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Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Draft Management Plan

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Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Draft Management Plan DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN Cover Photo Aerial view of the north shore of Kaua‘i. © Jason Waltman Recommended Citation U.S. Department of Commerce. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. 2015. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Draft Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Silver Spring, MD. March 2015 2 Editors and Staff Writers Editors Malia Chow, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Emily Gaskin, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Anne Walton, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Alison Andrews, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Staff Writers Emily Gaskin, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Anne Walton, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Alison Andrews, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Fiona Langenberger, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Brenda Asuncion, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Jonathan Martinez, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Paul Wong, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Patty Miller, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Hans Van Tilburg, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Jean Souza, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ed Lyman, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Bo Petty, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ka‘au Abraham, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Joseph Paulin, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Elia Herman, State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Shannon Lyday, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Sarah Courbis, State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Ed Lindelof, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Helene Scalliet, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Vicki Wedell, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Annie Sawabini, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Contributing Writers Kehau Watson, Honua Consulting Manu Boyd, Honua Consulting Heidi Hirsh, National Marine Fisheries Service Maps Joey Lecky, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary We would also like to acknowledge the following sanctuary interns who supported the research for this document: Brandon Tao, Kenneth Huang, Teresa Withee, Airi Spenser, Mary DeVita, Andrea Leshak, and Collin Crecco. March 2015 3 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN Contents Editors ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Staff Writers .................................................................................................................................... 3 Contributing Writers ....................................................................................................................... 3 Maps ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 4 List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. 11 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... 12 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 14 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 24 2. Background ............................................................................................................................ 26 2.1. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary ....................................... 26 2.2. National Marine Sanctuary System .................................................................................... 27 2.3. Office of National Marine Sanctuaries ............................................................................... 28 2.4. Department of Land and Natural Resources ....................................................................... 28 2.5. National Marine Sanctuaries Act ........................................................................................ 29 2.6. Sanctuary Advisory Council ............................................................................................... 30 3. Sanctuary Management Plan Review .................................................................................... 31 3.1. History................................................................................................................................. 31 3.2. Public Scoping Process ....................................................................................................... 34 3.3. Action Plan Development ................................................................................................... 35 4. Purpose and Need .................................................................................................................. 38 4.1. Need for the Proposed Action ............................................................................................. 40 4.2. Purpose of the Proposed Action .......................................................................................... 42 5. Proposed Action and Alternatives ......................................................................................... 45 5.1. Alternative Development Process ....................................................................................... 45 5.2. Alternatives Considered but Eliminated ............................................................................. 45 5.3. Description of Proposed Action and Alternatives .............................................................. 47 5.4. Alternative 1: No Action ..................................................................................................... 48 5.5. Alternative 2........................................................................................................................ 49 5.5.1. Revised Management Plan ........................................................................................... 49 5.5.2. Regulations .................................................................................................................. 50 5.5.2.1. Name Change ........................................................................................................ 50 5.5.2.2. New and Revised Sanctuary-Wide Regulations ................................................... 51 Action: Combine humpback whale take and possess regulations .................................... 51 Action: Clarify humpback whale approach regulation ..................................................... 51 Action: Remove existing prohibitions on disturbance of submerged lands and discharge ........................................................................................................................................... 52 Action: Add prohibition on disturbance of cultural and maritime heritage resources ...... 52 Action: Add authority to issue sanctuary permits and authorizations .............................. 52 5.5.2.3. Special Sanctuary Management Area Regulations ............................................... 52 Action: Add prohibition on take or possess of additional marine species ........................ 52 Action: Add new prohibition on discharges ..................................................................... 53 Action: Add new prohibition on disturbance of the submerged lands .............................. 53 March 2015 4 Table of Contents Action: Add new prohibition on use of explosives ........................................................... 53 Action: Add new prohibition on introduction of introduced species ................................ 53 Action: Add new prohibition on damaging and destroying signs ..................................... 54 5.5.3. Boundary Changes ....................................................................................................... 54 5.5.3.1. Ni‘ihau .................................................................................................................. 55 5.5.3.2. Kaua‘i: Hā‘ena Ahupua‘a ..................................................................................... 56 5.5.3.3. Kaua‘i: Pīla‘a Ahupua‘a ....................................................................................... 57 5.5.3.4. O‘ahu ..................................................................................................................... 58 5.5.3.5. Penguin Bank ........................................................................................................ 59 5.6. Alternative 3: Proposed Action ........................................................................................... 60 5.6.1. Revised Management Plan ........................................................................................... 60 5.6.2. Regulations .................................................................................................................
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