NOAA NEPA Document Database (beta)
This beta version of the NOAA NEPA Document Database catalogs environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (EISs) that NOAA is currently developing. The Database also includes some of the EAs or EISs NOAA has completed in the past, although information may be limited and contain errors. The Database does not track proposed actions that rely on categorical exclusions. The Database also does not capture information on proposed actions for which another Federal agency is the lead agency for NEPA or when NOAA adopts another Federal agency’s EA or EIS. Please send any questions or corrections to noaa.nepa@noaa.gov with the Subject line: “NOAA NEPA Document Database comment.“
Programmatic Environmental Assessment on the Issuance of Scientific Research Permits and Permit Modifications for the Conduct of Scientific Research and Enhancement for shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon
This Environmental Assessment analyzes the environmental impacts of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources proposal to issue Scientific Research Permit Modifications for the Conduct of Scientific Research and Enhancement for the translocation of shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
This draft environmental assessment analyzes an amendment to the BSAI Crab FMP to rebuild the Eastern Bering Sea (EBS) snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) stock in compliance with section 304(e)(3) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). A range of alternative rebuilding time frames is considered based on whether or not directed fishing is permitted during stock recovery. The impacts of the alternatives considered on crab resources, fishery participants, habitat, and other components of the human environment are discussed in the analysis.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
The OAR UxS Research Transition Office's proposed action is funding, procurement, and operation of small UAS, in any environment for which NOAA has a mission and potential need for UAS resources to help meet related mission objectives, with operations up to altitudes of 100,000 ft MSL.
Update 7/3/23: The Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Office (UxSRTO) in the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is often directly or indirectly involved in the funding, procurement, and operation of small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems during the course of its normal office functions. This PEA evaluates the potential impacts on the environment from the types of small UAS platforms and operations commonly supported by the UxSRTO across NOAA, in any environment for which NOAA has a mission and potential need for UAS resources to help meet related mission objectives. The proposed action is not considered to meaningfully contribute to a significant impact based on the scale of operations and type of effects, it will not meaningfully contribute to significant impacts to specific resources, and it is not connected to other actions that have caused or may cause effects to the resources in affected areas.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
This action would modify the status determination criteria, optimum yield, catch limits, accountability measures, sector allocations, the recreational fishing season, and establish a rebuilding timeline for Gulf gag. The most recent stock assessment for Gulf gag indicated that the Gulf stock was overfished, and overfishing was occurring as of 2019.
The need for this action is to use the best scientific information available to end overfishing of Gulf gag and rebuild the stock to a level commensurate with MSY, consistent with the authority under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
This action is not expected to have any significant impacts, although the drastic reduction in catch limits contained in this action are expected to reduce economic and social benefits for the fishing community, especially off the west coast of Florida where most Gulf gag are captured. Due to this reduction, this action is expected to be controversial.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
The purpose of Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery for the Atlantic (Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 10) is to revise the catch levels [acceptable biological catch (ABC), annual catch limits (ACL)], accountability measures, sector allocations, and management measures for dolphin and wahoo. The revisions to the ABC and ACL include recreational landings from Monroe County, Florida, and incorporate recreational data as per the Marine Recreational Information Program using the Fishery Effort Survey method, as well as updates to commercial and for-hire landings. Management measures address authorized gear, operator card requirement, recreational vessel limits, and allow fillets of dolphin at sea onboard for-hire vessels.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
The Port of Alaska (POA) requests authorization for the take of small numbers of marine mammals, by Level A and Level B harassment, incidental to its North Extension Stabilization (NES) Step 1 (NES1) Project (Project) at the existing port facility in Anchorage, Alaska. The North Extension is considered a failed structure. Parts of the North Extension bulkhead structure and the surrounding upland area are unstable and collapsing, and some of the sheet piles are visibly twisted and buckled. The structure presents safety hazards and logistical impediments to ongoing Port operations, and much of the upland area is currently unusable. The NES Project will result in removal of the failed sheet pile structure and reconfiguration and realignment of the shoreline within the North Extension. The NES1 project will include vibratory and impact pile installation and removal, which may result in the take, by Level A and Level B harassment, of marine mammals.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
This document is for re-issuing the permits for the sockeye salmon captive broodstock hatchery program in the Snake River basin. The proposed action is a re-issuance from the prior proposed action with only minor updates. There are no significant impacts with the continuation of the program per the EA being submitted.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
The proposed action would prohibit the use of buoy gear for all harvest by the recreational sector and would increase the maximum number of hooks that can be used with buoy gear when fishing for any species for authorized fisheries in federal waters off Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John, and St. Croix. The proposed action would not significantly impact the quality of the human environment.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
The proposed action would implement recent decision of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission on non-entangling fish aggregating devices and IMO numbers, and on mitigating impacts from fishing on sharks and mobulid rays.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
If approved, Amendment 16 would incorporate the Cook Inlet EEZ Area into the Salmon FMP, thereby bringing the Cook Inlet EEZ Area and the salmon fisheries that occur within it under Federal management by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and NMFS. Amendment 16 and its implementing regulations would establish federal fishery management measures for all salmon fishing that occurs in the Cook Inlet EEZ, which includes drift gillnet and recreational salmon fisheries. This proposed rule is necessary to comply with rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, and to ensure the Salmon FMP is consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. There is significant litigation risk associated with this action.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
Issuing an Incidental Take Permit (File No. 27106) to North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries for the incidental take of ESA-listed sea turtles and sturgeon associated with the otherwise lawful commercial anchored gill net fisheries operating in the internal coastal waters of North Carolina.
