Stellwagen Bank Final EIS and Management Plan 



Page 140 



through the Sanctuary. 



A prohibition on the installation of 

 transmission cables and pipelines will also prevent 

 the possibility of disturbance and/or damage to 

 fishing gear, fish spawning areas, and marine 

 archeological sites, which may result from trench- 

 and-fUl activities necessary for burying cables and 

 pipelines. 



Therefore, this proposed regulation is 

 anticipated to be environmentally beneficial to 

 Sanctuary resources and quahties by preventing 

 these particular potentials for resource damage. 



n. Defense Activities 



No prohibition or other restriction set forth in 

 the Sanctuary regulations shall apply to Department 

 of Defense (DOD) or Coast Guard activities that: 

 1) are being carried out as of the effective date of 

 Sanctuary designation; 2) have no potential for any 

 significant adverse impacts on Sanctuary resources 

 or qualities; or 3) although having the potential for 

 significant adverse impacts on Sanctuary resources 

 or qualities, are exempted by the Director of the 

 Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management 

 after consultation between the Director and the 

 Department of Defense. Department of Defense 

 activities are required to be carried out in a manner 

 that minimizes any adverse impact on Sanctuary 

 resources and qualities. In the event of threatened 

 or actual destruction of, loss of, or injury to a 

 Sanctuary resource or quality resulting from an 

 untoward incident, including but not hmited to spills 

 and groundings, caused by it, the Department of 

 Defense must promptly coordinate with the Director 

 for the purpose of taking appropriate actions to 

 respond to and mitigate the harm and, if possible, 

 restore or replace the Sanctuary resource or quality. 



o. Enforcement 



Designation of the Sanctuary will provide the 

 opportunity for improved surveillance and 

 enforcement. Coordination among the Sanctuary, 

 NFMS and the Coast Guard will enhance 

 commercial and recreational fishing activity 

 enforcement efforts, which are presently 

 understaffed. Although the Sanctuary occurs 



entirely in Federal waters, it is adjacent to State- 

 designated protected marine areas. NOAA 

 anticipates a continuing coordination with the 

 Commonwealth of Massachusetts toward the 

 objective of enhanced enforcement efforts for 

 protection of these ocean areas. The enhancement 

 of enforcement and surveillance efforts is 

 anticipated to be environmentally beneficial to the 

 Bank's resources. 



2. Research and Interpretation /Education 



Implementation of both Sanctuary research and 

 education programs will result in positive benefits to 

 the user and other interested pubUc. The research 

 program will be focused on coordination with the 

 efforts of existing institutions, as well as providing 

 funding for individual projects, in order to study the 

 Bank's resources and develop effective management 

 strategies. The education/ interpretation program 

 will be designed to enhance public awareness and 

 appreciation for the special quahties of the 

 Stellwagen Bank system, its resources, and the need 

 to ensure protection for this nationally-significant 

 area. 



The research program will initially estabhsh a 

 coordinated approach to obtaining vital baseUne and 

 monitoring data on the Bank's resources, and on 

 human activities in the area. More complete 

 information is needed on, for instance, water quality 

 and circulation, geologic composition, species 

 density and distribution, fishery resources, marine 

 mammal interactions with vessels, and seabird 

 interactions with cetaceans. A better understanding 

 of the relationships among these, as well as other 

 resources, will provide the basis for developing well- 

 supported, long-term planning for the Sanctuary. 

 The Sanctuary will initiate coordinating efforts with 

 research institutions and organizations, such as the 

 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Marine 

 Biological Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries 

 Service Northeast Center, Manomet Bird 

 Observatory, Cetacean Research Unit, Center for 

 Coastal Studies, New England Aquarium, and 

 others, to begin compilation of important data. 



The education program will seek to improve 

 public awareness and imderstanding of both the 



