Use Environmental Review

The Environmental Review solution delivers a set of capabilities that help organizations collect and facilitate environmental review applications, gather feedback during the review, and share project information with internal and external stakeholders.

In this topic, you will learn how to use the solution by assuming the role of a user and performing the following workflows.

Note:

Use your organization's data or configured apps to follow these workflows.

Submit a project

Environmental reviews are a crucial step in the land development process because they ensure that a project complies with environmental protection standards and that natural resources are safeguarded. The Environmental Review solution allows you to collect, store, and organize, these environmental review applications.

To initiate an environmental review of a proposed project, project applicants need to submit their project to the organization responsible for administering environmental reviews.

Submit project

You will start by assuming the role of project applicant who needs to submit a project for environmental review to a local planning department.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Environmental Review site.
2. Scroll to the Submit a Project section.
When a project applicant does not have a community account or is not signed in to the Environmental Review site, the site displays buttons to Create an account or Sign In with an existing account. If a project applicant is signed in to the site, the Environmental Review site displays a Submit a Project button, which can be used to access Environmental Review Projects app to submit a project for environmental review. In the following steps, a project applicant has created an account and is signed in to the Environmental Review site.
3. Click Submit a Project.

   The Environmental Review Projects app opens.

4. Click Select a Parcel or Draw a Project to submit a project for environmental review.
There are two options to submit a project in the Environmental Review Projects app. The Select a Parcel option can be used to select a parcel on the map as your project location. The Draw a Project option can be used to draw your project location on a map.
5. Type or select values for each question in the form and include any relevant attachments.
6. Click Submit.

Track project status

When a project is submitted for environmental review, it is beneficial for the project applicant to be able to track the status of their project application and review relevant documents associated with the review.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a project applicant who needs to monitor the status of their project and review associated project documents.

1. Verify that you are signed in to the Environmental Review site.
2. Scroll to the Your Projects section.
3. Review the project status in the Projects table.
4. Click a project in the table to view the project details.
5. In the Details pane, find project documents under the Documents section.
6. Click a document name to view and download the file.

Manage project reviews

Once projects are submitted, project coordinators are asked to facilitate environmental review applications and communicate with internal project reviewers and the project applicant throughout the process. You will review the project application and notify the project applicant.

Review project application

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a project coordinator in the planning department who will conduct the initial review of the project application and request additional information from the project applicant.

1. In a browser, browse to the Environmental Review Manager app.
2. In the Projects table, select a project. Review the details of the project in the Information panel.
3. If more information is required, use Request More Information to send an email message to the project applicant.
4. Click Edit to change status of the project. Alternatively, you can edit the project status directly in the table by double-clicking the Status value and selecting a new status from the list.
5. Click the Status drop-down and choose Screening.
6. Click Update if editing in the Information panel.

   A Perform Environmental Screening button will appear in the Information panel. Optionally, project coordinators can launch the Environmental Screening app.

Notify project applicant

Environmental reviews go through multiple status changes from when a project is first submitted to when the review is completed. This requires back-and-forth communication between the project applicant and the organizations conducting the environmental review to discuss specific aspects of the project application. The Environmental Review solution provides administrative tools and workflows to help streamline this communication.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a project coordinator in the planning department who will notify the project applicant about their project application status.

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Environmental Review Manager app.
2. In the Projects table, select a project with the value of Screening Completed.
3. Under the Information panel, click Send Project Status.

   An email message to the project applicant will open in your default mail app. This email contains a default message body that can be modified.

4. Modify the email message and click Send.
5. Click Edit to change status of the project. Alternatively, you can edit the project status directly in the table by double-clicking the Status value and selecting a new status from the list.
6. Click the Status drop-down and choose Public Comment.
Only projects with the status of Public Comment will appear in the Environmental Review Comments app.

Conduct environmental screening

The initial environmental screening of a project area can help detect potential impediments to development based on the screening criteria. This is a crucial step that requires spatial analysis to evaluate numerous layers and identify where they intersect a project area.

Determine potential impacts

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a project reviewer who needs to perform an environmental screening for a new project application.

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Environmental Screening app.
2. Click Select next to a project on the list.
When a project is selected, Potential Impacts will automatically run, apply a buffer, and find intersecting data within the area.
3. Click the Potential Impacts tab.
The information under the Potential Impacts tab will vary based on the layers in the Environmental Screening map. You can explore more details about the potential impacts and attributes of the features identified in the analysis.
4. Optionally, click the Export button and select a file type to download a zipped file of all results.
5. Optionally, click the Create Report tab to create a map of the project area.

Create report

Note:

This section only applies if your organization is using a custom print service published from the Environmental Review Reports ArcGIS Pro project.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a project reviewer who needs to attach the custom environmental review report to the project application.

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Environmental Screening app.
2. Click the Create Report tab to generate a custom environmental review report specific to your organization that includes all results listed in the Potential Impacts section.
3. Under Template, choose the correct report template for your organization.
4. Under Title, rename the report.
5. Click Print.

   The custom environmental review report will appear in the Results tab. It may take several minutes to generate.

6. In the Results tab, click the custom environmental review report to download it.
7. Click the Upload Report tab.
8. Under Documents, attach the custom environmental review report and any additional documents associated with the project application.
9. Click Move to Screening Completed.

   The status of the project will now change from Screening to Screening Completed. The project will also be removed from the Environmental Screening app.

Monitor project reviews

There can be numerous environmental reviews happening simultaneously within the same organization. To increase efficiency and monitor progress, it is important to understand and summarize projects in the environmental review queue.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of the program manager to monitor the progress of environmental reviews.

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Environmental Review Dashboard app.
2. Optionally, set Date Submitted, Project Status, or Project Type filters to filter the projects shown in the dashboard.
3. Review the charts and details in the dashboard.

Solicit public opinion

Many communities have statutory public notice requirements that community members must be given the opportunity to express concerns or opinions about proposed projects. The Environmental Review solution provides tools which allow the community to explore and provide feedback on upcoming projects.

Learn about proposed projects

The Environmental Review Comments app provides a way for the general public and other interested parties to explore and learn more about projects under environmental review in their community.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of an engaged resident who wants to learn more about what projects are under environmental review in their community.

1. In a browser, go to the Environmental Review Comments app.
2. In the Projects list, click a project to learn more about it.

   Any projects that have a status of Public Comment appear in the projects list.

3. Review the project details and any associated comments.
4. Click a permit in the list or on the map to learn more about it.

Comment on projects

In addition to helping the general public learn more about projects under environmental review, the Environmental Review Comments app provides a way for them to add comments.

In this workflow, you will continue to assume the role of an engaged resident who wants to provide feedback on a project.

1. In a browser, go to the Environmental Review Comments app.
2. In the Projects list, click a project to open the project details.
3. Click Comment.
4. Provide a comment and, optionally, add your name and contact information.
5. Click Submit.

Review public comments

During public comment periods, it is important to monitor comments that have been submitted.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of the project coordinator who will monitor public comments on proposed projects during the public comment phase.

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Environmental Review Manager app.
2. In the Projects table, select a project with the value of Public Comment.
3. In the Information panel, scroll to the Comments section.
4. Click a comment to the view the comment information.
5. Click Edit to add an internal employee comment.
6. Scroll to the Comments section and click Add record.
7. Enter your comment and click Create.