Expedited Federal Permitting Process to Continue During Government Shutdown
Contact Information
Permitting Council Press Office (media@permitting.gov)
WASHINGTON (October 2, 2025) – Yesterday, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) Executive Director announced continued funding for federal permitting efforts through the Environmental Review Improvement Fund (ERIF) during the lapse in annual appropriations. With 53 new projects added to the FAST-41 program since President Trump took office, the Permitting Council is fully committed to utilizing its statutory authority to keep this critical work moving forward.
“Federal permitting has never been a higher priority, or more effective, than it is today under this administration,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “During this time, the Permitting Council expects that any ERIF-funded staff will also take advantage of the opportunity to focus their efforts entirely on expediting permits for FAST-41 projects that are within the President’s stated priorities.”
To learn more about available funding and permitting expectations, read the entire letter here.
Learn more about the Permitting Council at permitting.gov.
About the Permitting Council and FAST-41
Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is a federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects. The Permitting Council is composed of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency Council members; and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The Office of the Executive Director coordinates federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage, which are in turn entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
Learn more about the Permitting Council at permitting.gov.
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Last Updated: Thursday, October 2, 2025