Office of Environmental Management

OEM Training Program - Track 7

Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) Training

Target Audience: Geared towards both FDOT and Consultant ETDM Practitioners and FDOT, MPOs, and other state and federal agency personnel involved in the transportation decision making process. Also a good resource for LAP Agency Partners.

Description: The following are on-demand training classes which have been developed to provide viewers with a general understanding of the ETDM Process and the Environmental Screening Tool (EST).  The EST is a secure system.  Only people performing a specific supporting function with the ETDM Process have access to the the EST.  Access must be approved by an ETDM Coordinator.  Alternatively, a public version of the EST is located at  https://etdmpub.fla-etat.org.

NOTE: No certificates of completion are provided for any of the on-demand courses.

Existing items included in this track:

ETDM Process

EST Overview

EST Public Access Site

  • EST - Public Access Site - General Navigation - This training provides an overview of the public access site, which allows anyone with internet access to review proposed project information and submit comments to the project sponsor.  You can also access comments received from local, state, federal, and tribal partners. (3/20/2020 - See the EST Map Viewer section below for updated videos about the EST Map Viewer.)
  • EST - Public Access Site - Subscribing to Project Notifications - This video demonstrates how anyone accessing the EST Public Access Site can subscribe to receive email notifications regarding proposed transportation projects going through review within the ETDM process.

EST Map Viewer 

  • EST Map Viewer Introduction - 3/20/2020 - This video demonstrates the basic navigation and tools of the EST Map Viewer. (4m:44s) 
  • Map Loader and Layer Tools - 3/20/2020 - This video shows how to add data layers to your map on the EST Map Viewer. It also provides details about Layer Tools for controlling the order and presentation of a layer and to learn more about the layer.  (7m:32s) 
  • My Maps - 3/20/2020 - This video explains how to create and share custom maps on the EST Map Viewer with other EST users. This feature is only available on the secure EST site. (4m:0s) 
  • EST Map Viewer Project Loading - 8/27/2021 - This video demonstrates how ETDM projects are listed and displayed in FDOT's Environmental Screening Tool (EST) Map Viewer. (3m:45s)

EST Document Review Module

  • Document Review Module (FDOT Project Teams) – 10/2021 – This video demonstrates how an FDOT project team can use the EST to provide documents to external stakeholders for review. It also shows how to respond to comments and find a report about the review event.  
  • Document Review Module (Reviewers) – 10/2021 – This video demonstrates how people who have been asked to review a document in the EST can access a document review event, examine event documents and related information, and provide comments. It also shows how to access a report about previous document reviews.

EST Features for Project Sponsors

  • EST - Preliminary Environmental Discussion (PED) and the Advance Notification (AN) -  7/18/2018 - This video provides an overview of the requirements for both the Preliminary Environmental Discussion (PED) and the Advance Notification (AN), instructions on preparing PEDs and ANs, as well as outlines Agency roles in the environmental review process. Guidance on these topics is provided in Part 1, Chapter 3 of the PD&E Manual, which should be reviewed in conjunction with this training    
  • EST - Class of Action (COA) Recommendation Form - 11/30/2017 - ( PPT) - This training provides an overview to FDOT ETDM Coordinators regarding the submission of the environmental document COA recommendation to the Office of Environmental Management.  It runs through the COA Recommendation form as well as provides an overview of the expectations when filling out the form.
  • EST - Prepare ETDM Projects for Screening - 5/16/2022 -  In this webinar recording, learn how to use the EST to support ETDM projects in preparation for screening. We cover items such as entering project information, designating agency roles, developing preliminary environmental discussions, preparing advance notifications, and sending projects for pre-screening reviews. 
  • EST - Support ETDM Projects During and After Screening Events - 5/17/2022 - In this webinar recording, we show how to use the EST to support ETDM projects during and after screening events. We cover items such as sending notifications, tracking comments during screening, granting extensions, inviting Cooperating and Participating agencies, processing Class of Action Determinations, and preparing screening summary reports
  • EST - Project Map Editor Tool - 3/20/2020 - This video demonstrates how authorized users create and edit ETDM project features using the EST Map Viewer. (5m:43s) (40 mb)
  • EST - Project Map Editor Webinar - 4/3/2020- This recorded webinar provides a demonstration of the project map editor tool. It walks through all the various input components needed to create project geometry of proposed transportation project improvements.
  • EST - Participating and Cooperating Agencies - This training provides overview of the EST tools used to manage invitations to cooperating and participating agencies.
  • EST - Processing Permit and Technical Studies - 7/3/2019 - This training provides overview of the EST enhancement to allowing the FDOT Districts to review the ETAT identified technical studies and potential permits and show the interface to process their recommendations and supplement with additional information.  This is so the information is available during the scoping of the project when its completing the environmental analysis and document development phase.
  • EST - Preliminary Environmental Discussion (PED) - This training provides overview of the EST tools used to by project sponsors to provide preliminary assessments to the ETAT and public.
  • EST - Sociocultural Data Reports - This training provides an overview of the sociocultural data reports.     

