On Jan. 17, 2008, NOAA Fisheries Service released its draft environmental assessment (EA) on three states’ Marine Mammal Protection Act request for authority to lethally remove California sea lions. Washington, Oregon and Idaho believe that sea lions are having a significant negative impact on recovery of Endangered Species Act-listed salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin. Early last year we published a Federal Register notice requesting public comment on the states' application, and received almost 300 comments and 30 nominations to serve on a Pinniped-Fishery Interaction Task Force. We appointed a task force of 18 people with a wide range of experience and views to consider the states’ application and public comments, and make recommendations to us. The task force held three public meetings, and provided its recommendation to us in November.

All except one of the task force members recommended that the agency approve the states’ request for authority to “lethally remove” certain California sea lions at Bonneville Dam. We asked the Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) to review the task force report, and it provided comments. We considered public comments, the task force recommendations, and MMC information and comments while preparing the draft EA. Following a one-month comment period on this draft, we made a final decision on the states’ request on Mar. 18, 2008.

• News release (PDF 42KB)
• Federal Register notice (PDF 62KB) 
• Draft environmental assessment (PDF 1.1MB)
• References in environmental assessment (PDF 66KB)
• Map of action area (PDF 1.8MB)
• NOAA Fisheries' request to Marine Mammal Commission to review Task Force Report (PDF 165KB)
• Marine Mammal Commission response to NOAA Fisheries' request (PDF 655KB)

Call Alison Agness at 206-526–6152 or e-mail to request a CD of the draft EA references; include your name and mailing address.