Government officials make myriad decisions that affect our natural resources and environment. Many people care deeply about these decisions, perhaps because they want to develop or use some of these resources, or perhaps because they want to protect them. This book focuses on how and why agencies make decisions that impact the environment, and it explains how interested parties can and do influence those decisions. In this way, it serves to guide students toward making their own meaningful contributions to decisionmaking. Although examples from state and global authorities are considered, the book focuses on federal agencies and the laws and procedures that inform their decisions.