Category:Good Stewards of Missouri's Natural and Cultural Rescources

Missouri’s rich landscape is endowed with incredible natural and cultural diversity. From the urban centers at St. Louis and Kansas City, to the rolling hills of the Missouri Ozarks, the “Show-Me State” is home to a wide variety of natural environments and cultural heritage. The Missouri Department of Transportation recognizes the richness of our state’s environment and aspires to balance Missouri’s transportation needs with environmental sensitivity and responsibility. To that end, MoDOT seeks new and innovative ideas for more environmentally friendly and cost-effective projects.

In 1969, the U.S. Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in response to increasing public concern about the condition of the environment. NEPA establishes a national policy to protect the environment, including the assessment of potential environmental impacts of all major federal actions. Any project that receives federal funds or permits falls under the umbrella of NEPA, including MoDOT projects that are administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and other federal transportation agencies.

In addition to NEPA, MoDOT is also mandated to consider the potential impacts of its federally-funded or permitted projects on the cultural environment. In order to comply with federal mandates such as NEPA and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, MoDOT employs a staff of highly qualified environmental and historic preservation professionals. This staff includes experts in archeology, architectural history, bridge history, air quality, community impacts, farmland protection, floodplain management, NEPA compliance, noise analysis, public lands, solid and hazardous wastes, threatened and endangered species, water quality, and wetland and stream protection.

As well as ensuring project compliance with national mandates such as those set forth by NEPA and NHPA, MoDOT makes every effort to act as a good steward of our state’s natural and cultural resources. Missouri has been at the forefront of conservation efforts since the 1930s.