How to Complete and Submit USDA Form RD 1940-20: Environmental Information Request

USDA Form RD 1940-20, the Request for Environmental Information, is the document you complete so USDA Rural Development can run the environmental review federal law requires before it approves your loan or grant. You describe the project and its setting, answer a 32-item checklist about land uses and sensitive resources, attach maps and photos, and hand the package to the specialist handling your application. Final approval does not move until that review is finished, so accuracy on the first submission saves weeks.

When You Need to File This Form

Any Rural Development project that could change the physical environment triggers the form. That covers single-family housing loans, community facility grants, business and industry loan guarantees, and rural utility work. Acquiring land, constructing a new building, or significantly expanding an existing structure all qualify. So do site-disturbing activities like clearing trees, grading, installing underground utilities, or demolishing and rebuilding.

Rehabilitating an older building can also trigger the form if the property might be listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Even modest renovations to a public building can count once federal funds are involved.

Not every action needs the full form. Under 7 CFR Part 1970, certain routine activities with minimal disturbance qualify as categorical exclusions and require little or no documentation from you. The agency can still request more information if it suspects extraordinary circumstances such as effects on endangered species, wetlands, or historic sites.

Where to Get the Form

Download the fillable PDF from the USDA Rural Development website.1United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Form RD 1940-20 – Request for Environmental Information Printed copies are available at your local Rural Development field office. Read the instructions on the first two pages before you start; the form itself warns that insufficient detail will delay review and can jeopardize the application.

Filling Out the Three Main Items

The form has three substantive parts: a project description and environmental setting (Item 1), a description of known significant environmental impacts (Item 2), and the 32-item environmental resource checklist (Item 3). Match the depth of your answers to the size and complexity of the project. A small housing rehab needs less than a large water system expansion, but every item still needs a response.

Item 1: Project Description and Environmental Setting

If a prior Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment already covers your site, reference it and attach it as Exhibit I. Check that the existing document addresses every point the instructions ask for, and add a supplemental write-up for anything missing.1United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Form RD 1940-20 – Request for Environmental Information

If no prior document exists, Item 1b calls for a narrative covering the project’s purpose, its physical scope, and the current condition of the surrounding area. Include the township, range, and section number of the location. Describe the construction activities planned, the long-term use of the finished site, and any nearby features that could be affected: waterways, woodlands, neighboring properties, existing infrastructure.

The instructions recommend completing the Item 3 checklist before writing the narrative. Working the checklist first tells you which environmental resources actually apply to your site and makes the narrative more focused.

Item 3: The 32-Item Environmental Resource Checklist

Item 3 asks whether any of 32 land uses or environmental resources are affected by your proposal or located within or adjacent to the project site. For each, you check “Yes,” “No,” or “Unknown.” The full list covers:1United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Form RD 1940-20 – Request for Environmental Information

  • Land uses (Items 1–13): industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural, grazing, mining or quarrying, forests, recreational, transportation, parks, hospital, schools, and open spaces.
  • Sensitive natural features (Items 14–22): aquifer recharge areas, steep slopes, wildlife refuges, shoreline, beaches, dunes, estuaries, wetlands, and floodplains.
  • Protected designations (Items 23–32): designated or proposed wilderness areas, wild or scenic rivers, historic or archaeological sites listed on or eligible for the National Register, critical habitat for endangered or threatened species, wildlife, air quality, solid waste management, energy supplies, natural landmarks on the National Registry of Natural Landmarks, and coastal barrier resources.

Every “Yes” needs a written description of how the resource is affected. A checked box with no explanation counts as incomplete. If any of Items 17 through 22 (shoreline, beaches, dunes, estuary, wetlands, or floodplain) is marked “Yes” or “Unknown,” the form directs you to contact your Rural Development office about additional requirements under the Floodplain Management and Wetland Protection Executive Orders.1United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Form RD 1940-20 – Request for Environmental Information

If you think an item does not apply, explain why rather than leaving it blank. The instructions tell you to consult your Rural Development office before deciding an item is not applicable.

Required Maps, Photos, and Other Exhibits

The form requires a set of attachments:1United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Form RD 1940-20 – Request for Environmental Information

  • A USGS topographic map, 7½-minute quadrangle preferred (15-minute acceptable), clearly showing the project area and each project element.
  • The FEMA flood insurance rate map panel for the project area. Download it free from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center by entering your address.2FEMA. FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  • Current site photographs showing the project boundaries and notable features such as streams, tree lines, adjacent structures, and existing improvements.
  • A standard soil survey for the project area, if one has been completed.
  • An aerial photograph of the site, if available.

