A Public Scoping Summary was released by NOAA Fisheries on May 2, 2023. It gives a thorough overview of the written and verbal submissions made during the public scoping period for the Gulf of Mexico Aquaculture Opportunity Area ( AOA ) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement( PEIS ).
- Stakeholders and the general public have an first chance to offer their opinions on the variety of topics and issues that will be covered in the PEIS thanks to the people scanning process. Partners and the general public submitted 216 verbal and written submissions to NOAA Fisheries during the common monitoring phase.
- These people comments will give NOAA Fisheries and the cooperating agencies crucial details to take into account when choosing the locations to review as potential alternatives and determining the draft PEIS’s scope.
Why is this taking place?
On June 1, 2022, NOAA Fisheries published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register outlining its intention to create the PEIS and soliciting public input on nine possible AOA places in federal waters off the shores of Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. It also requested comments on the range and range of issues that would be covered by the PIEIS. A 60-day people monitoring operation was started by the Notice of Intent and ended on August 1, 2022. On the night of June 8, June 16, and July 12, 2022, three online public monitoring discussions were also held, during which responses could be made verbally.
A comprehensive guide of the proposals received during the common monitoring period for the PEIS is provided in the Public Scoping Summary. It highlights the main points and topics in the original submissions rather than replacing them transcripts. Its goal is to encourage openness and data sharing, especially for those who might not have the time to examine each open comment in turn.
What comes then?
The NOAA Fisheries and its collaborating organizations are taking into account all public responses, the most up-to-date research, and any fresh data on sea purposes in or near the nine possible AOA sites in the Gulf of Mexico. This data will be gathered and used to decide how many and which locations may advance and be thoroughly examined as potential replacements for the document PEIS.
Earlier in 2024, NOAA Fisheries plans to release a document PEIS for common review and comment.
Where may I learn more about the Gulf of Mexico Aquaculture Opportunity Area PEIS and marine option areas?
