NEPA Documents

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.) is the foundation of modern American environmental protection in the United States and its commonwealths, territories, and possessions. NEPA requires that Federal agency decision makers, in carrying out their duties, use all practicable means to create and maintain conditions under which people and nature can exist in productive harmony and fulfill the social, economic, and other needs of present and future generations of Americans. NEPA provides a mandate and a framework for Federal agencies to consider all reasonably foreseeable environmental effects of their proposed actions and to involve and inform the public in the decision making process. The goal of the implementing procedures for NEPA is to ensure that the environmental impacts of any proposed decisions are fully considered and that appropriate steps are taken to mitigate potential environmental impacts. Federal agencies codify their consideration of environmental impact in documents that are available to the public.

Final Documents

NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center has completed a large number of Environmental Assessments and Findings of No Significant Impact pursuant to NEPA for its research work. The documents, as listed below, are available to the public. For any questions regarding NOAA Fisheries NEPA activities, please contact Marilyn.Luipold@noaa.gov. For questions about specific NEPA documents listed below, contact pifsc.nepa@noaa.gov.

Division	Description	Date
CRED	Environmental Assessment NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center CRED 2005-2010 Activities	06/01/2005		coral reef, ecosystems, environmental assessment, monitoring, mapping, marine debris, oceanography, fisheries, algae, invertebrate, Pacific ocean
CRED	Finding of No Significant Impact NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center CRED 2005-2010 Activities, NEPA checklist	06/01/2005		coral reef ecosystems, monitoring, mapping, marine debris
PSD	Finding of No Significant Impact for the Issuance of an Amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 774-1714-06 - [National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC)] for Cetacean Studies	06/15/2009		cetacean, marine mammal, vessel and aerial surveys, biopsy sampling, tagging, scientific research
PSD	Supplemental Environmental Assessment on the Effects of the Issuance of an Amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 774-1714-06 - [National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC)] for Cetacean Studies	04/01/2008		cetacean, marine mammal, Endangered Species Act, whale, Marine Protected Areas, Sanctuaries, aerial surveys, vessel surveys, biopsy, tagging, scientific research
PSD	Environmental Assessment On The Effects Of The Issuance Of Eleven National Marine Fisheries Service Permitted Scientific Research Activities On Marine Mammal And Sea Turtle Species In The U.S. Territorial Waters And High Seas Of The North Pacific Ocean (Including The Gulf Of Alaska And Bering Sea), Arctic Ocean (Including The Chukchi Sea And Beaufort Sea), Southern Ocean (Including Waters Off Antarctica), And Foreign Territorial Waters Of Mexico (Gulf Of California Only), Canada, Russia, Japan And The Philippines	06/01/2004		cetacean, marine mammal, sea turtle, Endangered Species Act, whale, Marine Protected Areas, Sanctuaries, scientific research
PSD	Finding of No Significant Impact on the Environmental Assessment on the effects of issuance of eleven National Marine Fisheries Service scientific research permits on marine mammal and sea turtle species in the North Pacific Ocean, Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean and foreign territorial waters of Mexico (Gulf Of California Only), Canada, Russia, Japan and the Philippines	06/30/2004		marine mammal, sea turtle, scientific research
PSD	Programmatic Environmental Assessment of the Program for Decreasing or Eliminating Predation of Pre-weaned Hawaiian Monk Seal Pups by Galapagos Sharks in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands	05/07/2009		predation, Hawaiian monk seals, Galapagos sharks, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, French Frigate Shoals, adaptive management
PSD	Finding of No Significant Impact for research on decreasing or eliminating predation of pre-weaned Hawaiian monk seal pups by sharks in the NWHI, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Monk Seal Research Program, Honolulu, Hawaii, NMFS	04/20/2009		predation, Hawaiian monk seals, Galapagos sharks, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, French Frigate Shoals, adaptive management
