NOAA releases draft proposal to expand Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

June 14, 2013

Just below the surface of Lake Huron, a diver photographs the German freighter Nordmeer, which ran aground in 1966 and eventually sank in 40 feet of water. The relatively shallow depth of the wreck site provides divers more time to explore the twisted steel hull.

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NOAA today released for public comment a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and proposed rule for expanding the boundaries of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron from its current 448 square miles to 4,300 square miles.

The proposed expansion is based on several years of research by NOAA and its scientific partners as well as public input, and would include protection of an additional 47 known historic shipwrecks.

During the process to review the sanctuary’s management plan in 2006, NOAA received comments expressing interest in expanding the sanctuary’s boundary to include the waters adjacent to Alcona and Presque Isle counties in Michigan. Specifically, several local government and non-governmental organizations passed resolutions or submitted written letters of support for boundary expansion.

Additionally, in 2007, the Thunder Bay Sanctuary Advisory Council adopted a resolution supporting expanded boundaries. NOAA held three public scoping meetings on this topic in April 2012.

“The proposal to expand the sanctuary is the result of a collaborative effort that involved considerable input from all sectors of the local community,” said Jeff Gray, sanctuary superintendent. “We welcome further public review and comment as we go forward with the important job of managing this special place which is important to the regional economy and protects world-class historical and recreational shipwreck sites.”

With its heavy-duty windlass still on deck and anchor chains and rudder still in place, the E.B. Allen presents a vivid image of a typical nineteenth-century Great Lakes schooner. The Allen sank in 1871 after a collision with another vessel.

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The sanctuary’s Great Lakes Visitor Center has become a major tourist destination and economic stimulant in the region. According to a 2005 study on total visitor spending in the region, the sanctuary impacts $92 million in sales, $35.8 million in personal income to residents, and 1,704 jobs.

One of 14 sites managed by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Thunder Bay sanctuary currently protects 45 nationally significant shipwrecks. Research indicates that as many 100 shipwreck sites are yet to be discovered in northern Lake Huron. Through increased tourism and related business development, the sanctuary is working with various partners to encourage sustainable tourism in the region, and foster a broader awareness of the Great Lakes and their rich maritime heritage.

The DEIS and proposed rule are available for download at thunderbay.noaa.gov. All comments must be received by August 13. Written comments should be sent by mail to: Jeff Gray, Sanctuary Superintendent, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 500 West Fletcher Street, Alpena MI 49707.

Comments may also be submitted electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov. Under document type, select “Proposed Rule,” under Keyword or ID, type in NOAA-NOS-2012-0077. The documents are also available for review at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s headquarters office in Alpena.

Public hearings will be held at the following locations:

July 15, Presque Isle District Library, Rogers City Location, 181 East Erie Street, Rogers City, Mich.July 16, Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, 500 W. Fletcher Street, Alpena, Mich.July 17, Alcona County Library, Harrisville Branch, 312 W. Main, Harrisville, Mich.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, designated in 2000, spans 448 square miles in northern Lake Huron. Jointly managed by NOAA and the state of Michigan, the sanctuary’s mission is to preserve nationally-significant shipwrecks and other maritime heritage resources through resource protection, education and research. Well-preserved by Lake Huron’s cold, fresh water, these shipwrecks span 150 years of Great Lakes maritime history.

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Proposal extends rule reducing risk of whale ship strikes along U.S. East Coast

June 5, 2013

Right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) skim feeding with NOAA ship Delaware II in the background.

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NOAA Fisheries Service is seeking comments on its proposal to make permanent the rules it implemented five years ago to reduce the number of collisions between ships and North Atlantic right whales.

Right whales are among the most endangered species in the world, and are highly vulnerable to ship collisions. The rules, part of NOAA’s long-standing efforts to recover right whales, are currently scheduled to expire in December 2013. NOAA’s proposal to make them permanent, which includes a 60-day public comment period, was filed at the Federal Register today.

The existing rules, which reduce an ocean-going vessel’s speed to 10 knots or less during certain times and locations along the East Coast from Maine to Florida, have reduced the number of whales struck by ships since 2008, when the speed limits began. No right whale ship strike deaths have occurred in Seasonal Management Areas since the rule went into place. Modeling studies indicate the measures have reduced the probability of fatal ship strikes of right whales by 80 to 90 percent.

NOAA biologists believe there are approximately 450 right whales in the NW Atlantic population. The whales face a number of challenges, including ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.

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Also, NOAA’s revised estimates indicate that the restrictions cost the shipping industry and other maritime communities about one-third of original 2008 projections. NOAA scientists say that industry participation and compliance is high, and that in most cases vessels have incorporated speed restrictions into their standard operations and voyage planning.

"Reducing ship speeds in areas where there are endangered right whales works,” said NOAA Fisheries’ acting administrator Sam Rauch. “It is a proven method to reduce deaths and serious injury to these incredible creatures. Making these protections permanent will make U.S. East Coast waters safer for right whales, and will allow them to reach full maturity, which is critical to their long-term survival.”

North Atlantic right whales are among the most endangered species in the world. Historically depleted by commercial whaling, they suffers injury and death from ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.

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The rule proposes to continue existing speed restrictions during migration periods along three regions of the U.S. East Coast (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast). These measures are implemented during the time of year when right whales occur in each area. Speed restrictions apply to vessels that are 65 feet in length or greater, except federal agency vessels.

The proposed rule also seeks public input on ways to measure the effectiveness of the existing speed restrictions and whether they should be phased out in the future.

This proposed rule is part of a more comprehensive approach to conserve right whales, including consulting on operations of federal ships under the Endangered Species Act, developing an expanded outreach and education program, and modifying shipping routes in waters of Massachusetts, Georgia and Florida. NOAA has also developed a dynamic management program whereby vessel operators are asked to travel less than 10 knots or avoid areas where whales occur in times and places not covered by seasonal speed restriction zones. Scientists expect these actions to significantly reduce the risks to right whales from ships.

NOAA scientists and partners attempt to disentangle endangered right whale.

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The North Atlantic right whale primarily occurs in coastal or shelf waters. Its known range includes winter calving and nursery areas in coastal waters off the southeastern United States, and summer feeding grounds in New England waters and north to the Bay of Fundy and Scotian Shelf.

Historically depleted by commercial whaling, the North Atlantic right whale suffers injury and death from ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. These events may continue to contribute to the species decline and inability to recover. Biologists believe that there are approximately 450 right whales in the Northwest Atlantic population, and that the number is growing steadily.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 requires recovery plans to serve as guides to promote the conservation and recovery of listed species. In 2005, NOAA Fisheries released a revised North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Plan that provides an overall framework for promoting recovery of the whale. Measures to reduce risks posed by entanglement in fishing gear are contained in NOAA Fisheries’ Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan.

NOAA scientists and partners attempt to disentangle endangered right whale.

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Written comments on the proposed regulations filed today must be sent to NOAA Fisheries no later than August 6.

After publishing a proposed rule, NOAA’s Fisheries Service considers the public comments and new information that may have been provided.

You may submit public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov or by visiting the comment page on the Office of Protected Resources website at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/comment.htm. NOAA’s Fisheries Service will also accept written comments mailed to: Office of Protected Resources, NOAA Fisheries, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; or faxed to 301-713-4060.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.

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