http://www.transact.org/library/reports_pdfs/biodiversity/interagency_coordination.pdf 

In February 2001, California’s three major transportation and resource agencies - the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), the Resources Agency (RA), and the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (BT&H) - established a Tri-Agency Partnership to speed transportation planning without compromising on environmental protection. The partnership was born out of the recognition that transportation projects, especially those that promote environmental objectives, need to be delivered in a timely fashion, and that improved collaboration among the three agencies was central to achieving that goal. The agreement identifies two purposes for the partnership. The first is to encourage its three member agencies to work collaboratively and cooperatively. The second is to ensure the timely planning and implementation of transportation projects that protect or restore the state’s environment. Among such projects would be those that promote walkable, livable communities, environmental justice, regional planning, and cultural and environmental conservation. The partnership agreement further establishes nine goals for the future. At the most basic level, the three member agencies will identify and share information on transportation and environmental priorities and develop transportation and environmental performance criteria by which the agencies can evaluate and improve transportation projects. Perhaps most important, the Tri-Agency Partnership encourages the “early and continuous participation of affected state, federal and local agencies, public interest groups, and the public” throughout the planning and approval process.

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