FRMD	Programmatic Environmental Assessment, Elasmobranch Bycatch Reduction in Domestic and International Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Bycatch Reduction Program	03/31/2009		elasmobranch, shark, bycatch, ray, skate, scientific research, electropositive metals
FRMD	Finding of No Significant Impact for Research on Elasmobranch Bycatch Reduction in Domestic and International Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Bycatch Reduction Program	03/01/2009		elasmobranch, shark, bycatch, ray, skate, scientific research, electropositive metals
FRMD	Programmatic Environmental Assessment of the Research Programs on Spiny and Slipper Lobster, Bottomfish, and Deepwater Shrimp at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center	08/01/2007		spiny lobster, slipper lobster, bottomfish, deepwater shrimp, stock assessments, population dynamics, Pacific
FRMD	Finding of No Significant Impact Programmatic Environmental Assessment Research Programs on Spiny and Slipper Lobster, Bottomfish, and Deepwater Shrimp, NMFS, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center	08/01/2007		spiny lobster, slipper lobster, bottomfish, deepwater shrimp, stock assessments, population dynamics, Pacific
FRMD	Programmatic Environmental Assessment on Research for Support Reduction of Sea Turtle Bycatch in Domestic and International Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Bycatch Reduction Program, Honolulu, Hawaii	06/01/2009		sea turtle, bycatch, longline fisheries, conservation, gear, pelagic, swordfish, tuna
FRMD	Finding of No Significant Impact for Research to Support Reduction of Sea Turtle Bycatch in Domestic and International Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Bycatch Reduction Program, Honolulu, Hawaii, NMFS	06/02/2009		sea turtle, bycatch, longline fisheries, conservation, gear, pelagic, swordfish, tuna
FRMD	Finding of No Significant Impact for Sea Turtle bycatch reduction research activities at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center	06/06/2009		sea turtle, bycatch, conservation, satellite tagging, biochemical profiling, sensory and behavioral biology, longline fisheries
FRMD	Environmental Assessment for Sea Turtle Bycatch Reduction Research Activities at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center	06/01/2007		sea turtle, bycatch, conservation, satellite tagging, biochemical profiling, sensory and behavioral biology, longline fisheries
PSD	Supplemental Environmental Assessment of the Program for Decreasing or Eliminating Predation of Pre-weaned Hawaiian Monk Seal Pups by Galapagos Sharks in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands	04/30/2010		FONSI, Hawaiian Monk Seal, shark
CRED	Finding of No Significant Impact for Research Activities Conducted by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Coral Reef Ecosystems Division, Honolulu, Hawai'i	05/07/2010		coral, FONSI, reef
PSD	Finding of No Significant Impact for the Use of 'Surprise Net' Technology to Decrease or Eliminate Predation of Pre-weaned Hawaiian Monk Seal Pups by Sharks in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, Honolulu, Hawai'i	05/15/2010		Hawaiian Monk Seal, shark, EA, environmental assessment
CRED	Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) 2010-2015 Research Activities Conducted by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu, Hawai'i	05/01/2010		EA, environmental assessment, coral, reef
PSD	Marine Turtle Research Program (MTRP) Programmatic Environmental Assessment	06/20/2011		marine, sea turtle, scientific research, Pacific, predation
PSD	Marine Turtle Research Program (MTRP) Finding of No Significant Impact - Proposed Action (Alternative C): Expansion of the Status Quo Program to Include the Study of Site Fidelity to Foraging Grounds	06/20/2011		marine, sea turtle, scientific research, Pacific, foraging
PSD	Office of Protected Resources, Environmental Assessment for Permit 10137 for Research and Enhancement Activities on the Hawaiian Monk Seal	06/30/2009		pacific, EA
PSD	Office of Protected Resources, Finding of No Significant Impact for Permit 10137 for Research and Enhancement Activities on the Hawaiian Monk Seal	06/30/2009		pacific, FONSI
PSD	Office of Protected Resources, Environmental Assessment for Permit 15240 for Cetacean Research in the Pacific Ocean	05/15/2012		pacific, dolphin, porpoise, whale, EA
PSD	Office of Protected Resources, Finding of No Significant Impact for Permit 15240 for Cetacean Research in the Pacific Ocean	05/15/2012		pacific dolphin, porpoise, whale, FONSI
PSD	Marine Turtle Assessment Program (MTAP) Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA)	06/29/2012		marine, sea turtle, scientific research, Pacific
PSD	Marine Turtle Assessment Program (MTAP) Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)	08/09/2012		marine, sea turtle, scientific research, Pacific