and animals. Roads and traffic can alter wildlife habitat, cause vehicle-related mortality, impede animal migration, and disperse nonnative pest species of plants and animals. Integrating environmental considerations into all phases of transportation is an important, evolving process. The increasing awareness of environmental issues has made road development more complex and controversial. Over the past two decades, the Federal Highway Administration and state transportation agencies have increasingly recognized the importance of the effects of transportation on the natural environment. This report provides guidance on ways to reconcile the different goals of road development and environmental conservation. It identifies the ecological effects of roads that can be evaluated in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of roads and offers several recommendations to help better understand and manage ecological impacts of paved roads.

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