66066 Data Set Published / External 66018 Endangered Species Act critical habitat Project 2016-10-14 Critical habitat for the Western DPS of Steller sea lions includes:(a) Alaska rookeries, haulouts, and associated areas. In Alaska, all major Steller sea lion rookeries identified in Table 1 and major haulouts identified in Table 2 and associated terrestrial, air, and aquatic zones. Critical habitat includes a terrestrial zone that extends 3,000 feet (0.9 km) landward from the baseline or base point of each major rookery and major haulout in Alaska. Critical habitat includes an air zone that extends 3,000 feet (0.9 km) above the terrestrial zone of each major rookery and major haulout in Alaska, measured vertically from sea level. Critical habitat includes an aquatic zone that extends 3,000 feet (0.9 km) seaward in State and Federally managed waters from the baseline or basepoint of each major rookery and major haulout in Alaska that is east of 144° W. longitude. Critical habitat includes an aquatic zone that extends 20 nm (37 km) seaward in State and Federally managed waters from the baseline or basepoint of each major rookery and major haulout in Alaska that is west of 144° W. longitude.(b) California and Oregon rookeries and associated areas. In California and Oregon, all major Steller sea lion rookeries identified in Table 1 and associated air and aquatic zones. Critical habitat includes an air zone that extends 3,000 feet (0.9 km) above areas historically occupied by sea lions at each major rookery in California and Oregon, measured vertically from sea level. Critical habitat includes an aquatic zone that extends 3,000 feet (0.9 km) seaward in State and Federally managed waters from the baseline or basepoint of each major rookery in California and Oregon.(c) Three special aquatic foraging areas in Alaska. Three special aquatic foraging areas in Alaska, including the Shelikof Strait area, the Bogoslof area, and the Seguam Pass area.ESA timeline:Steller sea lions were originally listed (55 FR 49204, November 26, 1990) under the ESA throughout their range and critcal habitat was designated in 1993 (58 FR 45269, August 27, 1993). The critical habitat designation was amended (59 FR 30715, June 15, 1994) to correct data errors in Table 2 (Major Steller Sea Lion Haulout sites in Alaska) to Part 226 in the CFR.Steller sea lions were reclassified and listed as 2 DPSs: the Western DPS and Eastern DPS (62 FR 24345, May 5, 1997).The Eastern DPS of Steller sea lions was delisted (78 FR 66140, November 4, 2013). In the delisting final rule, NMFS clarified that the 1993 critical habitat designation remains in effect for the Western DPS of Steller sea lions. These data represent the critical habitat for the Stellar sea lion (Western DPS) designated under the Endangered Species Act on August 27, 1993 (58 FR 45269) and amended on June 15, 1994 (59 FR 30715). Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category biota Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category boundaries Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category environment Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category oceans Theme Steller sea lion Theme critical habitat Spatial Alaska Spatial Aleutian Islands Spatial Bering Sea Spatial California Spatial Gulf of Alaska Spatial Oregon Spatial Pacific Ocean Data Set As Needed Map (digital) CREDIT: National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region and West Coast Region ORIGINATORS: National Marine Fisheries Service, Northewest Region; National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region; National Marine Fisheries Service, West Coast Region; 66067 Published / External GIS File Yes A collection of geographic features with the same geometry type.; Source: Esri 1 OBJECTID n/a No No Active Internal feature number.; Source: Esri Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated. 2 SHAPE n/a No No Active Feature geometry.; Source: Esri Coordinates defining the features. 3 ID n/a No No Active 9 digit unique identifier for each feature in the geodatabase. Used to relate or join supplemental attribute tables.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 4 SCIENAME n/a No No Active Binomial or trinomial scientific name. Value formatted as written in the Code of Federal Regulations.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 5 COMNAME n/a No No Active Legal common name of species. Value formatted as written in the Code of Federal Regulations.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 6 LISTENTITY n/a No No Active Full text of the ESA listed entity: Species, Subspecies, Distinct Population Segment (DPS), or Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU). Value formatted as written in the Code of Federal Regulations. *Note: for entire species listings, this value will be the same as COMNAME value.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 7 LISTSTATUS n/a No No Active Current Endangered Species Act listing status.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service Delisted: Species that were removed from the Endangered Species Act list.; Endangered: Species that are in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range.; Threatened: Species that are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.; 8 CHSTATUS n/a No No Active Status of the critical habitat designation.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service Final: A final rule in the Federal Register publishes the regulatory text in full with an effective date. The regulatory text sets out amendments to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).; Proposed: A proposed rule in the Federal Register notifies the public of a pending regulation. Any person or organization may comment on it during the comment period.; 9 UNIT n/a No No Active Critical habitat unit name. Null if designation did not specify units or unit names.