direct effects on humpback whales and other listed species, 

 but it did not include a discussion of those effects in the 

 Opinion. In this regard, the Service expressed the view that 

 indirect effects would be insignificant because of the 

 restricted scope of activities during the leasing and 

 exploration phase considered in the Opinion and the large 

 distance between the area being leased and areas where feeding 

 concentrations of humpback and blue whales have been identified. 



Proposed PCS Lease Sale #96 

 North Atlantic 



Lease Sale #96, tentatively scheduled for February 1989, 

 involves leasing up to 1,014 blocks (approximately 5.5 million 

 acres) of submerged lands 51 to 215 miles off the northeastern 

 United States. Approximately 26 species of cetaceans, including 

 six species of endangered whales (blue, fin, sei, humpback, 

 right, and sperm) , are found in the North Atlantic OCS region, 

 16 of which may be found in the lease sale area on a seasonal 

 or year-round basis. 



The Minerals Management Service prepared a Draft Environ- 

 mental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the proposed action, which 

 was distributed to the Commission and others for review and 

 comment in February 1988. The DEIS concluded that, although 

 the proposed action might result in a loss of some individual 

 animals of endangered species, such losses were not expected 

 to jeopardize the continued existence or recovery of any 

 species or population. This conclusion was supported by the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service's Biological Opinion for 

 Lease Sale #96, which was transmitted to the Minerals Management 

 Service on 10 February 1988. 



With respect to pinnipeds, the DEIS indicated that, of 

 the five species inhabiting the coastal and near-shore waters 

 of the North Atlantic region (grey, harbor, harp and hooded 

 seals and the walrus) , only the grey and harbor seals have 

 "noticeable" populations in the Gulf of Maine. Of these, it 

 indicated that the grey seal was of particular concern because 

 it has only one known breeding site in U.S. waters. 



The Commission, in consultation with its Committee of 

 Scientific Advisors, reviewed the DEIS and provided comments 

 to the Minerals Management Service on 19 April 1988. The 

 Commission indicated that the DEIS did not provide an adequate 

 assessment of what and to what extent species and populations 

 of marine mammals likely would be affected, both directly and 

 indirectly, by the proposed action, particularly if oil and 

 gas resources were to be developed in the proposed lease sale 

 area. The Commission recommended that the Final Statement be 

 revised and expanded to: (1) provide more information on the 



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