507 



Testimony of MAS on BTF 

 Page Four 



being coordinated with environmental studies; in fact, it is a typical 

 example. 



To conclude, the BTF serves an important function in the process of 

 OCS development in the North Atlantic. The task force must expand its monitoring 

 program to include future lease sale areas and must begin to fulfill its 

 mandates to identify zones of biological significance and to develop criteria 

 for evaluating adverse biological effects on the ecosystem, to evaluate all 

 ongoing North Atlantic studies, and assess future study needs to prepare 

 for additional lease sales and the possibllty of entering the production 

 phase. The most critical need, however, is for DOI to modify its leasing 

 process to incorporate the results of the environmental studies into the 

 decision making process. 



Thank you for the opportunity to submit these comments. 



