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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13461.
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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.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13461.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS     500 Fifth Street, N.W.     Washington, DC 20001

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.

International Standard Book Number 13: 978-0-309-26166-1
International Standard Book Number 10: 0-309-26166-X

Additional copies of this report are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001. (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu/.

Copyright 2012 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13461.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13461.
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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

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13461.
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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

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13461.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13461.
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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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In May 2012, the National Park Service (NPS) asked the National Research Council to conduct a scientific review of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to evaluate the effects of issuing a Special Use Permit for the commercial shellfish operation in Drakes Estero for a ten year time span. Drakes Bay Oyster Company (DBOC) currently operates the shellfish farm in Drakes Estero, part of Point Reyes National Seashore, under a reservation of use and occupancy that will expire on November 30, 2012 if a new Special Use Permit is not issued. Congress granted the Secretary of the Interior the discretionary authority to issue a new ten year Special Use Permit in 2009; hence, the Secretary now has the option to proceed with or delay the conversion of Drakes Estero to wilderness. To inform this decision, the NPS drafted an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the DBOC Special Use Permit. Under the National Environmental policy Act (NEPA), as EIS is prepared to inform the public and agency decision-makers regarding the potential environmental impacts of a proposed federal action and reasonable alternatives. The Department of the Interior commissioned a peer review of the DEIS that was released in March 2012.

Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit reviews the scientific information presented in the DEIS that is used to determine the potential environmental impacts of a ten year extension of DBOC operations. In particular, this report responds to the following tasks given to the committee: assess the scientific information, analysis, and conclusions presented in the DEIS for Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit, and evaluate whether the peer review of the DEIS is fundamentally sound and materially sufficient. Scientific Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Drakes Bay Oyster Company Special Use Permit focuses on eight of twelve resource categories considered in the DEIS: wetlands, eelgrass, wildlife and wildlife habitat, special-status species, coastal flood zones, soundscapes, water quality, and socioeconomic resources.
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