Final EA for Monterey Bay Management Plan Review

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) proposes to issue a revised management plan and revised regulations for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). ONMS prepared this environmental assessment (EA) and a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 United States Code (U.S.C.) §§ 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ’s) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §§ 1500-1508), and NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 216-6A and its Companion Manual, “Policy and Procedures for Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and Related Authorities.”1 This EA presents to the decision makers and the public an analysis of the potential environmental consequences of the proposed action and alternatives.