[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 15]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR3407.6]

[Page 388-389]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER XXXIV--COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION 
                   SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 3407_IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT--Table 
of Contents
 
Sec. 3407.6  Categorical exclusions.

    (a) All CSREES actions will be analyzed by the appropriate CSREES 
official specified in Sec. 3407.4(c) to determine whether the project 
under consideration will have a significant environmental effect prior 
to recommending to the official responsible for approving a formula 
project in the case of formula grants, or the official responsible for 
awarding a grant or cooperative agreement in the case of a grant or 
cooperative agreement that the action be

[[Page 389]]

undertaken. Unless otherwise determined to be necessary under the 
provisions of paragraph (b) of this section, however, the preparation of 
an EA or EIS is not required for the following categories of actions:
    (1) Department of Agriculture Categorical Exclusions (7 CFR 1b.3). 
(i) Policy development, planning and implementation which are related to 
routine activities such as personnel, organizational changes, or similar 
administrative functions;
    (ii) Activities which deal solely with the functions of programs, 
such as program budget proposals, disbursement, and transfer or 
reprogramming of funds;
    (iii) Inventories, research activities and studies, such as resource 
inventories and routine data collection when such actions are clearly 
limited in context and intensity;
    (iv) Educational and informational programs and activities;
    (v) Civil and criminal law enforcement and investigative activities;
    (vi) Activities which are advisory and consultative to other 
agencies and public and private entities; and
    (vii) Activities related to trade representation and market 
development activities abroad.
    (2) CSREES categorical exclusions. Based on previous experience, the 
following categories of CSREES actions are excluded because they have 
been found to have limited scope and intensity and to have no 
significant individual or cumulative impacts on the quality of the human 
environment:
    (i) The following categories of research programs or projects of 
limited size and magnitude or with only short-term effects on the 
environment:
    (A) Research conducted within any laboratory, greenhouse, or other 
contained facility where research practices and safeguards prevent 
environmental impacts;
    (B) Surveys, inventories, and similar studies that have limited 
context and minimal intensity in terms of changes in the environment; 
and
    (C) Testing outside of the laboratory, such as in small isolated 
field plots, which involves the routine use of familiar chemicals or 
biological materials.
    (ii) Routine renovation, rehabilitation, or revitalization of 
physical facilities, including the acquisition and installation of 
equipment, where such activity is limited in scope and intensity.
    (b) Exceptions to categorical exclusions. Notwithstanding paragraph 
(a) of this section, an EA or EIS shall be prepared for an activity 
which is normally within the purview of categorical exclusion where it 
is determined by CSREES that substantial controversy on environmental 
grounds exists or that other extraordinary conditions or circumstances 
are present which may cause such activity to have a significant 
environmental effect.