Abstract
This constitutes NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) biological opinion (Opinion) issued to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), as the lead federal agency, in accordance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended, on the effects of the construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of the Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Project (Lease OCS-A 0501). Vineyard Wind LLC (Vineyard Wind) is proposing to construct and operate a commercial-scale offshore wind energy facility within Lease Area OCS-A 0501 that would generate approximately 800 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
BOEM is the lead federal agency for purposes of section 7 consultation; the other action agencies include the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the NMFS Office of Protected Resources (OPR). This Opinion considers effects of the proposed action on ESA-listed whales, sea turtles, fish, and designated critical habitat that occur in the action area. A complete administrative record of this consultation will be kept on file at our Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office.