Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Alaska State Waters and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings

In compliance with Section 7 of the Executive Order, "Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth" (May 7, 2020), NMFS intends to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) to evaluate alternatives for identifying Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in state waters within the Gulf of Alaska. The PEIS will be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NOAA Administrative Order 216-6A, and NOAA's Companion Manual. NMFS is the lead agency for this PEIS and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will act as cooperating agencies. The PEIS will evaluate the potential impacts of identifying one or more AOAs in state waters of the Gulf of Alaska and will discuss the potential impacts of siting aquaculture facilities in those locations. The proposed action is a planning initiative and does not propose any aquaculture facilities or authorize any permits. This notice initiates the public scoping process for the PEIS.