Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

Overview
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was enacted in 1969. NEPA requires Federal agencies to integrate environmental values into their decision-making processes by considering the environmental impacts of their major proposed actions. EISs evaluate the environmental impacts of appropriate Federal actions.

Current Projects
NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources is intending to prepare Environmental Impact Statements on the following:

• Sea Turtle Conservation and Recovery in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Trawl Fisheries [pdf]
  (Notice of Intent Published: May 2009)
  
  
• Subsistence Harvest of Bowhead Whales by Alaska Natives [pdf]
  (Notice of Intent Published: October 2006)
  to assess the impacts of issuing annual quotas for the subsistence harvest of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) by Alaska Natives from 2008 through 2017
  
  
• North Atlantic Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Strategy
  (Final EIS: August 2008)
  to implement the North Atlantic Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Strategy to reduce the occurrence and severity of vessel collisions with endangered North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis)
  
  
• Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Program (Final EIS: February 2009)
  to analyze the environmental impacts of the activities of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP) in the waters of the United States
  
  
• Steller Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal Research (Final EIS: May 2007)
  to analyze the environmental impacts of issuing grants and permits facilitating research on the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) and northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus)
  
  
• Right Whale Research
  (Notice of Intent Published: October 2005)
  to analyze the environmental impacts of issuing permits facilitating research on endangered right whales in the North Atlantic and North Pacific (Eubalaena spp.)

More Information
NOAA/NEPA Coordination
NOAA NEPA Handbook [pdf] [1.1 MB]