A cooperating agency is any agency, other than the lead agency, in this case the Navy, which has jurisdiction by law or special expertise concerning an environmental impact involved in a proposal.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service has been invited to be a cooperating agency in the preparation of the Supplemental EIS due to the nature and scope of the Proposed Action and because of its expertise and regulatory authority over marine resources. Additionally, after independent review, the National Marine Fisheries Service may adopt the Supplemental EIS to fulfill its National Environmental Policy Act obligations for the rule-making process under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.