NOAA NEPA Document Database

The Queen Bess Island Draft Restoration Plan evaluated two design alternatives for restoration of bird habitat, plus a no action alternative. The preferred alternative would create 30 acres of brown pelican habitat and 7 acres of tern and skimmer habitat. The Trustees presented the draft at a public meeting held on January 3, 2019, and collected public comments through January 22, 2019. After consideration of the comments received, the Trustees selected the preferred alternative and completed the final plan. The total estimated cost of the project is $18.71 million. This includes an estimated $2 million in engineering and design and $16.71 million for construction, maintenance, monitoring, adaptive management, and any future engineering and design costs required.

The Final Recreational Use Plan #2 re-allocates funds originally dedicated to the Louisiana Marine Fisheries Enhancement, Research, and Science Center Early Restoration project, which is not moving forward because of feasibility issues arising in the planning process. Those funds are being proposed for reallocation to fund other restoration projects in the Final Recreational Use Plan #2. Included are $22 million in selected projects emphasizing the creation and enhancement of recreational fishing infrastructure, providing more opportunities and access to recreational fishing, and educational and outreach promoting use and stewardship of natural resources.

The Final Strategic Restoration Plan is consistent with the Trustee Council’s Programmatic Restoration Plan, and considers a comprehensive suite of restoration techniques and approaches to address ecosystem-level injuries in the Barataria Basin and the Gulf of Mexico caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We included large-scale sediment diversion, marsh creation, and ridge restoration techniques and approaches in the plan to help prioritize future decisions regarding projects and funding. We also selected three projects to move forward for further evaluation and planning: The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project; The Large-Scale Marsh Creation: Component E project in northern Barataria Basin; The Spanish Pass Increment of the Barataria Basin Ridge and Marsh Creation project, confirming our 2017 decision to move it forward.

The Deepwater Horizon spill oiled shorelines and resulted in the closure of waterways, parks, and other coastal areas in Louisiana resulting in decreased access to recreational fishing and camping, as well as other outdoor activities which diminished the public’s recreational opportunities and use of natural coastal resources. To help restore those losses, the Final Restoration Plan #4 has approximately $38 million in projects which emphasize the creation and enhancement of recreational opportunities, including: Fishing, beach-going, camping, and boating; Public access to natural resources for recreational use; Infrastructure for improved of recreational experiences; Educational and outreach components to help encouraging use and stewardship of natural resources.

The Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Draft 2016-2017 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (EA) (PDF, 308 pages) evaluates alternatives and proposes three projects: Wetlands, Coastal, Nearshore Habitat/Birds restoration type - Graveline Bay Land Acquisition and Management and Grand Bay Land Acquisition and Habitat Management; Nutrient Reduction (Nonpoint Source) restoration type - Upper Pascagoula River Water Quality Enhancement. The total estimated cost for the proposed restoration projects is $21.5 million. Details on the proposed projects and the environmental analysis are contained in the draft restoration plan and EA. The plan is consistent with the Trustees’ programmatic restoration plan.

The supplement, Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group 2019 Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan: Grand Bay Land Acquisition and Habitat Management (PDF, 13 pg), proposes to provide additional Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitat restoration type funding to the Grand Bay Land Acquisition and Habitat Management Project approved in Restoration Plan I. The total proposed $10 million in activities in the Draft Supplemental Plan would support additional land acquisition, habitat management, and performance monitoring within the project’s action area. The Draft Supplemental Plan includes details about the proposed project and the environmental analysis, and is consistent with the Trustees’ Programmatic Restoration Plan.

The MS TIG released its fourth restoration plan. This plan includes projects to partially restore injuries to wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats; reduce nutrient pollution (nonpoint source); and provide and enhance recreational opportunities to compensate for lost recreational use in the Mississippi Restoration Area as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The TX TIG prepared this restoration plan to include 13 preferred projects. We focused on the Oyster and Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitats restoration type. The proposed projects include: One oyster restoration engineering project in the Galveston Bay area; Three habitat engineering projects in the Galveston Bay area; Five habitat construction projects in the Galveston Bay, Sabine Lake, and Corpus Christi Bay areas; Four habitat acquisition projects in the Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay, and Lower Laguna Madre areas; The total estimated cost for the 13 proposed projects is $45,761,000.

The OO TIG completed the Final Restoration Plan 1 and Environmental Assessment: Birds and Sturgeon which selects three projects at a total estimated cost of $16 million. These projects are intended to partially compensate the public for injuries caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to birds and sturgeon, consistent with the Trustees’ Programmatic Restoration Plan. Two projects include restoration activities for injured migratory bird species that winter in the Gulf of Mexico, but nest in northern latitudes. The Trustees have determined that these bird species may be most effectively restored by enhancing breeding success in areas where these birds nest.

NOAA is publishing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed development of a commercial-scale finfish aquaculture facility to be located in Federal waters off the coast of southern California.

