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In August, 2001, the USDA Forest Service IMI initiated a project to develop business process models that depict the activities a typical Ranger District would perform in order to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and all other applicable laws and regulations during the project planning phase. The models were based on the Forest Service’s Environmental Policy and Procedures Handbook (FSH 1909.15), major environmental statutes and knowledge from District level staff. The product from this initial effort identified a need for the Forest Service to focus on examining more specifically the requirements of the NEPA statute and the CEQ’s regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500 – 1508). The initial effort to conduct business process analysis on the Ranger District project planning process was used in partial support of the Chief’s testimony on “process gridlock” in November 2001. During the review of the draft of the Chief’s testimony, CEQ became interested in the business process work and sought greater elaboration of the role of the NEPA statute and regulations in the Forest Service’s project planning and decision-making process. The CEQ and the Forest Service jointly undertook this modeling project through a contract with BusinessGenetics, a business consulting company. The modeling effort was designed to focus on the activities that Agencies were to perform in order to comply with the NEPA statute as defined by the NEPA regulations. The models were not intended to be a legal interpretation of those regulations. A business activity model of the requirements set forth in the NEPA statute and regulations was developed during a series of workshops held between December 2001 and June 2002, in Washington, DC. BusinessGenetics (BG) facilitated the workshop and developed the models using their eXtended Business Modeling Language (xBML SM ). Subject matter expert’s (SME’s) involved in the workshops included representatives from the CEQ and the Forest Service’s EMC and IMI staff. The initial project effort focused on creating a foundation for an objective evaluation of the NEPA regulations and a benchmark for comparison against the initial project planning modeling effort that was initiated in August, 2001.