Sanctuary Designations and Expansions

Sanctuary designations create a new sanctuary and follow specific requirements in the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Sanctuary expansions follow those same procedures to add area to an existing sanctuary.

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS)

• Marine Reserves Rule, Notice of Final Regulations.  (72 FR 29208; May 24, 2007) 
• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations for Designation. (45 FR 65198; Oct 2, 1980)
• EIS and Record of Decision for Designation Jun 6, 1980

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS)

• Cordell Bank and Gulf of Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Expansion FEIS Dec 2014
• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations. (54 FR 22417; May 24, 1989)

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS)

• FKNMS Sanctuary; Final Rule for Expanding Boundary to Include Tortugas Ecological Reserve. (66 FR 4267; Jan 17, 2001)
• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations and Management Plan for the FKNMS which was designated by Congress under the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act in 1990. This notice also removes the regulations for Looe Key and Key Largo NMSs.  (60 FR 4578; Jan 30, 1997)
• Federal Register Notice Announcing Area to be Avoided.  (55 FR 19418; May 9, 1990)

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS)

• Federal Register Notice of Boundary Changes to include Stetson Bank. (65 FR 81176; Dec 22, 2000)
• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations that designates the FGBNMS issues a final rule. (56 FR 63634; Dec 5, 1991)

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS)

• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations for Expansion. (79 FR 75800; Dec 19, 2014)
• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations. (46 FR 7936; Jan 26, 1981)
• Final EIS on the Proposed Point Reyes- Farallones Islands Marine Sanctuary vol 1, 1980

Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS)

• Federal Register Notice Announces final designation date of Gray's reef NMS on Jan 16, 1981 and issues final regulations. (46 FR 7942; Jan 26, 1981)
• Federal Register Notice that published the final rule revising the NMSP regulations. Changes include modifications to the process for recommending sites for designation, the criteria for the selection of new sites, description of the designation document, and the enforcement of sanctuary regulations against foreign nationals. (44 FR 44831; Jul 31, 1979).

Hawaiian Islands Humpback National Marine Sanctuary (HIHNMS)

• FR for Final Rule, Effective Date, Modifications HIHNMS (64 FR 66566; Nov 29, 1999)
• Final EIS and Management Plan (Feb 1997)
• Designation by Act of Congress on Nov 4, 1992: Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Act

Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (MNMS)

• Federal Register Notice for Proposed Expansion of MNMS(81 FR 879; Jan 8, 2016)
• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations Designation (40 CFR 21706; May 19, 1975)

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS)

• Final Management Plan for the Expansion of MBNMS Oct 2008
• Final Environmental Impact Statement for Expansion Sep 2008
• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations for Expansion (71 FR 59050; Oct 6, 2006)
• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations that designates MBNMS and issues final implementing regulations.  (57 FR 43309; Sep 18, 1992)

National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS)

• Federal Register Notice of Final Regulations for Expansion and Name Change (77 FR 43942; Jul 26, 2012)
• Management Plan and EIS for Expansion of NMSAS June 2012
• Federal Register Notice of Final Rule for Fagatele Bay Original Designation  (51 FR 15878; Apr 29, 1986)
• Final Environmental Impact Statement and Management Plan for the Proposed Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary June 1984

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS)

• Federal Register Notice of Final Rule which Designates OCNMS and issues final implementing regulations. Published 05/11/94. (59 FR 24586; May 11. 1994)
• OCNMS Final EIS and Management Plan vol. 1 Nov 1993
• OCNMS Final EIS and Management Plan vol. 2 Nov 1993

Papahānaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM)

• Expansion by Presidential Proclamation of PMNM (Aug 26, 2016)
• Amendment to Proclamation 8031 by Proclamation 8112 (Feb 28, 2007)
• Establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument by Proclamation 8031 (Jun 15, 2006)

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS)

• Federal Register Notice of Final Rule for Designation of SBNMS. Published 10/19/93. (58 FR53865)

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS)

• TBNMS Expansion FEIS 2014
• TBNMS and Underwater Preserve Designation and Regulations. (65 FR 39041; Jun 22, 2000)
• TBNMS Final EIS and Management Plan for the designation May 1999