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Last Updated: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 1:17 PM
Environmental Handbooks
Caltrans issued the original Environmental Handbook in 1975 as a written compendium of guidance and procedures for processing environmental documents. Since that time the number of handbooks has grown to four:
- Volume 1 - General Guidance for Compliance (formerly Environmental Process, Procedures and Documentation) is being updated incrementally and is only available on-line.
Volume
2 - Cultural Resources (Archaeological and Historical)
(January 2004) some of the chapters and exhibits are available online.
This is work in progress. Chapters and Exhibits will be posted
as they become available.
Chapters have been reorganized better to reflect the sequential order of cultural resources studies. Links have been added to access relevant legislation and other guidance available on the Internet. Some of the chapters and exhibits are currently being revised and will be posted as soon as they are available.
On January 1, 2004 the Department began implementing a Section 106 Programmatic Agreement to be used for state and local projects for complying with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. The Programmatic Agreement streamlines several cultural resource processes, which are described in Volume 2.- Volume 3 - Biological Resources (January 2000) is
available as a PDF download
(228 kb) or online. This volume
provides guidance on the identification and evaluation
of
biological resources, processing of biological resource
documents, and implementation of biologically-related
construction,
maintenance, and encroachment activities. Volume 3 of the
Environmental Handbook should be used in conjunction with
other project planning and development manuals as well
as Environmental Handbook Volume 1. - Volume 4 - Community Impact Assessment, (June 1997)
describes the methodological approaches and various sources
available for obtaining information on the effects of transportation
projects on the community. Key topics include social, economic
and public services impacts, land use, and growth. Only
available as a PDF download
(996 kb).
In addition, two handbooks are in preparation: - Volume 5 - Stormwater
- Volume 6 - Hazardous Waste Management
The SER, Environmental Handbooks and related guidance documents are public domain and may be freely distributed.