U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Northern Islands Submerged Lands Transfer to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Draft Environmental Assessment Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Northern Islands Submerged Lands Transfer to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Draft Environmental Assessment May 2016 Prepared by the: U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Pacific Region 911 NE 11th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97232 In cooperation with the: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service – Pacific Islands Region NOAA Inouye Regional Center 1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176 Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96818 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Lands and Natural Resources P.O. Box 500409 Saipan, MP 96950 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality P.O. Box 501304 Saipan, MP 96950 ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS Acronym Full Phrase ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials BECQ Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality BMP Best Management Practice BMUS Bottomfish Management Unit Species C Centigrade CMUS Crustacean Management Unit Species CZMA Coastal Zone Management Act CRE-MUS Coral Reef Ecosystem Management Unit Species CFR Code of Federal Regulations Cm Centimeter CNMI Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands COTS Crown-of-Thorns Starfish CRED Coral Reef Ecosystem Division CSLMP CNMI Submerged Lands Management Plan DFW Division of Fish and Wildlife DLNR Department of Land and Natural Resources DoD Department of the Defense DOC Department of Commerce DOI Department of the Interior DPS Distinct population segment E East EA Environmental Assessment EBS Environmental Baseline Study ECOP Environmental Condition of Property EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EFH Essential Fish Habitat ESA Endangered Species Act of 1969, as amended FEP Fishery Ecosystem Plan FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact Km Kilometer LE Law Enforcement M Meter MARAMP Mariana Archipelago Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program MISTCS Mariana Islands Sea Turtle and Cetacean Survey MMP Monument Management Plan MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act MOA Memorandum of Agreement MSA Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act MTMNM or Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Monument MUS Management Unit Species N North NEPA National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended NHPA National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended NISL Northern Islands Submerged Lands NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NWR National Wildlife Refuge NWRS National Wildlife Refuge System NWRSAA National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act OLE Office of Law Enforcement PIFSC Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center PDF Portable Document Format PP Presidential Proclamation REA Rapid Ecological Assessment S South SO Secretary’s Order TOAD Towed Optical Assessment Device TSLA Territorial Submerged Lands Act TTPI Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands UN United Nations US United States USC United States Code USGS U.S. Geological Survey USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service WPRFMC Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Northern Islands Submerged Lands Transfer to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION.................................................................. 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 PROPOSED ACTION ........................................................................................................... 3 1.3 PURPOSE AND NEED ......................................................................................................... 4 1.4 RELATED ACTIONS ........................................................................................................... 4 1.4.1 USFWS REFUGE UNIT DESIGNATIONS ................................................................. 4 1.5 DECISION TO BE MADE .................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2. ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................................... 7 2.1 ALTERNATIVE 1 – CURRENT LAND STATUS (NO ACTION) .................................... 7 2.2 ALTERNATIVE 2 – NORTHERN ISLANDS SUBMERGED LANDS CONVEYANCE (PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE) ............................................................. 7 2.3 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT EXCLUDED FROM DETAILED PLANNING ......................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 ISSUES ................................................................................................................................ 11 CHAPTER 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................. 13 3.1 MARIANA ARCHIPELAGO REEF ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING PROGRAM .......................................................................................................................... 13 3.2 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ARCHIPELAGO ...... 14 3.2.1 CORAL REEFS............................................................................................................ 14 3.2.2 OTHER HABITAT TYPES ......................................................................................... 15 3.2.3 FISH ............................................................................................................................. 16 3.2.4 MACROINVERTEBRATES ....................................................................................... 16 3.2.5 MARINE MAMMALS ................................................................................................ 17 3.2.6 SEA TURTLES ............................................................................................................ 19 3.2.7 SEABIRDS ................................................................................................................... 20 3.2.8 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ..................................................... 20 3.3 CULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE NORTH MARIANA ARCHIPELAGO ................. 21 3.4 THE ISLANDS OF THE NORTH MARIANA ARCHIPELAGO ..................................... 22 3.4.1 FARALLON de PAJAROS .......................................................................................... 22 3.4.2 MAUG .......................................................................................................................... 23 3.4.3 ASUNCION ................................................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 4. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ............................................................ 27 4.1 ALTERNATIVE 1: CURRENT LAND STATUS ALTERNATIVE (NO ACTION) ....... 28 4.2 ALTERNATIVE 2 – NORTHERN ISLANDS SUBMERGED LANDS CONVEYANCE (PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE) ........................................................... 30 4.3 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS CHAPTER 5. COORDINATION, CONSULTATION, AND COMPLIANCE .......................... 33 5.1 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ................................................................................................. 33 5.2 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND CONSULTATION ................................................. 33 5.2.1 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT ..................................................... 34 5.2.2 NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT ...................................................... 34 Draft Environmental Assessment i Northern Islands Submerged Lands Transfer to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 5.2.3 ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ................................................................................. 34 5.2.4 MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT ................................................................ 35 5.2.5 COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE, COMPENSATION, AND LIABILITY ACT ......................................................................................................... 35 5.2.6 COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT ................................................................. 35 5.2.7 ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT..................................................................................... 36 5.2.8 OTHER FEDERAL LAWS, REGULATIONS, AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS ......... 36 5.3 DISTRIBUTION AND AVAILABILITY .......................................................................... 36 CHAPTER 6. REFERENCES ...................................................................................................... 37 APPENDICES APPENDIX A. DRAFT MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT ................................................. 39 EXHIBIT A. PROPOSED PATENT ......................................................................................... 49 APPENDIX B. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT SECTION 7 CONSULTATION ................... 57 APPENDIX C. DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE STUDY .......................................... 63 APPENDIX D. NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT COMPLIANCE ................ 103 ii Draft Environmental Assessment Northern Islands Submerged Lands Transfer to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands CHAPTER 1. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is one of six inhabited U.S. territories, and one of two territories with "Commonwealth" status, the other is Puerto Rico.