Senior NEPA Writer for USDA Forest Service Compliance

WHY THIS ENGAGEMENT: AerialZeus, LLC is a Sacramento-based geospatial intelligence and environmental services firm supporting federal land-management agencies. We hold an awarded USDA Forest Service Blanket Purchase Agreement and are staffing two new two-year task orders now. This is not a one-off gig. We want a dependable lead writer we can call on repeatedly over 24 months as task orders are issued, and whose name we can put forward on our federal quotes. ITEM: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document authorship and review capacity PROJECT: USDA Forest Service Environmental Compliance Services, Southern and Eastern United States national forests Period of performance runs September 2026 through August 2028 THE ROLE: You will be a lead author and reviewer of NEPA documents for multiple national forest units. You will draft Categorical Exclusions (CEs) and Environmental Assessments (EAs), verify that proposed actions and design features are consistent with each forest's Land Management Plan under the 2012 Planning Rule, analyze public and internal comments, and prepare comment-disposition records. This is remote, document-centered capacity work. Hours are issued task order by task order over 24 months, so you must be comfortable with an on-call cadence and quick turnarounds. AerialZeus provides Geographic Information Systems (GIS), mapping, graphics, and document production in-house, so your focus stays on analysis and writing. WHAT WE OFFER: - A steady multi-year relationship, not a single project, with recurring hours across two solicitations and future task orders under the same contract. - Your name carried on federal quotes as proposed key personnel, which strengthens your own federal record. - An experienced in-house team handling GIS, mapping, graphics, editing, and production so you concentrate on analysis and writing. - Clear scopes, defined deliverables, and prompt payment through Upwork. RESPONSIBILITIES: - Draft and edit Categorical Exclusions and Environmental Assessments compliant with NEPA, the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), the 2012 Planning Rule, and USDA NEPA regulations (36 CFR 220). - Review government-furnished data, specialist reports, and supporting documentation for completeness, consistency, and technical accuracy. - Prepare forest-plan consistency analyses and effects sections. - Analyze public comments and prepare comment-disposition matrices and response-to-comments documentation. - Build and maintain document schedules and milestones, and flag schedule risks early. - Facilitate virtual review sessions with Forest Service interdisciplinary team members to resolve comments and finalize documents. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: - Five (5) or more years preparing federal NEPA documents. USDA Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management experience strongly preferred. - Demonstrated sole or lead authorship of at least three (3) Categorical Exclusions or Environmental Assessments. - Working knowledge of NEPA, the National Forest Management Act, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), and relevant Executive Orders. - Excellent technical writing in English, producing clean, agency-ready prose. - Reliable remote-work setup and genuine availability for on-call task-order work across a 24-month window. PREFERRED: - Prior NEPA work on Forest Service Southern Region (Region 8) units, or on forests in any of Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, or Puerto Rico (El Yunque National Forest). - Familiarity with Southeastern land-management issues: prescribed fire and fuels management, southern pine beetle response, longleaf pine restoration, recreation, and special uses. - Certified Environmental Professional (CEP), or National Association of Environmental Professionals membership. DO NOT APPLY IF: - You have not personally been the lead or sole author on federal NEPA documents (reviewers and support-only contributors are not a fit for this seat). - You cannot share at least one NEPA writing sample. - You are not available for on-call work over the next 24 months. HOW TO APPLY: Paste the exact phrase "NEPA CAPACITY READY" as the first line of your proposal. Then provide, in order: 1. Two or three NEPA documents you led or authored (titles, agency, your specific role, and a link or attachment if you can share). 2. Your home state and time zone. 3. Your availability over the next 24 months and your typical turnaround on a routine Categorical Exclusion. Proposals without the phrase, or without at least one document you can point to, will not be reviewed.