This Environmental Assessment addresses alternatives to protect and conserve essential fish habitat (EFH) of finfish, mollusks, crustaceans, and salmon off Alaska. EFH is defined as all habitat within a general distribution for a species life stage, for all information levels and under all stock conditions. A general distribution area a subset of a species range. For any species listed under the Endangered Species Act, EFH includes all areas identified as "critical habitat." Amending the fishery management plans with this EFH information will facilitate longstanding efforts on the part of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and NMFS to integrate habitat considerations into the fishery management process. It will allow NMFS to be more proactive in coordinating with other Federal and state agencies when their activities may adversely affect EFH.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)