NOAA NEPA Document Database

This action would increase the overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, annual catch limits, and annual catch targets for Gulf red grouper based on the results of the new stock analyses for Gulf red grouper and recommendations from the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s Science and Statistical Committee. The need for the rule is to revise the catch limits consistent with the best available science for Gulf red grouper, and to continue to achieve optimum yield consistent with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, while preventing overfishing.

Sierra Pacific Land & Timber Company (SPL&T) is the largest private forest land owner in the state of California, with ownership currently encompassing approximately 1.64 million acres of timberland throughout the northern and central portions of the state. Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) is the authorized representative and manager of SPL&T lands. SPI has prepared a joint Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA) to address effects of forestland management in the Sacramento River and Trinity River basins on ESA-listed salmonids under the regulatory jurisdiction of the NMFS.

In support of an ITP application under Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA, SPI has prepared a HCP that provides an assessment of impacts; along with measures to monitor, minimize, and mitigate for those impacts; and procedures to account for unforeseen or extraordinary circumstances. In support of an ESP application under Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA, SPI has prepared a SHA to address the potential impacts of SPI’s timber harvest activities in the Sacramento River and Trinity River basins, upstream of currently impassable dams where NMFS is proposing to reintroduce populations of ESA-listed salmonids. The SHA meets the regulatory standard of producing a net conservation benefit for ESA-listed salmonids reintroduced onto SPL&T lands.

The draft NEPA EA analyzes the potential effects of NMFS’ proposed issuance of an ITP and ESP to SPI for their forestland management activities.

This Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review analyzes a proposed Pacific Cod Trawl catcher vessel Program considers allocations of quota shares to groundfish License Limitation Program licenses based on the harvest of targeted Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pacific cod during the qualifying years. The action also considers allocating harvest shares to a processor permit based on processing history of BSAI Pacific cod during the qualifying years. This would yield an exclusive harvest privilege allocation for use in a BSAI trawl CV Pacific cod catch share program cooperatives. The purpose of this action is to improve the prosecution of the fishery by promoting safety and stability in the harvesting and processing sectors, increasing the value of the fishery, minimizing bycatch to the extent practicable, providing for the sustained participation of fishery dependent communities, and ensuring the sustainability and viability of the resource.

Narragansett Bay NERR has requested to change their managemenet boundary.

Narragansett Bay (RI) wants to expand it's NERR boundary to include several adjacent parcels that have been acquired/proposed for acquisition.

In this DARP/EA, the Trustees evaluate potential restoration alternatives which exhibit sufficient nexus to the natural resources injured by the 7/23/08 DM932 oil spill on the Mississippi River that would provide resource services to compensate the public for natural resource losses resulting from the discharged oil. The Trustees' preferred restoration alternative for implementation includes multiple projects, which provide restoration of natural resources commensurate with injuries to forested wetlands, emergent wetlands, fisheries habitat, and natural resource use by the general public.

NMFS will make a 4(d) rule, limit 6 determination on a ten year Skagit Steelhead Harvest RMP. Entirety of the Skagit freshwater basin and Skagit Bay (8-1 and 8-2). This is a pre-existing plan (5-yr), that is up for renewal of the plan for a longer time frame (10-yr). Fisheries implemented consistent with the terms of the RMP would be exempt from take prohibitions under the 4(d) Rule for ESA-listed Puget Sound steelhead affected by the action.

NOAA, as the lead federal Trustee, proposes to compensate the public for interim losses to coral reef resources caused by the T/V MARGARA grounding off Tallaboa, Puerto Rico, through coral propagation to directly replace lost coral resources and restore degraded and impacted coral reefs.

This proposed action is necessary to implement binding recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as required by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act, and to achieve domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This proposed action would adopt management measures implementing a 2021 ICCAT recommendation prohibiting retention of North Atlantic shortfin mako sharks caught in association with ICCAT fisheries. Specifically, this action would propose implementing a flexible shortfin mako shark retention limit with a default of zero in commercial and recreational highly migratory species fisheries.

