4.2.3 Project Development/NEPA

“Programs are needed that will promote best practices, provide technical support, and enable agencies to build capacity in adaptation planning.”

designed to develop robust adaptation strategies that will be effective under a range of climate futures. Lead agencies: NOAA, DOT Provide technical assistance and capacitydevelopment support. Programs are needed that will promote best practices, provide technical support, and enable agencies to build capacity in adaptation planning. Actions such as workshops, creation of a web-based adaptation clearinghouse, funding for technical tools, and development of other technical resources will support agencies as they work to incorporate new climate information in their decisions.

Lead agency: DOT

Integrate climate considerations into emergency planning. Support and direction is required to promote the integration of climate impact considerations into emergency planning, especially for at-risk populations. This will require strong interagency collaboration that engages FEMA and other federal agencies; state, regional, and local organizations; first responders; climate science agencies; and transportation and planning agencies. Lead agencies: DOT, FEMA

Medium- to Long-Term Policy Actions

Over the longer term, planning capabilities should be enhanced by:

Developing more comprehensive climate models, data, and infrastructure planning tools. Once short term-tool and data needs are met and state and local planning agencies have better incorporated climate adaptation into transportation planning and project development processes, there will almost certainly be a growing demand for more sophisticated analysis capabilities. The longer-term research program discussed in section 4.2.1 should be providing these tools by that time. Lead agencies: DOT, NOAA

4.2.3 Project Development/NEPA Transportation and planning agencies require guidance and support in developing feasible and appropriate techniques to incorporate climate information, not only during the planning process, but at the project level as well. These strategies should be developed in parallel with planning approaches to ensure efficient links across the long-range planning to project development continuum. Policy strategies to support this include:

Short-Term Policy Actions

Standardizing climate data for project development and providing guidance on how to use it are immediate first steps needed before climate change can be incorporated into the project development/NEPA process.

Develop and maintain nationally-standardized practice and data sources for climate information. Ultimately, agencies need credible ranges of potential climate effects that can be applied at the project level. Development of a feasible and realistic approach to project-level siting and design in consideration of longer-range climate implications is a critical need for transportation agencies. Lead agencies: NOAA, DOT Develop and provide federal guidance on the incorporation of quantitative and qualitative climate adaptation considerations into project development. Transportation agencies currently are attempting to incorporate climate information into project development decisions without sufficient guidance. This is particularly challenging given the level of uncertainty inherent in climate models and projections. Federal guidance is needed to assist agencies in navigating this new area of analysis. Lead agency: DOT

Support stakeholder education and involvement. Guidance and federal support is needed to educate stakeholders on climate adaptation considerations. Incorporating adaptation into project development will have a variety of