DESIGNATION: Final Environmental Impact Statement 



TITLE : Proposed Looe Key Marine Sanctuary 



ABSTRACT: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

 proposed the designation of the waters at Looe Key, a sub- 

 merged section of the Florida Reef Tract, located 12.4 km 

 (6.7 nautical miles) southwest of Big Pine Key in the 

 Florida Keys, as a marine sanctuary. The proposed sanctuary 

 consists of 5 square nautical miles of high sea waters under 

 Federal jurisdiction. 



The designation of a marine sanctuary would establish a 

 program of comprehensive management, including research, 

 assessment, monitoring, public education, long-term planning, 

 coordination and regulation for this section of the Florida 

 reef tract. The preferred alternative provides sanctuary 

 management goals and objectives which will serve as a 

 framework around which sanctuary activities will be structured. 



Specific regulations are proposed which would apply only within 

 the sanctuary boundaries. The proposed regulations allow the 

 following activities only under NOAA permit for scientific and 

 educational purposes: possession and collecting of coral, 

 disturbance of historical and cultural resources and marine 

 specimen collecting. The proposal prohibits: spearfishing 

 and possession of spearfishing gear; the use of lobster 

 traps within a core area on the Fore Reef; use of wire 

 fish traps; anchoring on coral within the core area; the 

 discharge of substances except cooling waters from vessels, 

 fish or fish parts and chunminq materials and discharges 

 from marine sanitation devices. 



Alternatives to the proposed action include the no action or 

 status quo alternative, modification of the sanctuary boundaries, 

 and more and less stringent regulations. 



LEAD AGENCY : U.S. Department of Commerce 



National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

 Office of Coastal Zone Management 



CONTACT: Dr. Nancy Foster, Deputy Director 



Sanctuary Programs Office 

 OCZM 



3300 Whitehaven Street, N.W. 

 Washington, D. C. 20235 

 (202)634-4236 