EST Features for Agency Environmental Technical Advisory Team (ETAT) Members

  • EST - Invoice Module Overview - 3/7/2019  - This video presents an overview of the EST Invoicing Module used by funded ETAT agencies. (20m:32s)
  • EST – United States Coast Guard (USCG) Tools - 12/2021 - This training provides an overview of the EST tools developed to support the USCG review within the ETDM process.
  • Webinar: New ETAT Review Tools - 4/14/2021 - This webinar introduced ETAT members to a new version of the EST, modernized to work with the latest internet technology. The webinar provides an overview of the new site and showed ETAT members how to find and use the forms and reports for their ETDM project reviews. 
  • EST - Reviewer Action Items - 9/2021– This video demonstrates how to access and use the Reviewer Action Items page when reviewing information in the EST. (3m1s)
  • EST - ETAT Review Task List – 10/2021 – This training video provides a general orientation of the Environmental Technical Advisory Team (ETAT) Review Tasks.

The following videos explain the EST forms and reports that support the ETAT Review tasks:

  • Understand Project Data
    • Project Details – 12/2021 – Demonstrates the Project Details page containing a wide range of project information including the project description and purpose and need.
    • Project Milestone Report – 10/2021 – Shows the Project Milestone page displaying ETDM events that occurred during the project timeline, with links to applicable reports.
    • Advance Notification (AN) Package and Project Information Report –  (coming soon) – Demonstrates how to access the AN Package which pulls together key information about the project and is used by FDOT to inform stakeholders about upcoming projects. When an AN Package is not available, information is pulled together in a Project Information Report. These are both PDF files that can be distributed to people who do not have EST accounts.
  • Assess Resource Data
    • GIS Analysis Report – 10/2021 – Shows how to use the GIS Analysis Report page to view analysis results identifying resources in the area surrounding a project or within a study area.
    • PED Report – (coming soon) – Reviews the Preliminary Environmental Discussion (PED) Report describing the District’s initial understanding of the natural, physical, cultural and community issues or resources in a project study area.
    • Sociocultural Data Report (SDR) – 12/2021 – Describes the Sociocultural Data Reports (SDRs), which include the demographics and information about the community context in the project area.
    • Cultural Resources Report – (coming soon) – Provides information about the Cultural Resources Report with information about the cultural resources in the vicinity of a project and includes a map depicting those resources.
  • Provide Comments
    • Review Purpose and Need – 10/2021 – Demonstrates the form used by ETAT members to review the project’s purpose and need, provide comments, and acknowledge their agency’s understanding.
    • Indicate Project Involvement – 10/2021 – Shows how the ETAT use the Indicate Project Involvement page on the EST to indicate whether their agency wishes to serve as a Cooperating or Participating Agency during NEPA.
    • Review Project Effects – 10/2021 – Provides instructions for using the Review Project Effects form in the EST to Assign a Degree of Effect (or DOE) to one or more environmental topics, provide comments on the potential effects, and indicate any future coordination or documentation needed.
    • Review AN Package – 10/2021 – Shows how to use the Review AN Package page to enter additional comments that should be considered but are not captured elsewhere in the EST during the current Programming Screen review.
    • Submit Federal Consistency Finding – 10/2021 – Demonstrates how Federal Consistency Reviewers use the Submit Federal Consistency Findings page on the EST to issue their findings and recommendations to the Florida State Clearinghouse regarding project consistency with the Florida Coastal Management Program.
  • View Reports of Comments
    • Agency Comments – Purpose and Need – 10/2021 – Demonstrates the EST page that displays the project’s purpose and need, submitted agency reviews, as well as organizations that were notified but did not submit a review.
    • Agency Comments – Project Effects – 10/2021 – Shows how to use the Agency Comments – Project Effects page to view information about the event and comments received.
    • AN Package Comments and Responses – 10/2021 – Covers the AN Package Comments and Responses page listing additional agency comments that should be considered but are not captured elsewhere in the EST during the current Programming Screen.
    • Federal Consistency Reviews – 10/2021 – Introduces the Federal Consistency Reviews page displaying the agency findings and recommendations to the Florida State Clearinghouse regarding project consistency with the Florida Coastal Management Program.

Area of Interest Tool (AOI)

  • EST - Area of Interest (AOI) Tool - 3/20/2020 - This training provides an overview of the area of interest tool which allows authorized users the ability to create a point, line or polygon and produce GIS analysis results for the feature and generate reports such as an Sociocultural Data Report (SDR) or cultural resources report.
  • AOI Dashboard - 3/23/2022 - This video demonstrates the AOI Dashboard which helps AOI users access and manage their AOIs.
  • AOI Enhancements Webinar - 3/29/2022 - Webinar recording showing how to access and use the AOI in the new EST.

Supporting Information

For future OEM training opportunities, create an account on our FDOT Contact Mailer and select Environmental Management and Environmental Publications and Updates under the Publications Interest.  As training opportunities are available, we will send email notifications out through Contact Mailer.

Other Resources