This was one of the first laws that established the legislative framework for protecting the environment and accomplished three important goals:

• It outlined, for the first time, a formal declaration of national environmental policies and goals.

• It required federal agencies to prepare and submit environmental impact statements for most federally funded programs.

• It created the Presidential Council on Environment within the executive office.

 

President Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 on Jan. 1, 1970.