This proposed action is necessary to implement binding recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as required by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), and to achieve domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). This action would increase the baseline annual U.S. bluefin tuna quota from the 1,247.86 mt level established via a 2018 quota rule to 1,316.14 mt, the level recommended for 2022 by ICCAT at its 2021 annual meeting. The ICCAT-recommended bluefin tuna quota proposed in this action would be divided among the established regulatory domestic bluefin tuna subquota categories. This action also would modify the baseline annual U.S. northern albacore quota from the 632.4-mt level established in the 2018 quota rule to a flexible baseline quota with a maximum of 950 mt based on the northern albacore management program. For 2022, the annual quota would be 711.5 mt.

NMFS proposed to issue two subsequent IHAs to Hilcorp Alaska LLC for tugs towing a drill rig in Cook Inlet, Alaska. This activity was originally part of incidental take regulations that were issued to Hilcorp in 2019 but due to litigation and Hilcorp finishing or abandoning most activities considered in the regulations, we are proposing to issue IHAs for the sole remaining activity.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding a marine geophysical survey of the Guerrero Gap on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (L-DEO) will conduct the survey using the R/V Marcus G. Langseth using a 36-airgun array with a total discharge volume of 3,600 cubic inches. NSF has submitted an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) request and written an Environmental Analysis for the project, on behalf of L-DEO. NMFS has issued many IHAs to L-DEO for similar geophysical surveys around the world, and adopted NSF's EAs for each project.

The proposed action is the continued implementation of annual management measures for Area 2A (Washington, Oregon, and California) Pacific halibut fisheries consistent with recommendations from the Council’s Catch Sharing Plan. This includes management measures for the recreational fisheries and the non-tribal commercial fisheries, including the incidental and directed fisheries. Additionally, the proposed action includes implementing of regulations recommended by the Council through the Catch Sharing Plan. There are no expected significant impacts or known issues with the project.

The proposed action is the continued implementation of annual management measures for Area 2A (Washington, Oregon, and California) Pacific halibut fisheries consistent with recommendations from the Council’s Catch Sharing Plan. This includes management measures for the recreational fisheries and the non-tribal commercial fisheries, including the incidental and directed fisheries. Additionally, the proposed action includes implementing of regulations recommended by the Council through the Catch Sharing Plan. The proposed action will not meaningfully contribute to significant adverse effects. There are no known issues or problems with this project.

The Trustees' Preferred Alternative consists of the following restoration actions to compensate the public for injured resources resulting from the 2006 unauthorized discharge of oil at CITGO Petroleum Corporation’s (CITGO) Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana: 1) Implement the Long Point Bayou Marsh Creation (CS-0085) Project: This project would provide for the creation and enhancement of approximately 392 acres of saline marsh, including tidal creeks, in shallow open water in Cameron Parish, Louisiana; 2)Construct the Calcasieu Lake Oyster Cultch Plant Project: This project would provide for the creation of approximately 18 acres of oyster reef habitat in lower Calcasieu Lake, Cameron Parish, Louisiana; 3) Implement the Houma Navigation Canal (HNC) Bird Island Project: This project would provide for the creation of suitable nesting habitat for coastal island nesting birds in Terrebonne Bay, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, including species injured by the Incident.

Trustees' proposed restoration exhibit sufficient nexus to the natural resources injured by the Incident, and would provide resource services to compensate the public for natural resource losses resulting from the discharged oil at the SGC Block 248. The preferred alternative includes the following projects: Calcasieu Lake & Sabine National Wildlife Refuge Living Shoreline; South Pass Bird Island; and Genetic Stock Assessment of Pantropical Spotted Dolphin

The proposed action is to develop and approve management measures for the 2022 ocean salmon fisheries.

This EA covers the rebuilding plan for Guam's multi-species bottomfish complex, which implements annual catch limits and accountability measures

NMFS proposes to prohibit the use of steel wire line, known as wire leaders, within 1 meter of any hook deployed in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery. NMFS also proposes to require fishermen, with limited exceptions for safety and data collection, to remove trailing gear from oceanic whitetip sharks caught in all longline fisheries operating under the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific, including the Hawaii deep-set and shallow-set fisheries and the American Samoa fishery. The proposed action is intended to increase post-hooking survival of oceanic whitetip sharks.

NMFS is implementing ACLs and AMs for the MHI deepwater shrimp and precious coral fisheries in fishing years 2022-2025.

NOAA Fisheries Published the Final EIS for the S-K Program