For land clearing or new construction, a preliminary plat or survey map showing exactly where you plan to place improvements strengthens the package. Give the reviewer a complete picture of what the site looks like now and what you plan to change.

Free Federal Tools That Do Some of the Work

Two online tools can help you gather the data the form asks for without hiring a consultant.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s IPaC tool (Information for Planning and Consultation) generates an official species list for a project area you define, identifying endangered or threatened species and any critical habitat present. It also suggests conservation measures and includes a Consultation Package Builder that walks you through a biological analysis. Running it early lets you answer the critical habitat and wildlife items on the checklist with confidence.3U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. IPaC Information for Planning and Consultation

EPA’s NEPAssist pulls environmental data from EPA geographic databases for any area you draw on the map. It screens common assessment indicators and helps you spot potential concerns around air quality, water resources, and other checklist factors.4US Environmental Protection Agency. NEPAssist

Submitting the Package

Once the form and all exhibits are assembled, send the package to the Rural Development specialist assigned to your application. Under 7 CFR 1970.5, you must make sure materials are current, sufficiently detailed, and delivered directly to the office processing the application.5eCFR. 7 CFR 1970.5 – Responsible Parties Incomplete or late submissions can put the proposal at risk.

Most submissions go to the local or regional Rural Development field office handling your loan or grant. Ask your specialist whether the office takes electronic submissions or wants mailed hard copies, because practices vary. If any other federal, state, or local agency is involved in financing, permitting, or approving the project, disclose that so the agency can coordinate reviews.5eCFR. 7 CFR 1970.5 – Responsible Parties

What Happens After You Submit

The agency independently evaluates your information under 7 CFR Part 1970 and assigns one of three review tracks based on expected impact.

Categorical Exclusion

If your project falls into a category the agency has already determined has no significant environmental effect, it qualifies for a categorical exclusion. Some exclusions under 7 CFR 1970.53 require no documentation from you at all. Others under 7 CFR 1970.54 require a short environmental report. Even with an exclusion, the agency can demand more if it identifies extraordinary circumstances such as proximity to wetlands, floodplains, historic properties, or endangered species habitat.5eCFR. 7 CFR 1970.5 – Responsible Parties

Environmental Assessment

Projects that don’t fit an exclusion but aren’t expected to cause major harm require an Environmental Assessment. The applicant prepares the EA; the agency evaluates it independently and takes responsibility for its scope and content. You may hire a design or environmental professional to help draft it.5eCFR. 7 CFR 1970.5 – Responsible Parties If the EA shows no significant impact, the agency issues a Finding of No Significant Impact and the project can proceed without a full Environmental Impact Statement.

Environmental Impact Statement

Projects with potentially significant effects need a full EIS. This is the most intensive track, and you must cooperate with and assist the agency throughout, including funding third-party contractors once the agency authorizes them in writing.5eCFR. 7 CFR 1970.5 – Responsible Parties Thorough data on Form RD 1940-20 can help demonstrate that a less intensive track is appropriate.

If the Site Might Be Historic

Item 25 on the checklist covers historical and archaeological sites. If your project could affect a property listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, the agency must complete a Section 106 review under the National Historic Preservation Act before making a final decision.6General Services Administration. Section 106: National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 USDA Rural Development runs this under a Nationwide Programmatic Agreement that governs how the review is sequenced for housing, water and sewer, electric, and broadband projects, and it consults with your State Historic Preservation Officer to weigh adverse effects.7Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. USDA Rural Development Nationwide Programmatic Agreement Flagging historic significance yourself on Item 25 is faster than having the agency discover it later.

Mistakes That Send the Form Back

Incomplete information is the most common problem. The instructions are direct: insufficient data delays review and the decision on your application.1United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Form RD 1940-20 – Request for Environmental Information The recurring pitfalls:

  • Leaving checklist items blank. Every one of the 32 items needs “Yes,” “No,” or “Unknown.”
  • Checking “Yes” without a description of how the resource is affected.
  • Omitting the FEMA flood map panel for the project area.
  • Submitting outdated site photos that no longer show current conditions.
  • Failing to disclose other federal, state, or local agencies involved in the project, which the regulations require so reviews can be coordinated.5eCFR. 7 CFR 1970.5 – Responsible Parties

Before you submit, talk with your Rural Development specialist. They can tell you which items get the closest look for your project type and flag site-specific concerns, like a nearby wetland or a building old enough to trigger Section 106, before the formal review clock starts.