An appendix of editorial comments on the DElS/nP is attached. 

 ^ hope that this information uill be useful in revising the EIS. 

 4 If you have any questions on these comments, please feel free to 



contact us. 



Sincerely 



Ue 



5. Editorial comments noted; thank you. 



Andreu T. Ringgol d 

 Super int endent 



MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION 



1825 CONNECTICUT AVENUE. N W 1512 



WASHINGTON, DC 200O9 



9 April 1991 



Joseph A. Dravitch, Chief 



Sanctuaries and Reserves Division 



Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management 



National Ocean Service/NCAA 



1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. 



Suite 714 



Washington, D.C. 20235 



Dear Mr. Uravitch: 



By letter of 31 January 1991, the National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration's Ecology and Environmental ^_„^ . 

 conservation Office asked the Marine Mammal Commission to comment 

 on the "Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Managenent Plan on 

 the proposed Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The 

 Commission, in consultation with its Committee of Scientific 

 Advisors on Marine Mammals, has reviewed the document with 

 respect to the possible affects on marine mammals a.-.d offers the 

 following comments and recommendations. 



General Comments 



The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) describes a 

 proposal to designate a 453 square nautical mile area around 

 Stellwagen Bank as a National Marine Sanctuary. Authority for 

 the action is provided to the Secretary of Commerce by Title III 

 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, 

 as amended (16 O.S.C. 1431 et seg.). The DEIS indicates that the 

 waters over and around Stellwagen Bank are habitat for a 

 biologically diverse marine community that includes a large 

 variety of fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Among the marine 

 mammals occurring at the Bank are five species of whales 

 (humpback, right, fin, sei, and blue) listed as endangered under 

 the Endangered Species Act. On behalf of the Secretary, the 

 Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources has determined that the 

 area satisfies the criteria for designation as a National Marine 

 Sanctuary. To better protect living and non-living resources 

 within the proposed sanctuary, the Office proposes a number of 

 actions, including various regulatory measures, as well as 

 actions to encourage research and public education. 



Stellwagen Bank is an Important feeding and nursing area for 

 a substantial portion of the western North Atlantic stock of 

 Su^^ack whales; it is also used regularly by a ==-1^ "^" °f 

 right whales. Humpback whales and right whales are Perhaps the 

 Solt endangered large whales occurring regularly in U.S waters. 

 Although the region's most important right whale habitat lies 

 Brineinallv outside the proposed sanctuary boundary. Its 

 proximity to two impo^ant right whale habitats (Cape Cod Bay and 

 t^e Great South ChaLel) and occasional "goings of "?" ^^^" 

 around the Bank indicate the area may nonetheless be i»P°rtant 

 ■^Litat for that species as well. For these and °ther reasons, 



measures offer important new protection for area "sources. 

 Therefore, in support of the proposed designation the K^^^^ 



?ngl^SSt^aftfl!!Sf s^ctufr^ mf^ag^mLt program. 



MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION 

 1. No response necessary. 



Page G31 



