The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) on the activities of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP). The MMHSRP encompasses: - the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network, - the Marine Mammal Disentanglement Program, - the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event and Emergency Response Program, - the Marine Mammal Biomonitoring and Research Program, - the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, - the National Marine Mammal Tissue and Serum Bank, and - the MMHSRP Information Management Program. A copy of the DPEIS and associated information is available on our website, at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm The DPEIS addresses the information needs for the conservation of marine mammals; the types and levels of stranding response and rehabilitation activities, including level of effort; and the cumulative impacts of MMHSRP activities on marine mammals and the environment. The DPEIS also addresses appropriate mitigation measures for activities conducted by the MMHSRP and our partner organizations. As part of and concurrent with the FEIS, the MMHSRP is proposing to issue national standards for marine mammal stranding and disentanglement response, including marine mammal rehabilitation and release of rehabilitated animals, in a document titled "Policies and Best Practices for Marine Mammal Stranding Response, Rehabilitation and Release." Interim versions of the chapters of this document are available for your review and comment on the website listed above. The MMHSRP has also applied for a scientific research permit to continue investigations into marine mammal health, and this DPEIS covers the activities that have been submitted as part of this permit application. The DPEIS is available for public comments at this time. As part of the public comment process, NMFS is hosting a series of public hearings. NMFS invites the public, including stranding network participants, Stranding Agreement (LOA) holders, marine mammal researchers and scientists, elected officials, regulatory agencies, environmental groups, and other interested individuals, to attend the hearings and to provide input on the DPEIS. Five scoping meetings will be held in April 2007 at the following locations: 1. Monday, April 2, 2007, San Francisco, CA - 1-4 P.M., Bay Conservation and Development Commission, 50 California St., Suite 2600, San Francisco, CA; 2. Tuesday, April 3, 2007, Seattle, WA - 3-5 P.M., NMFS Northwest Regional Office, Building 9, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA; 3. Friday, April 6, 2007, Silver Spring, MD - 1-4 P.M., Silver Spring Metro Center Building 3, Room 1311-B (Street Level), 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD. 7. Monday, April 9, 2007, Boston, MA - 1-4 P.M., New England Aquarium Conference Center, Central Wharf, Boston, MA; 6. Tuesday, April 10, 2007, St. Petersburg, FL - 4-7 P.M., NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL. Each public hearing will consist of an informational poster session, a formal presentation of the DPEIS, including the Preferred Alternatives, and a formal public comment period. Each attendee is invited to give a statement of up to four minutes, which will be recorded verbatim by a court reporter. These public comments will not be responded to during the meeting, although they will be incorporated into the Final EIS, which NMFS anticipates completing 2007. However, if there is interest, there may be an informal (off the record) question and answer session following the formal comment period. In addition to the scoping meetings, comments may be submitted in writing through April 30, 2007 in one of the following ways: Email: mmhsrpeis.comments@noaa.gov; ATTN.: MMHSRP EIS Fax: 301-427-2584; ATTN.: MMHSRP EIS Mail to: Mr. David Cottingham Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Division (F/PR2) Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13635 Silver Spring, MD 20910 For additional information about the DPEIS and the Interim Policies and Practices documents, please visit our website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm Thank you for your interest.