NOAA NEPA Document Database

The State of New York has requested approval by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of changes to its federally approved Coastal Management Program (CMP). The program changes revise the language and supporting explanation of Coastal Policy 29 pertaining to the development of offshore uses and resources; add and remove State authorities; edit the CMP document to make it consistent with language and policies of these new statutes; and make other style and formatting edits that improve readability, clarity and uniformity in language and statutory references.

The NMFS Office of Protected Resources proposes to issue an Incidental Harassment Authorization to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory for the taking of marine mammals incidental to high-energy seismic surveys from the R/V Marcus G. Langseth in the waters of New Zealand in the southwest Pacific Ocean during austral spring and summer, 2017/2018. The surveys would take place within the EEZ and Territorial Waters of New Zealand in water depths ~50 to >5000 m. Potential impacts of the proposed seismic surveys on the environment would be primarily a result of the operation of the airgun array.

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) is constructing a Central Bay Operations and Maintenance Facility (project) to serve as the central San Francisco Bay base for WETA’s ferry fleet, Operations Control Center (OCC), and Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Activities include in-water construction activities for the second year of construction, scheduled from August 1 through November 30, and may take 7 species of marine mammals from impact and vibratory pile driving.

Need to issue IHA by August 1, 2017

This framework action will establish for mutton snapper annual catch limits for 2017-2020, remove the annual catch target, modify the recreational bag limit, and modify the recreational and commercial minimum size limit. This action would also make the commercial and recreational minimum size limit for gag consistent between state and federal waters within multiple regions.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council accepted this document during a meeting in June 2017.

Programmatic environmental assessment of the legacy program, the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). The program designs, develops, operates and maintains a network of buoys and coastal stations to provide oceanographic and meteorological observations. Data provides users with observations to assist in decision-making for safety in commercial and marine recreation activities.

The amendment and rule would establish a 9-year rebuilding time period, retain the current gray triggerfish annual catch limits and annual catch targets for the recreational and commercial sectors, modify the recreational fixed closed season, reduce the recreational bag limit, increase the recreational size limit, and modify the commercial trip limit. These changes will not change how the fishery is prosecuted. No significant impact to protected species is expected

Amendment 43 would revise the process to determine the annual catch limits for red snapper. The most recent stock assessment (SEDAR 41, 2015) indicated the red snapper stock as overfished and undergoing overfishing during 1994-2014. In 2016, a revised SEDAR 41 assessment supported the same stock status, but changed the estimates of sustainable harvest. In 2015 and 2016, scientific surveys indicated that the red snapper stock increased by 1.88 times
since 2014 and is at the highest point since 1991. No negative effects are expected to endangered species or their critical habitat, because if implemented, Amendment 43 would allow for a very limited fishing season for both the recreational and commercial sectors.

Implementation date of July 2018 for Amendment 43 would be favorable.

The Skagit River Steelhead Fishery Resource Management Plan (Skagit RMP) is a plan for fishery management activities for natural origin Skagit River steelhead in the Skagit River watershed. The proposed fishery’s co-managers: the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, Swinomish Tribe, Upper Skagit Tribe, Skagit River Cooperative, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) submitted the plan to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for a 4(d) authorization under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NMFS must make a determination under Limit 6 of the 4(d) rule whether the Skagit RMP does or does not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of ESA-listed Puget Sound steelhead.

4(d) authorization must be completed by the 2018 fishery season; January 2018 is the current timeline for authorization.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) requested an MMPA Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) for take of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to a low-energy marine geophysical survey in the northeastern Pacific Ocean over the course of five days in September 2017. NMFS proposes to issue an IHA to SIO pursuant to Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPAthat would authorize takes of marine mammals, by Level A harassment and Level B harassment, incidental to the proposed geophysical survey.

IHA must be issued by Sep 22

To meet space demands, GLERL intends to demolish and rebuild Building #3 for use as additional laboratory, administrative, maintenance, and storage space. The current building is a one-story 2,500 square feet (sf) pre-engineered steel building constructed in approximately 1969 and used for storage and laboratory space. The proposed new structure will occupy the same building footprint but double the size to roughly 5,000 sf by addition of a second story. The proposed action includes the demolition of the existing building, with the possible exception of the exterior foundation walls.

