PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL DATA BUOY CENTER January 2018 Programmatic Environmental Assessment for NDBC Operations TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................... ES-1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 NDBC Program ............................................................................................................. 1-2 1.1.1 Background ............................................................................................................ 1-2 1.1.2 The Importance of NDBC ...................................................................................... 1-3 1.1.3 NDBC Operations .................................................................................................. 1-5 1.2 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................ 1-21 1.3 Programmatic Scope.................................................................................................... 1-22 1.3.1 Concept of a Programmatic Environmental Assessment...................................... 1-22 1.3.2 Tiering Subsequent Analyses ............................................................................... 1-23 1.3.3 NDBC NEPA Decision Process ........................................................................... 1-23 1.3.4 Project-Specific Analysis ..................................................................................... 1-23 1.3.5 Scope of PEA ....................................................................................................... 1-25 1.4 Additional Applicable Environmental Laws and Regulations..................................... 1-25 1.5 Public Involvement...................................................................................................... 1-26 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Proposed Action ............................................................................................................ 2-1 2.1.1 Facility-based Operations at Stennis Space Center ................................................ 2-1 2.1.2 Marine and Coastal Operations .............................................................................. 2-2 2.2 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................... 2-6 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT............................................................................................ 3-1 3.1 Physical Resources ........................................................................................................ 3-3 3.1.1 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Executive Orders ........................................... 3-3 3.1.2 Physical Resources Common to All Regions ......................................................... 3-6 3.1.3 Stennis Space Center .............................................................................................. 3-7 3.1.4 Northeast Region .................................................................................................... 3-7 3.1.5 Mid-Atlantic Region ............................................................................................ 3-10 3.1.6 Southeast Region .................................................................................................. 3-12 3.1.7 Gulf of Mexico Region ........................................................................................ 3-14 3.1.8 Caribbean/Tropical Atlantic Region..................................................................... 3-17 3.1.9 Great Lakes Region .............................................................................................. 3-18 3.1.10 Central Pacific Region.......................................................................................... 3-20 3.1.11 Western Pacific Region ........................................................................................ 3-21 3.1.12 Gulf of Alaska Region.......................................................................................... 3-25 3.1.13 Northwest Region................................................................................................. 3-28 3.1.14 California Region ................................................................................................. 3-29 i Programmatic Environmental Assessment for NDBC Operations 3.2 Biological Resources ................................................................................................... 3-31 3.2.1 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Executive Orders ......................................... 3-31 3.2.2 Biological Resources Common to All Regions .................................................... 3-35 3.2.3 Stennis Space Center ............................................................................................ 3-36 3.2.4 Northeast Region .................................................................................................. 3-37 3.2.5 Mid-Atlantic Region ............................................................................................ 3-40 3.2.6 Southeast Region .................................................................................................. 3-43 3.2.7 Gulf of Mexico Region ........................................................................................ 3-47 3.2.8 Caribbean/Tropical Atlantic Region..................................................................... 3-50 3.2.9 Great Lakes Region .............................................................................................. 3-52 3.2.10 Central Pacific Region.......................................................................................... 3-54 3.2.11 Western Pacific Region ........................................................................................ 3-57 3.2.12 Gulf of Alaska Region.......................................................................................... 3-60 3.2.13 Northwest Region................................................................................................. 3-63 3.2.14 California Region ................................................................................................. 3-67 3.3 Cultural Resources....................................................................................................... 3-71 3.3.1 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Executive Orders ......................................... 3-71 3.3.2 Cultural Resources Common to All Regions ....................................................... 3-72 3.3.3 Stennis Space Center ............................................................................................ 3-73 3.3.4 Northeast Region .................................................................................................. 3-73 3.3.5 Mid-Atlantic Region ............................................................................................ 3-74 3.3.6 Southeast Region .................................................................................................. 3-74 3.3.7 Gulf of Mexico Region ........................................................................................ 3-75 3.3.8 Caribbean/Tropical Atlantic Region..................................................................... 3-75 3.3.9 Great Lakes Region .............................................................................................. 3-76 3.3.10 Central Pacific Region.......................................................................................... 3-76 3.3.11 Western Pacific Region ........................................................................................ 3-77 3.3.12 Gulf of Alaska Region.......................................................................................... 3-78 3.3.13 Northwest Region................................................................................................. 3-79 3.3.14 California Region ................................................................................................. 3-79 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ........................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Proposed Action ............................................................................................................ 4-2 4.1.1 Physical Resources ................................................................................................. 4-2 4.1.2 Biological Resources .............................................................................................. 4-6 4.1.3 Cultural Resources ................................................................................................. 4-9 4.2 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................. 4-11 4.3 Best Management Practices and Mitigation Measures ................................................ 4-12 4.4 Summary of Potential Impacts .................................................................................... 4-13 ii Programmatic Environmental Assessment for NDBC Operations 5. CUMULATIVE IMPACTS 5.1 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions........................................... 5-1 5.1.1 U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System® Program.............................................. 5-1