The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was enacted in 1970 to set a national policy on how human activities regulated by the federal government should be evaluated and understood with respect to their effects on the environment. Recommendations from the Pacific Fishery Management Council on federal fisheries management actions are analyzed for the council and the public according to the requirements of the NEPA and its implementing regulations. There are several other laws governing the analysis of federal fisheries actions, including:
We and council staff usually analyze potential fishery management actions in a NEPA document, such as an environmental impact statement (EIS) or an environmental assessment (EA). The council maintains a Website for NEPA Documents
generated from its office.
NEPA Documents on Groundfish Actions
Oct. 2011: Final EA on Trailing Actions for Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program (PDF 1.3MB)
Feb. 2011: Final EIS on Proposed Harvest Specifications and Management Measures for 2011-2012 Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery and Amendment 16-5 to Fishery Management Plan
Oct. 2010: Draft Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan as amended through Amendments 23 and 16-5 (PDF 882 KB)
Sept. 2010: Draft EA for Amendment 23. Consideration for a New Harvest Specification Framework that incorporates revised National Standard Guidelines to Prevent Overfishing (PDF 252KB)
Aug. 2010: Draft EIS for Proposed Harvest Specifications and Management Measures for the 2011-2012 Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery, and Amendment 16-5 (links to Pacific Fishery Management Council Website)
Oct. 2009: Final EA on Proposed Interim 2009 and 2010 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures for Petrale Sole and Canary Rockfish off Pacific Coast (PDF 506KB)
Mar. 2009: Draft EA on Issuance of Exempted Fishing Permit for a Maximized Retention and Monitoring Program for Pacific Whiting Shoreside Fishery to Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PDF 287KB)
Jan. 2009: Final EIS on Proposed Acceptable Biological Catch and Optimum Yield Specifications and Management Measures for the 2009-2010 Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery (links to Pacific Fishery Management Council Website)
June 2008: Final EA on Limited Entry Program for Non-Tribal Sectors of Pacific Whiting Fishery (PDF 425KB)
Sept. 2007: Final EA on Expanded Coverage of Program to Monitor Time-Area Closure in Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery (PDF 949KB)
May 2007: Draft EA on Implementing Amendment 10, Maximized Retention and Monitoring Program for Pacific Whiting Shoreside Fishery (PDF 268KB)
May 2007: Final EA on Emergency Rule to Prohibit Entry of New Vessels into Pacific Whiting Fishery (PDF 6MB)
Apr. 2007: Draft EA for Catch Accounting requirements for Processors/First Receivers participating in Pacific Whiting Shoreside Fishery (PDF 668KB)
Oct. 2006: Final EIS on Groundfish 2007-2008 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures (links to Pacific Fishery Management Council Website)
Dec. 2005: Final EIS on Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat
Nov. 2005: Final EA of Management Measures for Spiny Dogfish and Pacific Cod (PDF 308KB)
Sept. 2004: Final EIS on Bycatch Mitigation
July 2004: Final EIS on Amendment 16-3 (Rebuilding Plans for Bocaccio, Cowcod, Widow Rockfish and Yelloweye Rockfish) (links to Pacific Fishery Management Council Website)
Aug. 2003: Final EA on 30-fathom Boundary Line (PDF 4.3MB)
July 2003: Final EA on Pacific Coast Groundfish Buyback (PDF 269KB)
July 2003: Final EA on Vessel Monitoring Program (PDF 840KB)
July 2003: Final EA on Amendment 17 (Multi-Year Management) (links to Pacific Fishery Management Council Website)
June 2003: Final EA on Observer Program for At-Sea Processing Vessels (PDF 521KB)
