In the first sentence of NEPA , Congress declares that:
It is the continuing policy of the Federal Government, in cooperation with State and local governments, and other concerned public and private organizations…to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans. (Sec. 101(a)).
Additionally, U.S. Council on Environmental Quality regulations, contained in 40 CFR 1501.6 and 1508.5, mandate that federal agencies responsible for preparing NEPA analysis and documentation do so “in cooperation with state and local governments” and other agencies with jurisdiction by law or special expertise (42 United States Code [USC] 4331(a), 4332(2)).
In support of this mandate, the BLM invited a broad range of local, state, tribal, and federal agencies to attend a series of meetings with the aim of developing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would establish cooperating agency status with the BLM. Cooperating agency status offers the opportunity for interested agencies to assume additional roles and responsibilities beyond the collaborative planning processes of attending public meetings and reviewing and commenting on plan documents. MOUs are time-limited documents that describe the roles and responsibilities of the BLM and the cooperating agency during the planning process for a particular RMP . Agencies that requested Cooperating Agency status include ADOT , AGFD , Yavapai County, and Luke Air Force Base.