Issuance of a modification to scientific research permit no. 15566 for sea turtle research in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Golde, Helen M. (Helen Marcy)

"The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes to issue a modification to scientific research permit No. 15566, held by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division (Responsible Party: Mike Arendt). The purpose of the research would remain the same: to assess temporal change in catch rates, size distributions, sex and genetic ratios, and health of sea turtles. The proposed modification would increase the allowable annual live take of Kemp's ridley sea turtles from 29 to 79 animals. The 50 additional sea turtles would be captured, handled, blood sampled, measured, flipper and passive integrated transponder tagged, photographed, and released. No other changes would be made to the permit. Under NOAA Administrative Order 216-6, NMFS' issuance of scientific research permits is generally categorically excluded from the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) requirements to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS). However, for this permit NMFS prepared a Supplemental EA (SEA) to facilitate a more thorough assessment of potential impacts on endangered and threatened sea turtles. This SEA evaluates the potential impacts to the human environment from issuance of the proposed permit"--Abstract from SEA; Portfolio comprised of three related PDF documents digitized and organized by: NOAA Office of Program Planning and Integration (PPI) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) staff.

Environmental Assessment