Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

NOAA Fisheries Office of the Protected Resources published a notice regarding holding four scoping meetings [pdf] [71 KB] in the Federal Register on January 11, 2005 (70 FR 1871).

The meetings gathered public input on the criteria addressed in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This EIS will analyze the potential impacts of applying noise exposure criteria in guidelines to determine what constitutes "take" of a marine mammal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act.

In particular, the EIS will identify potential impacts to human activities that occur in oceanic waters such as dredging, fisheries, shipping, geological exploration, military operations, construction, and acoustic and oceanographic research. The areas of interest for evaluation of environmental and socioeconomic effects will be U.S. and international waters.

• Scoping Report [pdf] [4.6 MB] for the National Marine Fisheries Service Environmental Impact Statement for National Acoustic Guidelines on Marine Mammals, May 2005

Contact: Patricia Lawson, 301-713-2322

Humpback Whale
(Megaptera novaeangliae)
Photo: NOAA