Considering Cumulative Effects Under the National Environmental Policy Act Page: 17
[ix], 64, 48, 6 p. : ill., mapsView a full description of this text.
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o 20 Future Acton
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0 10 1 20 30 1 40 50
Years
Time Frame for Prciot-spec fic Analysis I
rrne Frame for Cunuauve Effects Analysis
Figure 2-2. Time frames for project-specific and cumulative effects analysesBy examining the overlap of impact zones on
the areas occupied by resources, it should be
possible to refine the list of projects or activities
(past, present, or future) to be included in the
analysis. Proximity of actions may not be
sufficient justification to include them in the
analysis. In the example shown in Figure 2-3,
the cumulative effects analysis for trout should
consider the effects of the existing mine and the
planned logging activity, because these activities
would have either present or future effects on
the trout spawning area below the proposed
power plant facility. Although an agricultural
area is nearby, it can be excluded from the
analysis because its sediment loading effects
occur downstream of the trout spawning area.
Proximity of other actions to the proposed action
is not the decisive factor for including these
actions in an analysis; these actions must have
some influence on the resources affected by the
proposed action. In other words, these other
actions should be included in analysis whentheir impact zones overlap areas occupied by
resources affected by the proposed action.
Completing the geographic or schematic dia-
gram depending on applying cause-and-effect
models that link human actions and the re-
sources or ecosystems. This too is an iterative
process. Identifying other activities contribut-
ing to cumulative effects could result in the
addition of new effect pathways to the cause-
and-effect model. In the example, addition of an
existing mine to the cumulative effects analysis
could require adding a pathway for the effects of
chemical pollution on trout. Chapters 4 and 5
and Appendix A discuss cause-and-effect model-
ing and network analysis.
The availability of data often determines
how far back past effects are examined.
Although certain types of data (e.g., forest cover)
may be available for extensive periods in the
past (i.e., several decades), other data (e.g.,
water quality data) may be available only for17
I I
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Council on Environmental Quality (U.S.). Considering Cumulative Effects Under the National Environmental Policy Act, text, January 1997; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc31126/m1/26/: accessed May 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .