[en] The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process has been successful without the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has used early application of the NEPA process to make an informed decision and thus avoid negative ecological and financial results. The NEPA process was initiated to assess the potential impacts of constructing and operating a 6--9 megawatt wind turbine farm. The farm was to consist of up to 18 turbines to be placed along the spine of Plum Island which lies in the Atlantic Ocean off the shore of eastern Long Island. The rationale for the proposal was to provide an alternative energy source and thus avoid the expenditure of more than one million dollars per year on electricity and the dependency on the mainland public utility companies. A sufficient wind resource is readily available on Plum Island. Complicating the issue was a window of opportunity to obtain federal production tax credits if the wind energy system could become operational before July 1, 1999