On July XX, 2024, NMFS received the initial application from Narwhal requesting authorizations for take of small numbers of marine mammals incidental to construction activities related to seismic surveys and ice roads and ice trails construction in West Harrison Bay, Alaska. NMFS provided questions and comments to Narwhal after receiving the initial application regarding several aspects of the project. Narwhal submitted a modified request on July XX, 2024, which NMFS deemed adequate and complete on August XX, 2024. Narwhal is proposing to conduct high-resolution 3D seismic surveys at the four potential drilling sites and construct ice roads and trails to connect and allow access between the proposed drilling sites. These ice roads and trails will be constructed during ice-covered season to facilitate the transportation of drilling equipment to the potential drilling sites. Additional explanations about the applicant’s activities is explained in Chapter 2 and is also described in the notice of the proposed rule under “Summary of Requests” and “Description of Specified Activities”.

The purpose of this EA is to analyze the activities described in the ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) enhancement permit application submitted by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and associated Hatchery Genetics Management Plan. The actions of the EA must ensure that the proposed SJRRP activities; (1) work to reintroduce CV spring-run Chinook salmon into the Restoration Area, (2) comply with the Restoration Goal of the Settlement, to restore fish downstream of Friant Dam to ‘good conditions’, and (3) are ESA compliant. According to the Final Recovery Plan for Central Valley Salmon and Steelhead (NMFS 2014), the population of CV spring-run Chinook salmon in the SJRRP Restoration Area is considered a top priority for reintroduction. The proposed action is a necessary regulatory component of this reintroduction effort.

NOAA’s U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) Program Office is proposing to allocate federal funds to the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) through a sub-contract with the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA). FIT will install an oceanographic high frequency radar (HFR) at Hightower Beach Park. Hightower Beach Park is a municipal park operated by the City of Satellite Beach located within the state of Florida.

Framework 12 set management measures and specifications for the skate fishery for the 2024–2025 fishing years. This action decreases the annual catch limit to 32,155 mt (from 37,236 mt in 2023) and the overall total allowable landings to 15,178 mt (from 21,142 mt in 2023). Specifications for fishing year 2025 are projected to be the same as the proposed 2024 limits. The specifications result in a 26-percent decrease in both the bait and wing fisheries’ total allowable landings. The reduced quotas remain higher than landings in the bait and wing fisheries for at least the last three years; therefore, we do not expect the new quotas to be restrictive to the fishery or to result in reductions in revenue. This action also increases possession limits for the wing fishery, removes barndoor skate-specific possession restrictions for the wing fishery, and removes smooth skate-specific possession restrictions for both the bait and wing fisheries.

The Trustees are proposing an 800-acre terrace field project within Sabine NWR, along with shore based recreational fishing projects, to compensate the public for historical releases of hazardous wastes (PCBs, dioxins, lead, mercury, and other contaminants into) to Bayou d'Inde, a major tributary to the Calcasieu River in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.

The Trustees' proposed action is Alternative B: Accept General Recycling Habitat Project. Alternative B involves the Trustees accepting the “General Recycling Habitat Project” in settlement from General Recycling to compensate for injuries caused by activities at the General Recycling property on the LDR. The General Recycling Habitat Project is anticipated to create approximately 2.33 acres of new, on- and off-channel marsh, intertidal, riparian, and vegetated slope habitat and protect an additional 0.56 acres of subtidal habitat on and adjacent to the LDR.

EA for issuance of Incidental Take Regulations and associated LOA for construction work at the Port of Alaska Cargo Terminals. This project includes impact and vibratory pile driving of steel pipe piles during April - November 2026 - 2030, and a potential IHA for a sixth year of in-water work (2031). This project has the potential to take Cook Inlet beluga whales by Level B harassment, at numbers approaching the 33% small numbers threshold each year. The CIBW is a species in the spotlight and several NGOs have commented on previous Cook Inlet projects.

The proposed action would implement a recent decision adopted by the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC or Commission). The Commission’s decision changes the WCPFC bigeye tuna catch limit for U.S. longline fishing vessels from 3,554 metric tons (mt) to 6,554 mt.

The St. Lawrence River Environment Trustees are proposing the St. Regis River - Skén:nen Park East and West Park Projects and the Raquette River Public Access Project (collectively, the Akwesasne Water Access Projects) as the preferred alternative to compensate the public for ecological and recreational fishing losses resulting from hazardous substance releases to the St. Lawrence River environment.

The Trustees are proposing to use the remaining Chevron-Pearl Harbor NRDA case settlement funds to complete the Pouhala Marsh Enhancement Project selected in the Final RP/EA, and to reimburse the Trustees for the costs of additional restoration planning and administration. The project entails 1) the construction of an 8-acre wetland pond 2) and the expansion of waterbird habitat and wetland ecosystems through habitat enhancement activities, including invasive plant species removal/control and native vegetation plantings.