NEPA Documents. Migratory Bird Compliance. Federal Rulemaking.
27 years of federal wildlife expertise — now available to you.
About
I spent 27 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the last 8 of which I was the Mississippi Flyway Representative at the GS-14 level — one of four Flyway Representatives in the country.
My career is defined by the Light Goose Management Environmental Impact Statement. The original EA analyzed creation of a conservation order to reduce overabundant light goose populations that had become injurious to migration and breeding habitats. When the Humane Society of the United States challenged the original conservation order regulations in federal court, I accompanied DOJ counsel as the agency's technical representative. The court ruled a full EIS was required. I wrote the withdrawal rulemaking, codified the Arctic Tundra Habitat Emergency Conservation Act into federal regulation, and served as EIS Project Manager for the corrective EIS — spanning all three branches of government on a single wildlife action.
I also originated and edited the American Woodcock Conservation Plan, which remains the cited management reference in current USFWS population status reports as recently as 2024.
J.R. Kelley NEPA Solutions offers that institutional knowledge directly to your project.
Services
NEPA Document Preparation
Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) · Environmental Assessments (EA) · Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) · Notice of Intent (NOI) · Pre-NEPA scoping and alternatives analysis
Federal Rulemaking
Proposed Rules and Final Rules (Federal Register) · Regulatory withdrawal and codification documents · APA rulemaking support
Migratory Bird Compliance
Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) compliance consulting · Migratory bird impact analysis for federal actions · Nontoxic shot regulatory frameworks
Wildlife Conservation Planning
Species management plans · Habitat assessment frameworks · Population monitoring program design
Subcontract and Proposal Support
Subject-matter specialist for consulting firm proposal teams · Wildlife and NEPA section authorship · Document legal defensibility review
Landmark Federal Documents
Light Goose Management Environmental Impact Statement
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — James R. Kelley, Jr., EIS Project Manager
The court-ordered corrective EIS following federal litigation brought by the Humane Society of the United States. Spans an EA, two rulemakings, an act of Congress, and a major EIS — across all three branches of government.
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American Woodcock Conservation Plan
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Editors: Kelley et al. 2008
Originated, designed, and edited from concept through publication. Cited as the authoritative USFWS management reference in woodcock population status reports as recently as 2024.
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Get In Touch
If your project involves migratory birds or requires NEPA documentation, reach out directly. I work with environmental consulting firms, renewable energy developers, tribal nations, and state agencies. I respond to all inquiries personally.