The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is sharing a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) that looks at their coordination of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN). This network deals with sick, injured, and dead sea turtles in U.S. coastal areas. The draft EA evaluates the impact of continuing STSSN operations with NMFS guidance, and the public is invited to comment on this before January 29, 2025. Two alternatives are considered: NMFS could stop coordinating the network, or they could continue and formalize practices through a new handbook.
Simple Explanation
The folks at NOAA are checking if their plan to help sick sea turtles is a good idea and want people to share their thoughts by January 29, 2025. They might stop what they're doing or make a special guide to keep helping turtles.