Course Catalog > Course Details

NEPA Navigator™

Gain the skills to effectively support, develop, or lead NEPA documentation from scoping to final decision—preparing EHS professionals for the rapidly evolving NEPA process since 2010.

Learn about discounted rates here.

Kelly C.
Kelly C. Grant Specialist, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Enjoyed the format/training space. Super enjoyed the venue (snack game on point). Enjoyed the presenter’s style & knowledge. WILL RECOMMEND and look for more Aarcher training!
Annette B.
Annette B. Invasive Species Technician, Hualapai Tribe
You are a great instructor, and I appreciate all the comments and assistance on our EA.
Arturo G.
Arturo G. Senior Planner, Compliance
Class was extremely informative & helpful.
Sarah C.
Sarah C. Environmental Consultant, NEPA Documentation
Engaged training – good study of NEPA.

TRUSTED BY:

Upcoming Course Dates

The NEPA Navigator™ course is offered most often in our training facility in Annapolis, Maryland. This course is only offered in person to preserve the hands-on, collaborative exercise format that makes this course uniquely effective. All sessions run three days and the course fee is $1,625, with discounts available for early registration, groups of three or more, government employees, students, and veterans. Corporate partnership discounts are also available. 

Browse upcoming dates below and register early—early bird pricing and seats are limited.

Course Dates
Location
Course Fee
Course Details
Registration
May 12-14, 2026
Annapolis, MD
$1625
View Detail Sheet
Register Now >
September 15-17, 2026
Annapolis, MD
$1625
View Detail Sheet
Register Now >
Annapolis, MD
$1625 May 12-14, 2026

Annapolis, MD
View Details
Register Now >
Annapolis, MD
$1625 September 15-17, 2026

Annapolis, MD
View Details
Register Now >

Course Description

Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 requires a thorough understanding of the Act’s intent, the requirements of NEPA implementing regulations, and professionally accepted methods for effectively addressing the many challenging components of the regulation. Meeting the procedural requirements of NEPA and understanding how to create defensible documentation requires an informed perspective as well as the tools to avoid pitfalls and time sinks.

NEPA compliance is rapidly evolving following the 2024 changes to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) role in agency compliance. With agency-specific NEPA implementing regulations no longer bound by a single, consistent CEQ framework, requirements now vary meaningfully across agencies such as the Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Defense (DOD). This course is updated continuously to address current NEPA requirements and compliance strategies.

This three-day course presents the details of the NEPA process and enables participants to understand how the process is carried out by various Federal agencies as they adhere to agency-specific NEPA implementing regulations. NEPA compliance is mandatory for actions authorized, funded, or carried out by a federal agency. Whether you work for a federal agency or find yourself in a federal nexus situation, this training will guide you through the process.

The course covers the NEPA process from internal and external scoping through the final decision documents—Record of Decision (ROD) for an EIS or Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for an EA. Practical exercises provide hands-on opportunities to develop a Purpose and Need, Project Description, Environmental Setting, Environmental Consequences, and Cumulative Impacts.

Who Should Attend?
What is the Course Format?
What Does the Course Deliver?
Why Choose Aarcher Institute?
Are Course Discounts Available?

Topics Covered

The NEPA Navigator™ course combines formal training modules with hands-on exercises and open discussion of relevant compliance challenges to solidify the foundation you need to effectively participate in the NEPA process.

  • NEPA – The Law and Its Implementing Regulations
  • NEPA Documents
  • Environmental Impact Analyses and Documenting Environmental Consequences
  • Tips and Techniques for a Successful NEPA Process
  • NEPA Review, Analysis, and Documentation
  • Relationship with Other Environmental Laws and Regulations
  • Working with NEPA Project Stakeholders
  • Related Cultural, Historic, Biological, and Socioeconomic Issues and Impacts
  • NEPA Rules and Requirements
  • Categorical Exclusion
  • Environmental Assessments
  • Environmental Impact Statements (CX, EA, and EIS)
  • The Agency-Specific Categorical Exclusion Process
  • What Is the DOPAA? – The Art of NEPA
  • Finding the Purpose (and the Need)
  • What Are the Five “Ws”? – Defining the Proposed Action and Identifying Alternatives
  • Alternatives Development and Screening Criteria
  • Questions to Ask Yourself When Identifying Alternatives

You Will Receive

Every participant leaves the NEPA Navigator™ course with practical materials to support ongoing NEPA work. You will return with a course binder, useful references, and other tools to assist you, along with presenter contact information for follow-up questions and your notes from presentations and discussions.

book

Printed Materials

Binder of presentation materials for later reference

laptop

Reference Materials

Electronic copies of key reference materials

notebook

Notes

Your notes from class discussions

certificate

Printed Certificate

Certificate of accomplishment to display and share

Presenters

All Aarcher Institute presenters are exclusive and present Aarcher Institute proprietary course content.

The NEPA Navigator™ course is presented by a presenter with more than 20 years of NEPA document preparation experience across multiple federal agencies, including Navy and Marine Corps installations, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and National Park Service.

David McIntyre

David McIntyre

CEP
David McIntyre prepared his first NEPA documents when he started his environmental consulting career at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG). He has extensive experience preparing environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (EIS) for Navy and Marine Corps installations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest Area of Responsibility. From 2007 to 2013 he was the Program Manager for Ecology and Environment’s NAVFAC Southwest NEPA contract. Starting in 2006 David began preparing NEPA documents for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California and expanded that to Nevada. David served as the Planning and Environmental Coordinator for the BLM Tucson Field Office. His primary focus was on preparation of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) Resource Management Plan and EIS but he also assisted with several grazing and range EAs. More recently David has been involved in preparing EAs for BLM travel management plans in Idaho and Arizona and EAs for forest restoration projects on National Forests in Washington. Since 2019 David has been preparing NEPA documents for the US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for projects located on the Navajo Nation in Northern New Mexico. After starting work with Aarcher, David has been heavily involved in the preparation of a climbing management plan and EA for Joshua Tree National Park and has been involved with management plans and EAs at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park and Indiana Dunes National Seashore. David is currently managing an EA for a multimodal transportation project at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
David McIntyre

David McIntyre

CEP
David McIntyre prepared his first NEPA documents when he started his environmental consulting career at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG). He has extensive experience preparing environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (EIS) for Navy and Marine Corps installations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest Area of Responsibility. From 2007 to 2013 he was the Program Manager for Ecology and Environment’s NAVFAC Southwest NEPA contract. Starting in 2006 David began preparing NEPA documents for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California and expanded that to Nevada. David served as the Planning and Environmental Coordinator for the BLM Tucson Field Office. His primary focus was on preparation of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) Resource Management Plan and EIS but he also assisted with several grazing and range EAs. More recently David has been involved in preparing EAs for BLM travel management plans in Idaho and Arizona and EAs for forest restoration projects on National Forests in Washington. Since 2019 David has been preparing NEPA documents for the US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for projects located on the Navajo Nation in Northern New Mexico. After starting work with Aarcher, David has been heavily involved in the preparation of a climbing management plan and EA for Joshua Tree National Park and has been involved with management plans and EAs at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park and Indiana Dunes National Seashore. David is currently managing an EA for a multimodal transportation project at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

Have Questions?

If you are looking to organize a private course session for your organization, or would like more details on an upcoming course, please reach out to us below.

Contact Us Today
Scroll to Top