National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA)Legislation authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to designate and protect areas of the marine environment as national marine sanctuaries. Under this Act (16 USC 1433 et seq.), an area may be designated as a national marine sanctuary due to its conservation, recreational, ecological, historical, scientific, cultural, archeological, educational, or esthetic qualities. Day-to-day management of national marine sanctuaries has been delegated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Regulations promulgated by NOAA under this Act are available at 15 CFR 922. These regulations prohibit specific kinds of activities, describe and define the boundaries of the designated national marine sanctuaries, and set up a system of permits to allow the conduct of certain types of activities (that would otherwise not be allowed). Regulations Applicable to Energy DevelopmentRegulations protecting national marine sanctuaries likely would prohibit energy development within a sanctuary and may be applicable to energy development activities undertaken in the vicinity of these sanctuaries.
Relevant Web Site(s)
This statute may apply to the following energy resource:
Hydrokinetic
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