Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region

Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Plan Programmatic Environment Assessment

The Bureau of Reclamation developed a programmatic environmental assessment to describe and analyze Reclamation’s federal actions to support emergency stabilization and rehabilitation treatments implemented after wildfire within public lands administered by Reclamation’s Ephrata Field Office in Washington state. This programmatic EA addresses the need to streamline National Environmental Policy Act analysis for wildfire recovery actions and more quickly address post-fire public safety concerns, repair infrastructure, minimize degradation of natural and cultural resources, and rehabilitate resources where degradation occurs. Following a decision on this programmatic EA, Reclamation can act on specific emergency response actions needed to address impacts of individual wildfires covered under this analysis, either by tiering to this EA or through additional NEPA documentation.

This programmatic EA addresses the need to streamline NEPA analysis for wildfire recovery actions in the Ephrata field office to more quickly address post-fire public safety concerns, repair infrastructure, and rehabilitate areas where resource degradation occurs. Two alternatives are addressed in the draft programmatic EA: the proposed action and no action alternative. The proposed action would implement a programmatic approach to post-wildfire recovery, expanding the range of allowable treatments (e.g., drill seeding, and native plant restoration) to improve response efficiency and effectiveness. Under the no action alternative, Reclamation would continue to rely on limited, non-ground-disturbing treatments (e.g., broadcast seeding, straw wattles, chemical weed treatments), which may delay or reduce the effectiveness of recovery efforts.

Reclamation invited the public to review and comment on the draft programmatic EA from Jan. 16 to Jan. 31, 2026. This notice also provided an opportunity for public input on potential effects on historic properties in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Based on the analysis in the final programmatic EA, and the conclusions documented in the FONSI, Reclamation determined that implementing the Proposed Action will not result in significant impacts to the human environment; therefore, Reclamation will proceed with implementation of the Proposed Action as the selected alternative. The final programmatic EA and finding of no significant impact and decision record documents were published on June 30, 2026.

Contact

Shawna Castle
NEPA Lead
208-519-0311
scastle@usbr.gov

Bureau of Reclamation
Columbia–Pacific Northwest Region
1150 N. Curtis Road
Boise, Idaho 83706