NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced an agreement with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to implement a programmatic mitigation approach to address the impacts of offshore wind energy development on NMFS scientific surveys. NOAA and BOEM will engage regional partners and stakeholders to complete an implementation strategy within 1 year, with the strategy to include commitments from offshore wind developers and the U.S. government and a timeline for initial actions.
Acting Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Paul Doremus noted NMFS’ commitment to “fulfilling our statutory mandates to maintain sustainable fisheries, to conserve and recover wildlife, and to protect habitats, all using an ecosystem-based approach,” noting that the agency “welcome[s] opportunities for partnerships to effectively mitigate the impacts of offshore wind energy development on our scientific surveys.”
BOEM Director Amanda Lefton said that a “government-wide approach to offshore wind development is necessary to further ensure that decisions are driven by science, and evidence-based recommendations,” saying that the agreement “strengthens our offshore energy programs and creates greater certainty for the industry, other governments and our stakeholders.”