Construction project is expected to be initiated in FY18

This rule will reallocate widow rockfish QS in the Shorebased IFQ Program to facilitate the reestablishment of a directed fishery. This rule will also allow the trading of widow rockfish QS. No significant impacts to protected species are expected.

The proposed action is to approve for testing of experimental Deep-set Buoy Gear (DSBG) and Deep-set Linked Buoy Gear (DSLBG) trials off the U.S. West Coast via appropriate permitting, award of financial assistance programs, or both. If approved, the proposed action is intended to examine the effects conducting gear trials using deep-set daytime techniques for targeting swordfish off the U.S. West Coast. No potential significant impact to protected species are expected.

The EA should be finalized by fall 2017 to proceed with PRD consultations. The goal is to issue permits and award grants by early spring 2018.

The Phase V.2 RP/SEA continues the restoration planning process begun prior to the settlement of the DWH oil spill natural resource damage assessment, and includes discussion of the second phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project. The RP/SEA evaluates four alternatives to complete the Florida Coastal Access Project within the Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities restoration type. The plan proposes one preferred alternative, the Salinas Park Addition project, located in Gulf County Florida adjacent to St. Joseph Bay.

This DARRP restoration plan tiers from the DWH PDARP/PEIS. The plan proposes 13 projects within the Replenish and Protect Oysters and Restore and Conserve Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitats categories. The plan includes four engineering and design (E&D) projects, five habitat acquisition projects, and four habitat restoration projects for implementation in the Texas restoration area.

The purpose of the proposed action is to quantify the abundance of Sargassum in the Gulf of Mexico to evaluate the nursery function and importance of Sargassum to fisheries in a context useful to managers. Activities include fish and invertebrate sampling using the following methods: plankton purse seine, neuston net, Sabiki rigs, and light traps. Formal consulation with NMFS has been completed and resulted in a Biological Opinion (FPR-2047-9216) and an incidental take statement for sea turtles. Informal EFH consultation with NMFS Southeast region has also been completed and resulted in a letter of concurrence that project activities would not adversely affect EFH resources.

Field research is proposed in Spring 2018

Issuance Of An Endangered Species Act Section 10(a)(1)(A) Enhancement Permit To The United States Fish And Wildlife Service For Hatchery and Monitoring Activities Associated with the San Joaquin River Restoration Program: Hatchery and monitoring activities associated with the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, including the Salmon Conservation and Research Facility Program. The Federal action considered in this environmental assessment is the National Marine Fisheries Service’s proposed issuance of a Section 10(a)(1)(A) enhancement permit for these hatchery and monitoring activities. The recipient of the permit is the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The permit would authorize the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to collect Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon from Butte Creek to use as broodstock. In addition to the NMFS listed species that occur in the action area (CV spring-run Chinook salmon and CCV steelhead), the broodstock collection and in-river monitoring components of the project could affect other non-target fish (a whole suite of non-target native and introduced species), and predator species downstream (e.g. Southern Resident killer whales), however all effects are likely to be minor.

Ideally the permit should be issued by 1/1/2018, but that deadline is not totally critical as existing permits will remain in effect.

On October 6, 2017, NMFS received an application under section 120 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) from the state of Oregon requesting authorization to intentionally take, by lethal methods, individually identifiable California sea lions in the Willamette River that are having a significant negative impact on the recovery of Upper Willamette River (UWR) steelhead and UWR Chinook salmon. Both of these salmonid fishery stocks are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 (19 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Revise commercial Pacific bluefin tuna regulations for 2018 to impose a 2 mt trip limit throughout 2018 or until the fishery is closed due to reaching the annual catch limit.

The NMFS proposed action would be issuance of an incidental harassment authorization for the incidental take of marine mammals due to confined blasting within the East Channel of the Big Bend Channel, Tampa Harbor, Florida by the USACE. No impacts to threatened or endangered species is anticipated.

The USACE requests the IHA to be issued by April, 2018