Proposed Designation of a Marine Portions of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument as Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the State of Hawai'i, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), is initiating the process to consider designating marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument as a national marine sanctuary. Per the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), NOAA will prepare a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the sanctuary designation process to evaluate potential environmental effects of this action.