NMFS is proposing to issue an incidental take permit (ITP) to North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries for the incidental take of ESA-listed sea turtles and sturgeon in NC commercial inshore large and small-mesh anchored gill net fisheries.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
This Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) serves as a framework to analyze the potential impacts on the natural and human (social and economic) environment from aquaculture research and development projects funded by federal financial assistance award programs in the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and includes anticipated environmental impacts of current and future related initiatives and decisions. This PEA is a planning tool to support tiered, site-specific analyses by narrowing the spectrum of environmental impacts to focus on project-level reviews as needed. Projects will vary in terms of project or activity size, complexity, geographic location and timing. Therefore, this PEA provides a programmatic-level analysis of environmental impacts associated with the proposed action and alternatives. In addition, NOAA intends to rely on this document to assess site-specific or project-level/specific actions that are determined to be within the range of alternatives and scope of potential environmental effects, and do not have significant impacts on social and economic factors of the human environment.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
. Amendment 52 and the proposed rule would increase the catch levels (acceptable biological catch and annual catch limits), modify sector allocations, and revise management measures for golden tilefish based on the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review 66 (2021) stock assessment. Results from the assessment indicated that the stock is not overfished and not undergoing overfishing. The proposed rule would change the commercial longline fishing season and recreational accountability measures for golden tilefish. Additionally, the proposed rule would reduce the recreational blueline tilefish bag limit from three fish per person per day to two fish per person per day; prohibit the retention of blueline tilefish by the captain and crew of for-hire vessels; and modify the recreational accountability measures for blueline tilefish.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review for Proposed Amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ Off Alaska
This action would establish federal fisheries management for salmon fishing in the upper Cook Inlet EEZ in AK. This would establish holistic fishery management for both the commercial drift gillnet and recreational salmon fisheries that occur in the area. Management of this area was previously deferred to the State of Alaska. This action is a result of litigation. A previous rule to apply federal management by closing the area was vacated by the federal District Court of AK.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (L-DEO) plans to conduct a high-energy 2-D survey at the Cape Fear submarine slide complex off North Carolina from the R/V Langseth during Spring/Summer 2023. The 2-D survey would occur within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States and in International Waters, in waters depths ranging from 200 to 5,500 m deep. The survey would use an 18-airgun array consisting of 40-360 in3 GI guns, with a total discharge volume of 3,300 in3. Approximately 6083 km of transect lines would be surveyed in the study area. The survey is expected to last for 33 days, with approximately 28 days of seismic operations, 3 days of piston coring and heat flow measurements, and 2 days of trains. This IHA would be valid for one year from the date of issuance. L-DEO’s requested is for the take of 30 species of marine mammals by Level B harassment and, for 2 of these species, by Level A harassment. No mortality or serious injury is anticipated nor is any proposed for authorization.
There was no public or NGO concern with this action during the 30 day comment period for the proposed IHA. Although this action involves the use of seismic airguns in a region where North Atlantic right whales could occur, the additional requirements in the IHA reduce the potential impact on this species. The survey is not expected to result in serious injury or mortality of any marine mammals. There is no known congressional interest in this particular action.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
The proposed action s to develop and approve management measures for the 2023 ocean salmon fisheries.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
The Framework Amendment updates management reference points for spiny lobster under the Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John, and St. Croix Fishery Management Plans based on best scientific information available from the SEDAR 57 spiny lobster stock assessments and application of the Caribbean Fishery Management Council’s Acceptable Biological Catch Control Rule included in each FMP. The Framework Amendment would also revise the trigger for accountability measures for spiny lobster under each FMP.
Due to delays in the implementation of the Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John, and St. Croix FMPs, the proposed rule for the Framework Amendment would only include ACLs for years 2023 and 2024 and later.
There are no known potential significant impacts or issues.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
The proposed action is to identify deep-set buoy gear as a legal commercial fishing gear in the Fishery Management Plan for West Coast Highly Migratory Species Fisheries (HMS FMP) and pursuant regulations. Management measures including but not limited to permit program functions, gear and operational specifications, monitoring, and reporting would be established in the HMS FMP or federal regulations or both.
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NOAA Office
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Last Updated
Lease at Port of Gulfport with minor site modifications to house the new Unmanned Crew Systems headquarters and two large vessels in OMAO fleet.