Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Final Environmental Impact Statement: Volume II

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is proposing to designate a national marine sanctuary to manage nationally significant resources off the coast of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, California. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 4321 et seq.) and the 2020 Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA regulations (85 Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) 43304, July 16, 2020), and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), 16 U.S.C. § 1431 et seq., NOAA has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS), which is separated into two volumes; the first considers alternatives for the proposed national marine sanctuary and identifies a Final Preferred Alternative, and the second contains the appendices. This document is Volume I. This document also serves as a resource assessment that details the present and future uses of the areas identified for potential national marine sanctuary designation. No significant adverse impacts are expected under any alternative. Long-term beneficial impacts are anticipated if the proposed action is implemented.