Date: 4/8/04
To: All Indiana NRCS Employees and Conservation Partner Organization Staffs
Subject: Indiana Instructions for Completing Form NRCS-CPA-52,
"Environmental Evaluation Worksheet"
GENERAL COMMENTS
Recently a copy of the new NRCS Environmental Evaluation Worksheet (CPA-52), a 2 page form, along
with some instructions on completing the form was sent out to the field. The source of information about
the form and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in general, is the newly released NRCS-
National Environmental Compliance Handbook. The handbook is available on the web at:
http://policy.nrcs.usda.gov/scripts/lpsiis.dll/H/H_190_610_Content.htm
The handbook can be viewed at this site or the file can be downloaded as desired. Realize if you download
or print the form, it will take some time as it is a 188 page document. The form is explained in Part 610 of
the Handbook, NEPA Exhibits, in SUBPART E- NEPA APPENDICES, Section 610.70.
You need to remember that this form was developed to
Address a wide range of conservation systems from a single conservation practice to a complex
conservation system with many conservation practices.
Also it was meant to address a resource concern anywhere in the United States.
So do not be concerned, if you as a professional conservationist only feel a few items on the form are
appropriate for a particular project site and you only therefore utilize a few boxes on the form. The
important thing is that
You use the form on each site to document that you checked appropriate items before the project
was started, and
The conservation process the federal government assisted a landowner with followed current
government policy.
We have developed an Indiana shortened version of the form dated 4/8/04. We have eliminated some of
the boxes on the national form that do not relate to Indiana (i.e. we do not currently need to worry about
Coral Reefs or Essential Fish Habitats in Indiana). We have also changed some of the c