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National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Regional Office

Aleutian Ilands coral garden, photo: Bob Stone

Final Environmental Impact Statement for Essential Fish Habitat Identification and Conservation in Alaska

Final EIS - April 2005

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) in Alaska evaluates alternatives and environmental consequences for three actions: (1) describing and identifying EFH for fisheries managed by the Council; (2) adopting an approach for the Council to identify Habitat Areas of Particular Concern within EFH; and (3) minimizing to the extent practicable the adverse effects of Council-managed fishing on EFH.

The Council reviewed the Preliminary Final EIS at its February 7-14, 2005 meeting and selected final preferred alternatives for each of the three actions. The preferred alternatives are (1) Alternative 3 - Describe and identify EFH as the revised general distribution; (2) Alternative 3 - Adopt the site-based approach for identifying Habitat Areas of Particular Concern; and (3) Alternative 5C - Establish expanded closures in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska to minimize the effects of fishing on EFH.

Background information on the EFH EIS is available on the NMFS Alaska EFH web page. If you have questions about the EIS, contact Jon Kurland at 907-586-7638 or jon.kurland@noaa.gov.


Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Essential Fish Habitat in Alaska
FINAL EIS PDF FILE SIZE
Record of Decision View PDF 151 KB
Abstract View PDF 46 KB
Executive Summary Cover Page View PDF 694 KB
Executive Summary View PDF 109 KB
     Executive Summary - Tables View PDF
 178 KB
     Executive Summary - Figures
 View PDF
 3.8 MB
Table of Contents View PDF 193 KB
Volume 1: Chapters 1-9 Cover Page View PDF 1.2 MB
Chapter 1:
Purpose and Need for Action
 View PDF 92 KB
Chapter 2:
Alternatives Including the Proposed Action
 View PDF 437 KB
Chapter 3:
Affected Environment
 View PDF 1.5 MB
Chapter 4.0 and 4.1:
Environmental Consequences of the Alternatives
Effects of Describing and Identifying Essential Fish Habitat		 View PDF 218 KB
Chapter 4.2:
Effects of Establishing an Approach for Identifying Habitat Areas of Particular Concern
 View PDF 95 KB
Chapter 4.3:
Effects of Minimizing the Adverse Effects of Fishing on EFH
 View PDF 1.7 MB
Chapter 4.4:
Cumulative Effects
 View PDF 559 KB
Chapter 4.5:
Summary and Conclusions
 View PDF 218 KB
Chapter 5:
List of Preparers and Contributors
 View PDF 74 KB
Chapter 6:
Agencies, Organizations, and Persons Receiving Copies of the Final EIS
 View PDF 109 KB
Chapter 7:
Index of Topics
 View PDF 31 KB
Chapter 8:
Literature Cited
 View PDF 323 KB
(Broken into 8 parts so that the files can be downloaded more easily.)
Chapter 9: Figures: 2-1 to 2-16
 View PDF 5 MB
Chapter 9: Figures: 2-17 to 2-38
 View PDF 5 MB
Chapter 9: Figures: 2-39 to 2-59
 View PDF 4.9 MB
Chapter 9: Figures: 3.1-1 to 3.2-34
 View PDF 3.6 MB
Chapter 9: Figures: 3.2-35 to 3.4-13
 View PDF 4.8 MB
Chapter 9: Figures: 3.4-14 to 3.4-43
 View PDF 4.4 MB
Chapter 9: Figures: 4.3-1 to 4.3-5
 View PDF 3.3 MB
Chapter 9: Tables for Chapters 2, 3 and 4
 View PDF 936 KB

APPENDICES
Volume II: Appendices A - L Cover Page View PDF 1.2 MB
Appendix A:
 EFH Final Scoping Report
View PDF		 4.5 MB
Appendix B:
Evaluation of Fishing Activities That May Adversely Affect EFH
View PDF		 1.2 MB
     Appendix B: Figures B.2-1 - B.2-3c View PDF 4.7 MB
     Appendix B: Figures B.2-4a - B2.-6c View PDF 5 MB
     Appendix B: Figures B3.1-1 - B3.2.4-2 View PDF 2 MB
     Appendix B: Figures B.3.2.7-1 - B.3.2.7-10 View PDF 3.9 MB
     Appendix B: Figures B.3.2.8-1 - B.3.3.19-2 View PDF 3 MB
     Appendix B: Tables B.2-1 - B.4-2 View PDF 211 KB
Appendix C:
Regulatory Impact Review / Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
View PDF		 1.2 MB
     Appendix C: Figures
 View PDF 2.8 MB
     Appendix C: Tables View PDF 524 KB
Appendix D:
EFH Text and Map Descriptions for Federally Managed Species of the Alaska Region
View PDF		 1.2 MB
Appendix E:
NMFS Recommendations for the EFH Provisions of the FMPs
View PDF		 54 KB
Appendix F:
EFH Habitat Assessment Reports
(Broken into 6 parts so that the files can be downloaded more easily.)

View PDF		 40 KB
     Appendix F-1:
     EFH Report for the Groundfish Resources of the GOA
View PDF		 714 KB
     Appendix F-2:
     EFH Report for the Groundfish Resources of the BSAI
View PDF		 3.7 MB
     Appendix F-3:
      EFH Report for the BSAI King and Tanner Crabs
View PDF 250 KB
     Appendix F-4:
     EFH Report for Scallop Resources of the GOA and BSAI
View PDF		 156 KB
     Appendix F-5:
     EFH Report for the Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off the Coast      of Alaska
View PDF		 523 KB
Appendix G:
Non-fishing Impacts to EFH and Recommended Conservation Measures
View PDF		 711 KB
Appendix H:
EFH EIS Methods of Data Analysis
View PDF		 778 KB
Appendix I:
 Consistency with Applicable Laws and Other Requirements
View PDF		 327 KB
Appendix J:
 Proposed HAPC Identification Process
View PDF		 303 KB
Appendix K:
 Research and Monitoring Approaches for Evaluation of EFH Fishing Impact Minimization Alternatives
View PDF		 118 KB
Appendix L: (Correct version posted 5/2/05)
Responses to Public Comments on the Draft EIS for EFH Conservation and Identification
View PDF		 375 KB