Proposed Designation of Proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Final EIS

In accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is initiating a process to consider designating a portion of waters along and offshore of the central coast of California as a national marine sanctuary. NOAA is initiating this process based on the area's qualities and boundaries as described in the community-based nomination [1] submitted on July 17, 2015, excluding any geographical overlap of the boundaries proposed for the Morro Bay 399 Area as described in the July 29, 2021 Federal Register notice.[2] The designation process will be conducted concurrently with a public process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to prepare an environmental impact statement. NOAA is initiating this public scoping process to invite comments on the scope and significance of issues to be addressed in the environmental impact statement that are related to designating this area as a national marine sanctuary. The results of this scoping process will assist NOAA in moving forward with the designation process, including preparation and release of draft designation documents, and in formulating alternatives for the draft environmental impact statement, including developing national marine sanctuary boundaries, regulations, and a management plan. This scoping process will also inform the initiation of any consultations with federal, state, or local agencies, tribes, and other interested parties, as appropriate.