All, The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is pleased to announce the availability of the Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic Ocean Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). The Final EIS is now available on the project website: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/eis/arctic.htm. The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of implementing the alternative approaches for authorizing the take of marine mammals incidental to oil and gas exploration activities in the Arctic Ocean pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) was a cooperating agency on this EIS, and as such, this EIS also evaluates the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of implementing the alternative approaches for authorizing geological and geophysical surveys and ancillary activities under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act in the Arctic Ocean. The North Slope Borough was also a cooperating agency on this EIS. NMFS approved the Final EIS for publication, and the Notice of Availability (NOA) will publish in the *Federal Register* on Friday, October 21, 2016. Once published, a link to the NOA will be available on the project website listed above. Thank you for your interest and participation in the Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic Ocean EIS. Candace -- Candace Nachman HQ Arctic Liaison NOAA Fisheries Office of Policy 1315 East West Highway, Rm 14530 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Ph: (301) 427-8031 Fax: (301) 713-1940 Web: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ <first.last@noaa.gov> <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/>