| description:
|
Avoidance Areas are polygons which represent the buffered footprint (recommended avoidance radius stipulated in lease agreement) surrounding sensitive areas or potentially significant anomalies identified in the OCS that must be avoided during dredging or geotechnical survey activities associated with authorized OCS leases. In some instances, these avoidance areas occur within state waters but are noted in OCS leases due to their association with construction-related activity (e.g., dredge pipelines, pumpouts, or placement areas). Avoidance areas are specifically defined in Negotiated Non-Competitive Leases or Memoranda of Agreement with BOEM, which authorize contracted entities to dredge sand, gravel, or shell resources from the OCS. Section 8 (k) of the OCS Lands Act (OCSLA), as amended by Public Law 103-426 (enacted in 1994), provides BOEM the authority to negotiate an agreement for the use of OCS sand, gravel, and shell resources for use in: (1) a project for shore protection, beach restoration, or coastal restoration undertaken by a Federal, State, or local government agency; or (2) for use in a construction project funded in whole or part by or authorized by the Federal government. This dataset is a collection of avoidance areas from final, executed lease documentation and is maintained by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). This dataset is compliant to the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. |