NEPA is our basic national charter for protection of the environment. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970, NEPA was established to foster and promote the general welfare, to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans. NEPA establishes policy, sets goals (section 101), and provides means (section 102) for carrying out the policy. Section 102(2) contains “action-forcing” provisions to make sure that federal agencies act according to the letter and spirit of the Act. The President, federal agencies, and the courts share responsibility for enforcing the Act so as to achieve the substantive requirements of section 101.