The Federal Highway Administration has published the November 2009 issue of Successes in Stewardship, marking the 100^th issue of the monthly newsletter, which was launched in August 2001 to highlight innovative environmental streamlining practices implemented by state transportation agencies. The publication has expanded over its nine year history to include projects, policies, and guidance that demonstrate sound environmental stewardship. The current issue follows the progress of environmental stewardship and streamlining practices as seen in the newsletter since 2001, highlighting coverage of topics such as implementing context sensitive solutions (CSS) and planning and environmental linkages (PEL) approaches, reducing transportation’s contribution to climate change, and addressing the environmental impacts of congestion. For more information, link to the November 2009 issue, Celebrating the 100^th Issue of Successes in Stewardship. (11-3-09)

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Successful efforts at interagency collaboration and environmental stewardship as part of the Columbia River Crossing project are highlighted in the August 2009 issue of FHWA’s Successes in Stewardship newsletter. The ongoing project, which involves the replacement of an aging bridge connecting Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, includes transit and highway improvements designed to reduce congestion in the Interstate 5 corridor. As part of the project, 12 state and federal agencies formed the Interstate Collaborative Environmental Process (InterCEP) Group to advise the project team on the environmental process. Other successful collaborative components of the project include a unique greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis, an extensive public involvement process, and tribal consultation. In recognition of these environmental stewardship efforts, the draft environmental impact statement for the project was awarded the National Association of Environmental Professionals’ Environmental Excellence Award for NEPA excellence. According to FHWA, the project may serve as a model for future transportation projects because of its successful interagency collaboration and innovative GHG analysis. For more information, link to the August 2009 Successes in Stewardship Newsletter, The Columbia River Crossing Project: A Model for Collaboration and Environmental Stewardship. (8-4-09)

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The Federal Highway Administration has published its final report summarizing the third audit of the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) program to assume federal authority for environmental reviews for transportation projects under the pilot program established by Section 6005 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).  The third audit report, published in the July 28, 2009, Federal Register, finds that Caltrans “continued to work toward meeting all responsibilities assumed” under the pilot program, as specified in the memorandum of understanding with FHWA. The third audit – which covers the start of the pilot program in July 2007 through January 2009, focusing on the most recent six month period – reviews the program’s compliance with criteria established in the FHWA/Caltrans MOU. It details areas of compliance as well as areas that need improvement or that are deemed deficient and must be improved.  For more information, link to the Federal Register notice. (7-28-09)

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Research documenting organizational structures and management practices that can help state DOTs achieve environmental stewardship and streamlining has been issued under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP 25-25, Task 37).  The research is based on interviews of 11 state DOTs. It identified twelve main themes on topics including leadership, organizational structure and staffing, culture, relationships with resource agencies, investment in technology, use of programmatic agreements, focusing on ecosystems, use of environmental management systems, and process improvements.  The report also includes a literature review. For more information, link to Effective Organizational Structures and Management Practices for Achieving Environmental Stewardship and Streamlining in Transportation Agencies (NCHRP 25-25, Task 37). (6-8-09)

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Incentive-based approaches for achieving environmental stewardship for transportation agencies are documented in a research report issued under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP 25-25, Task 50). The report describes model approaches from state DOTs in areas including innovative cost-sharing, land swaps, or right-of-way assembly; programmatic approaches; Clean Water Act compliance; multi-resource-based approaches; and a range of other examples. The research also describes barriers to incentive-based approaches, ways to assess costs and benefits, and funding and regulatory help for implementation.  For more information, link to Incentive-Based Approaches for Environmental Stewardship (NCHRP 25-25, Task 50). (6-08-09)

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A new report summarizes a September 2008 international scanning study sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, AASHTO, and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program to evaluate innovative practices for right-of-way (ROW) and utility processes in Australia and Canada. Objectives of the study included an evaluation of how those countries coordinate ROW and utility activities with the environmental process. The scan team identified nine priorities for implementation in the United States, including pursuing corridor preservation strategies, enhancing cooperative relationships with property owners to facilitate timely property acquisition, promoting visualization techniques to communicate anticipated project impacts to property owners, and developing geographic information systems (GIS)-based ROW project and asset management systems. For more information, link to Streamlining and Integrating Right-of-Way and Utility Processes With Planning, Environmental, and Design Processes in Australia and Canada. (5-29-09)

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A new report describes the use of accelerated bridge construction and project delivery strategies to remove and replace a bridge over Interstate 215 in Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of a demonstration project under the Federal Highway Administration’s Highways for LIFE (HfL) program. The report describes innovative techniques used in the 4500 South Bridge project, including building of the superstructure offsite and construction of the substructure under the existing bridge without interfering with traffic flow. The report also highlights the use of innovative contracting, rapid bridge removal and replacement, HfL performance metrics measurement, and economic analysis. For more information, link to Utah Demonstration Project: Rapid Removal and Replacement of the 4500 South Bridge over I-215 in Salt Lake City. (5-5-09)

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• Successes in Stewardship: Celebrating the 100th Issue of Successes in Stewardship - November 2009 NEW 
• Successes in Stewardship: Double Issue! Nebraska Environmental Streamlining Workshops and ICOET 2009 - October 2009  
• Successes in Stewardship: The Planning, Environment, Air Quality, and Realty Learning and Development Seminar: Bringing FHWA Disciplines Together - September 2009  
• Successes in Stewardship: The Columbia River Crossing Project: A Model for Collaboration and Environmental Stewardship - August 2009  
• Successes in Stewardship: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: FHWA as a Leader in NEPA Reporting - July 2009 
• Successes in Stewardship: Minimizing Negative Impacts on Wetlands through the New Final Joint Compensatory Mitigation Rule - June 2009
• Successes in Stewardship Newsletter - FHWA Archive

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