Affected Environment

For an environmental impact statement, a description of the existing environment covering information necessary to assess or understand the impacts. It must contain enough detail to support the impact analyses and must highlight environmentally sensitive resources (e.g., floodplains, wetlands, threatened and endangered species, and archeological resources).

Existing biological, physical, social, and economic conditions of an area subject to change, both directly and indirectly, as the result of a proposed human action. Also, the chapter in an environmental impact statement describing current environmental conditions.