Gregory Braker, Peggy Strand and Kathryn Floyd published "New 'Streamlined' DOI Strategy Takes Regional Approach" in Law360 on June 24, 2014.
On April 10, 2014, Sally Jewell, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, released a new strategy to implement mitigation policies and practices that will more effectively encourage infrastructure development while protecting natural and cultural resources: "A Strategy for Improving the Mitigation Policies and Practices of the Department of the Interior." In theory, the strategy will help to streamline the environmental review and permitting process, especially for large, complex projects (e.g., roads, railways, transmission lines, pipelines and mines). In practice, the numerous policies and guidelines that the DOI will be preparing over the next few years to implement this strategy could result in greater burdens on development projects, as the department appears poised to impose new mitigation obligations without a clear legal basis for doing so.
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