BOEMRE Begins
$650,000 Study of Coastal and
Marine Archaeological Sites along the Pacific Coast
Results Will
Inform Analyses and Responsible Siting of Future
Renewable Energy Projects
CAMARILLO, Calif. -
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation
and Enforcement (BOEMRE) today announced it is
beginning a two-year, comprehensive study of coastal
and marine archaeological sites along the Pacific
Coast of the United States. The study will analyze
and inventory marine archaeological resources on the
Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and existing
historical sites located on the West Coast. Findings
from the study will be used in future environmental
analyses and may trigger specific steps to mitigate
potential environmental impacts associated with
future construction and deployment of offshore
renewable energy facilities.
“A
thorough understanding of coastal and marine
resources is critical to adequately assess potential
effects of future offshore renewable energy
technology testing and commercial development,”
said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “The
findings of this study will assist us in future
siting decisions and enhance our ability to identify
effective methodologies for protecting those
resources.”
It has been more than 20 years since BOEMRE has
conducted a marine archaeological study offshore
California, Oregon and Washington. Since that time,
there have been a number of significant
archaeological discoveries along the Pacific coast,
including historic
shipwrecks and now submerged prehistoric sites.
The study will broaden our understanding of
known and potential submerged cultural resources, as
well improving our understanding of potential visual
impacts to coastal historic properties along the
Pacific coast. BOEMRE marine archaeologists and
environmental scientists will use these findings for
environmental assessments and use them as a basis to
mitigate potential adverse effects of future
offshore renewable energy activities.
This study builds
on similar efforts in the Atlantic and Gulf of
Mexico to create standardized geo-referenced
databases of non-renewable cultural heritage
resources.
BOEMRE funds approximately $30 million per year for
scientific studies in the Gulf of Mexico, the
Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Arctic and is
responsible for regulating activities on the 1.7
billion acres of U.S. offshore area on the OCS. As
part of this national program, the Pacific Region
manages research in physical oceanography, biology,
ecology and socioeconomics. For information on the
BOEMRE Environmental Studies Program, go to
http://www.boemre.gov/eppd/sciences/esp/index.htm.
Contact: BOEMRE
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