Division of Environmental Analysis

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The Division of Environmental Analysis (DEA) administers Caltrans' responsibilities under federal and state environmental law. The Program develops and maintains Caltrans environmental standards, policies, procedures, and practices that are implemented by the Department's 12 District Environmental Branches. Program staff work with the districts to identify and assess the effects of Caltrans projects on the state's natural and cultural environments, and identify ways to avoid or mitigate those effects.

DEA acts as the Department compliance lead and assists the Districts and our transportation partners in:

Complying with state and federal environmental laws;
Encouraging the public to participate in the environmental evaluation process;
Determining the environmental consequences of our activities;
Proposing prudent, feasible and cost effective strategies and alternatives to avoid or minimize adverse impacts of the Department's activities, and;
Ensuring the mitigation selected is appropriate.

In response to enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in 1969, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), in 1973, Caltrans formally initiated an environmental function. Subsequently, in response to the passage of a host of environmentally-related lawsand regulations and heightened public support for the environment, the Program has grown to become a substantive and inseparable part of Caltrans' planning, development, construction, operation and maintenance efforts.

DEA Leadership

DEA is headquartered in Sacramento, though each of the twelve district offices, located throughout the state. The Program, administratively under the Deputy Director for Project Delivery, is headed by a Program Chief who also serves as the Agency Preservation Officer. DEA has a highly-trained, professional staff of planners, engineers and environmental specialists who work with the District Environmental Branches to help their staff and project managers with the environmental project process.

Acting Division Chief

Jeremy Ketchum

Acting Assistant Division Chief

Jody Brown

Assistant Division Chief

Shaila Chowdhury

Sandra Rosas – Districts 1, 2, and 3 (Acting)
Jamie Le Dent – District 4 (Acting)
Larry Bonner – Districts 5, 6, 9, and 10 (Acting)

Kelly Dunlap – Districts 7 and 12
John Chisholm – Districts 8 and 11

02-07-19 The Environmental Management Office has updated the CE Checklist to update the dollar amounts for CEs under 23 CFR 771.117(c)(23) "Projects with limited federal assistance."
02-05-19 The Division of Environmental Analysis has posted a new memo on the SER Policy-Related Memos page. This memo identifies which environmental program expenditures are payable through Phase 9 Right of Way Capital.
02-01-19 The Environmental Management Office has created a fact sheet summarizing the recent updates to the CEQA Guidelines. These updates must be applied to steps not yet undertaken in the CEQA process by the effective date of April 27, 2019. Please see the fact sheet for full details. In addition, Chapters 35, 36, and 37 of the SER have been updated to reflect the new guidelines.

Please contact your District HQ Coordinators if you have any questions. To view all of the amendments to the CEQA Guidelines shown in underline/strikeout format, please see the "Final Adopted Text" at the following link: http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/.
01-31-19 The Environmental Management Office has created a fact sheet for Different Types of Caltrans Projects. This document provides a basic summary of Caltrans roles and responsibilities under CEQA and NEPA for different project types.
01-10-19 Chapter 38 has been updated. The "Quality Control Program" section has been revised to clarify the requirements for completion of the External Certification form related to Local Agency certification.
01-10-19 District 5 has received an extension to the Routine Maintenance Agreement (RMA) for various routine maintenance activities located in Santa Cruz County from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The RMA is now valid until December 31, 2023.
01-07-19 The Environmental Management Office has created a Significance and Mitigation Under CEQA flowchart to use as a supplement to the Mitigation Under CEQA guidance. Both items can be found in the Other Guidance section of the SER.
01-04-19 The Environmental Management Office has revised Chapter 34 of the SER to reflect the updated CEQA Guidelines and other needed edits. Changes include the addition of a section on the Common Sense Exemption (formally referred to as the General Rule Exemption) and updates to the language for Emergency Exemptions. In addition, the CEQA Exemption Decision Tree has been updated to show that the exceptions listed in 14 CCR 15300.2 apply specifically to the Categorical Exemptions listed in 14 CCR 15300 et seq.

The Categorial Exemption/Exclusion (CE/CE) Form on the SER Forms and Templates page has also been updated to show the change of the General Rule Exemption to the Common Sense Exemption.
01-03-19 On December 28th, 2018 the California Office of Administrative Law completed the rulemaking process and approved 2018 amendments and additions to the CEQA Guidelines.

The Environmental Management Office will be working to post the most critical updates first and expect to have the first updates shortly.

Please contact your District HQ Coordinators if you have any questions. The "Final Adopted Text" of the updates to the Guidelines can be found at the following link: http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/.
12-13-18 The Environmental Management Office has made minor changes to the Blank PEAR Format, including the removal of references to the now-retired PEAR Handbook. The updated form can be found on the SER Forms and Templates page.
11-28-18 Effective November 28, 2018, Title 23 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 771 (23 CFR 771) has been updated to incorporate changes due to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The Environmental Management Office has updated the CE Checklist to reflect these changes. The CE class for projects within the existing operational right-of-way (23 CFR 771.117(c)(22)) has been updated and other minor grammatical changes were made.
11-27-18 The HRCR and Supplemental HRCR forms have been updated effective 11/27/2018.
11-21-18 Chapter 38 NEPA Assignment has been updated with a link to FHWA’s new guidance for submitting Statute of Limitations (SOL) to the Federal Register. The guidance can be found on the SER Forms and Templates page. The "Notice of Statue of Limitations on Claims" template has been updated to reflect the new guidance.