Day 1: Tuesday, March 7

8:00-8:30 am

Check-in

8:30-9:15 am

I. Background and Welcome

• Welcome and Opening Remarks
• Introductions

Walter Cruickshank, Ph.D., BOEM Acting Director
Abby Arnold, Kearns & West (K&W)

• Science, Regulatory Requirements, and Stakeholder Coordination

Tamara Arzt, BOEM

• Workshop and Role of Panel
• Best Management Practices
• Role of the Panel
• Review of Agenda and Ground rules

Kyle Baker, BOEM

                                                                            K&W

9:15-10:35 am

II. Perspectives on Protected Species and
Offshore Wind Development

9:15-9:30 am

• BOEM Offshore Wind Leasing Process and Workshop Goals

(presentation followed by Panel Q&A)

• Lease area locations
• Lease and plan review stages
• Survey instruments for lessees
• NEPA
• Role of BMPs in these processes

Michelle Morin, BOEM

9:30-9:45 am

• Industry Perspectives on Offshore Wind Development and Protected Species. 
• An overview of workshop goals and considerations from the industry perspective(presentation followed by Panel Q&A)

Rachel Pachter, Vineyard Wind
Presenting for the American Wind Energy Association

9:45-10:00 am

• NGO Perspectives on Conservation Priorities for Protected Species (presentation followed by Panel Q&A) 
• An overview of perspectives and workshop goals from national environmental organizations.

Catherine Bowes, NWF, Michael Jasny, NRDC, and Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society

10:00-10:15 am

• Scientific/Academic Perspectives (presentation followed by Panel Q&A)   
• An overview of academic perspectives on offshore wind development.     

 Jason Roberts, Duke University

10:15-10:35 am

• NMFS Endangered Species Act Consultations (presentation followed by Panel Q&A)
• NMFS ESA requirements and timelines
• Incidental Take Statement requirements
• Existing/future consultations pertaining to Construction and Operations Plans and General Activities Plans

Julie Crocker, NOAA Fisheries

10:35-10:45 am

Break

10:45-11:05 am

II. Perspectives on Protected Species and Offshore Wind Development (continued)

10:45-11:05 am

• NOAA Fisheries Remarks
• NMFS Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Compliance(presentation followed by Panel Q&A)
• MMPA Incidental Take Authorization Requirements and timelines
• Information requirements

NOAA Fisheries Leadership
Jordan Carduner, NOAA Fisheries

11:05-12:30 pm

III. Identifying Effects to Protected Species

11:05-11:10 am
11:10-11:20 am

• Purpose and Goals
• Protected Species and Critical Habitat in Atlantic Wind Energy Areas – An overview of Species, Habitat, and Conservation Goals
• (presentation followed by Panel Q&A)

Kyle Baker, BOEM
Allison Hernandez, NOAA Fisheries

11:20-11:35 am

• Activities Associated with Offshore Wind Development (general plan-envelope concept)
• (presentation followed by Panel Q&A)
• Overview of general activities, surveys, turbine bases, cables, vessel ops, and trends in turbine height and number

Aileen Kenney, Deepwater Wind

11:35-12:30 pm

IV. Lessons Learned from Offshore Wind in the UK – a conservation agency perspective

(presentation followed by Panel Q&A)

• Mitigation and monitoring strategies in the UK
• Lessons learned
• Panel Discussion

Sónia Mendes,
Joint Nature Conservation Committee

12:30-1:30 pm

Break for Lunch

1:30-2:15 pm

V. Introduction to an Effects Framework
(presentation followed by Panel Q&A)

• Introduction to Effects Matrix
• What are activities and effects to marine mammals, sea turtles, and habitat (e.g., injury, avoidance, duration of impact)?
• Can we assign a relative priority level for each impact? (What are the criteria we use to set priorities?)

Facilitated by K&W

2:15-3:45 pm

VI. Mitigation and Monitoring of Underwater Noise

2:15-2:30 pm

• Introduction to Noise from Offshore Wind Activities
• Panel discussion on effects of underwater noise (matrix)
• Key issues for mitigation and monitoring regarding underwater noise

Desray Reeb, BOEM

Facilitated by K&W

2:30-3:00 pm

• NOAA Marine Mammal Acoustic Technical Guidance(presentation followed by Panel Q&A)
• NOAA sound exposure criteria summary
• Example cumulative exposure distance calculation and applications to BMP development

Amy Scholik-Schlomer, NOAA Fisheries

3:00-3:20 pm

3:20-3:45 pm

• High-Resolution Geophysical (HRG) Surveys
• (presentation followed by Panel Q&A)
• Introduction
• Sound Source Characterization Studies
• Review of BOEM’s Existing HRG Requirements based on New Sound Source Information (presentation followed by Panel Q&A)
• Exclusion Zones
• Protected Species Observers
• Sound Source Verification
• Nighttime surveys and alternative monitoring plans

Desray Reeb, BOEM

Stanley Labak, BOEM

Desray Reeb, BOEM

3:45-4:00 pm

VII. Participant Comment on all meeting topics
(participants should register in advance if they wish to comment)

Facilitated by K&W

4:00-4:15 pm

Networking Break

4:15-5:15 pm

VIII. Panel Discussion on HRG Surveys and Best Management Practices

Facilitated by K&W

5:15-5:30

Wrap up and Adjourn

Facilitated by K&W