As used in these implementing procedures, terms have the meanings provided in NEPA section 111, 42 U.S.C. 4336e. In addition:

(a) NEPA means the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.).

(b) Authorization means a permit or permission.

(c) Connected action means a separate Federal action within the Corps' authority that is closely related to the proposed agency action and should be addressed in a single environmental document because the proposed agency action:

(1) Automatically triggers the separate Federal action, which independently would require the preparation of additional environmental documents;

(2) Cannot proceed unless the separate Federal action is taken previously or simultaneously; or

(3) Is an interdependent part of a larger Federal action that includes a separate Federal action, which mutually depend on the larger Federal action for their justification.

(d) Effects or impacts means changes to the human environment from the proposed action or alternatives that are reasonably foreseeable and have a reasonably close causal relationship to the proposed action or alternatives.

(1) Effects include ecological (such as the effects on natural resources and on the components, structures, and functioning of affected ecosystems), aesthetic, historic, cultural, economic (such as the effects on employment), social, or health effects. Effects appropriate for analysis under NEPA may be either beneficial or adverse, or both, with respect to these values.

(2) A “but for” causal relationship is insufficient to make an agency responsible for a particular effect under NEPA. Effects should generally not be considered if they are remote in time, geographically remote, or the product of a lengthy causal chain. Effects do not include those effects that the agency has no ability to prevent due to the limits of its regulatory authority, or that would occur regardless of the proposed action, or that would need to be initiated by a third party.

(e) Human environment means comprehensively the natural and physical environment and the relationship of Americans with that environment. (See also the definition of “effects or impacts” in paragraph (c) of this section.)

(f) Jurisdiction means the specific legal authority to approve an activity, such as 33 U.S.C. 1344 (Clean Water Act, section 404); 33 U.S.C. 401 (Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, section 9); 33 U.S.C. 403 (Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, section 10); and 33 U.S.C. 1413 (Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, section 103) or 33 U.S.C. 408 (Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, section 14).

(g) Mitigation for the purposes of NEPA means measures that avoid, minimize, or compensate for effects caused by a proposed action or alternatives as described in an environmental document or record of decision and that have a nexus to those effects. While NEPA requires consideration of mitigation, it does not mandate the form or adoption of any mitigation. Mitigation includes:

(1) Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action.

(2) Minimizing effects by limiting the degree or magnitude of the action and its implementation.

(3) Rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitating, or restoring the affected environment.

(4) Reducing or eliminating the impact over time by preservation and maintenance operations during the life of the action.

(5) Compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute resources or environments.

(h) NEPA process means all measures necessary for compliance with the requirements of NEPA section 102(2), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2).

(i) Notice of intent means a public notice that an agency will prepare and consider an environmental document.

(j) Participating agency means a Federal, State, Tribal, or local agency participating in an environmental review or authorization of an action.

(k) Permit, as used in this part, is the authorization described in 33 CFR 325.5 or the document granting Corps permission under 33 U.S.C. 408(a). A permit decision is the final agency action.

(l) Publish and publication mean methods found by the agency to efficiently and effectively make environmental documents and information available for review by interested persons, including electronic publication.

(m) Reasonable alternatives means a reasonable range of alternatives that are technically, legally, and economically feasible, meet the purpose and need for the proposed action, and, where applicable, meet the goals of the applicant.

(n) Reasonably foreseeable means sufficiently likely to occur such that a person of ordinary prudence would take it into account in reaching a decision.

(o) Related action means an action undertaken by an agency, e.g., a permitting action, some other type of authorization action, an analysis required by statute, or the like, that bears a relationship to other actions undertaken by other agencies relevant to NEPA, e.g., that a set of related actions are all related to one overarching project.

(p) Scope consists of the range of actions, alternatives, and effects subject to the Corps legal authority or subject to the Corps control and responsibility that should be considered in an environmental document. This part addresses the considerations for use by District Engineers when determining scope for NEPA compliance in § 333.18 of this part.

(q) Tiering when used for the purposes of multi-phased reviews of activities under 33 U.S.C. 408, refers to the coverage of general matters in broader environmental impact statements or environmental assessments (such as a general plan to address a need that identifies different conceptual options) with subsequent narrower or more detailed statements or environmental analyses (such as an analysis of how one of those conceptual options could be implemented at a specific site) incorporating by reference the general discussions and concentrating solely on the issues specific to the statement subsequently prepared.