Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit (2012)
Chapter: Front Matter
Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit
Committee on the Evaluation of the Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit DEIS and Peer Review
Ocean Studies Board
Division on Earth and Life Studies
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington D.C.
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract/Grant No. 10000991 between the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
Cover art courtesy of NASA, NAP.
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COMMITTEE ON THE EVALUATION OF THE DRAKES BAY OYSTER COMPANY SPECIAL USE PERMIT DEIS AND PEER REVIEW
DR. THOMAS C. MALONE, (CHAIR), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
DR. JOAO FERREIRA, New University of Lisbon, Portugal
DR. W. MICHAEL HANEMANN, Arizona State University
DR. EVAMARIA KOCH, University of Maryland
DR. JENNIFER MIKSIS-OLDS, Penn State University
DR. BRYAN PIJANOWSKI, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
DR. JENNIFER RUESINK, University of Washington
PROF. CHARLES SIMENSTAD, University of Washington
MS. LUCINDA LOW SWARTZ, ESQ., Environmental Consultant, Washington, DC
DR. PAUL THOMPSON, University of Aberdeen, UK
OCEAN STUDIES BOARD
ROBERT A. DUCE, Chair, Texas A&M University (retired), College Station, Texas
EDWARD A. BOYLE, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
RITA R. COLWELL, University of Maryland, College Park
SARAH W. COOKSEY, State of Delaware, Dover
CORTIS K. COOPER, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, California
JORGE E. CORREDOR, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
KEITH R. CRIDDLE, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau
JODY W. DEMING, University of Washington, Seattle
ROBERT HALLBERG, NOAA/GFDL and Princeton University, New Jersey
ROBERT A. HOLMAN, Oregon State University, Corvallis
KIHO KIM, American University, Washington, DC
BARBARA A. KNUTH, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
GEORGE I. MATSUMOTO, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California
JOHN A. ORCUTT, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
JAY S. PEARLMAN, The Boeing Company (retired), Port Angeles, Washington
STEVEN E. RAMBERG, Penn State Applied Research Lab, Washington, DC
ANDREW A. ROSENBERG, Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Massachusetts
DANIEL L. RUDNICK, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California
PETER L. TYACK, University of Saint Andrews, United Kingdom
DON WALSH, International Maritime Incorporated, Myrtle Point, Oregon
DAWN J. WRIGHT, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, California
JAMES A. YODER, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
Ex-Officio
MARY (MISSY) H. FEELEY, ExxonMobil Exploration Company, Houston, Texas
OSB Staff
SUSAN ROBERTS, Director
CLAUDIA MENGELT, Senior Program Officer
DEBORAH GLICKSON, Senior Program Officer
KIM WADDELL, Senior Program Officer
SHERRIE FORREST, Associate Program Officer
PAMELA LEWIS, Administrative Coordinator
GRAIG MANSFIELD, Financial Associate (until 8/22/12)
JESSICA DUTTON, Research Associate
HEATHER CHIARELLO, Senior Program Assistant
LAUREN HARDING, Senior Program Assistant
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Acknowledgments
This report was greatly enhanced by public input in advance and during the committee’s meeting. The committee would like to thank those who were available to answer questions during the public meeting and prepare public comments. The written submissions and the public comments helped set the stage for fruitful discussions in the closed sessions that followed.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in their review of this report:
Dr. Ann Bowles, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, San Diego, California
Dr. Keith R. Criddle, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau
Dr. James W. Fourqurean, Florida International University
Dr. Eileen Hofmann, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
Dr. Joel A. Mintz, Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center
Dr. Francis O’Beirn, Marine Institute, Galway, Ireland
Dr. Robert T. Paine (NAS), University of Washington
Dr. Kenneth A. Rose, Louisiana State University
Dr. Peter L. Tyack, University of St Andrews, Scotland
Dr. Alan Washburn (NAE), U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Dr. Paul Risser, University of Oklahoma, appointed by the Division on Earth and Life Studies, and Dr. Bonnie McCay (NAS), Rutgers University, appointed by the Report Review Committee, who were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
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Contents
Shellfish Mariculture 1932 - 2012
National Environmental Policy Act
Approach and Organization of the Report
Chapter 2 Framing of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Distinguishing Potential Impacts of Alternatives B, C, and D
Scaling Impacts on Drakes Estero and Changes in Ecosystem Conditions
Science-Based Levels of Uncertainty
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives
Chapter 4 Review of the Atkins Report
Resource Categories Addressed in the Atkins Report
Overall Assessment of Conclusions Presented in the DEIS
Suggestions for DEIS Revisions and Reducing Uncertainty in the Conclusions
Appendix B Committee Biographies
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