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 10 TAXON n/a No No Active Taxonomic unit.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service baleen whale: Any of a suborder (Mysticeti) of large whales that have baleen plates in the upper jaw which are used to filter chiefly small crustaceans out of large quantities of seawater.; fish: Any of numerous cold-blooded strictly aquatic craniate vertebrates that include the bony fishes and the cartilaginous and jawless fishes and that have typically an elongated somewhat spindle-shaped body terminating in a broad caudal fin, limbs in the form of fins when present at all, and a 2-chambered heart by which blood is sent through thoracic gills to be oxygenated.; invertebrate: Any animal that lacks a spinal column.; marine reptile: Any of a class (Reptilia) of cold-blooded, air-breathing, usually egg-laying vertebrates that have adapted for an aquatic or semiaquatic life in a marine environment and have a body typically covered with scales or bony plates and a bony skeleton with a single occipital condyle, a distinct quadrate bone usually immovably articulated with the skull, and ribs attached to the sternum.; pinniped: Any of an order or suborder (Pinnipedia) of aquatic carnivorous mammals with all four limbs modified into flippers.; plant: Any of a kingdom (Plantae) of multicellular eukaryotic mostly photosynthetic organisms typically lacking locomotive movement or obvious nervous or sensory organs and possessing cellulose cell walls.; toothed whale: Any of a suborder (Odontoceti) of cetaceans bearing usually numerous simple conical teeth.; 11 LEADOFFICE n/a No No Active Office responsible for the critical habitat Federal Register Notice.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Region: Includes Alaska and adjacent marine waters extending outwards to the 200 nautical mile boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone.; Greater Atlantic Region: Includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina (north of Cape Hatteras) and adjacent marine waters extending outwards to the 200 nautical mile boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone.; Office of Protected Resources: Headquarters office responsible for nationwide conservation, protection, and recovery of endangered and threatened marine species listed under the Endangered Species Act.; Pacific Islands Region: Includes Hawai'i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Kingman Reef, Howland Island, Baker Island, Jarvis Island, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and adjacent marine waters extending outwards to the 200 nautical mile boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone.; Southeast Region: Includes North Carolina (south of Cape Hatteras), South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and adjacent marine waters extending outwards to the 200 nautical mile boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone.; West Coast Region: Includes Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and adjacent marine waters extending outwards to the 200 nautical mile boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone.; 12 FRN n/a No No Active Federal Register Notice citation for the critical habitat designation (final rule or proposed rule). Volume #, FR, Page Number (Example: 79 FR 39855); Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 13 PUBDATE n/a No No Active Federal Register Notice publication date. MM/DD/YYYY format; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 14 EFFECTDATE n/a No No Active Effective date for a final critical habitat designation. Null for proposed critical habitat. MM/DD/YYYY format ; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 15 AREASqKm n/a No No Active Geodesic area calculated in square kilometers.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 16 CREATEDATE n/a No No Active Date spatial feature was created or geometry was last edited. MM/DD/YYYY format; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 17 NOTES n/a No No Active Additional information about the feature that is not contained in other fields.; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 18 INPORTURL n/a No No Active Feature class metadata URL. InPort is the National Marine Fisheries Service's official metadata catalog found at: https://inport.nmfs.noaa.gov/inport/; Source: National Marine Fisheries Service 19 SHAPE_Length n/a No No Active Length of feature in internal units.; Source: Esri Positive real numbers that are automatically generated. 20 SHAPE_Area n/a No No Active Area of feature in internal units squared.; Source: Esri Positive real numbers that are automatically generated. 21 HABTYPE n/a No No Active ; Source: Data Steward 2025 Person Markle, Robert robert.markle@noaa.gov 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd Portland OR 97232 503-230-5419 Metadata Contact 2025 Person Markle, Robert robert.markle@noaa.gov 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd Portland OR 97232 503-230-5419 Point of Contact 2025 Person Markle, Robert robert.markle@noaa.gov 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd Portland OR 97232 503-230-5419 Publication Date -180 180 63.631787 37.098716 Geographic 2D EPSG:4326 WGS 84 World Geodetic System 1984 WGS 84 6378137 298.257223563 1 Geodetic Lattitude Lat degree north 2 Geodetic Longitude Lon degree east Unclassified These data are not the official legal definition of critical habitat. The Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR 226.202) is the source for the legal definition of the critical habitat designation. Version 6.2 (Build 9200) ; Esri ArcGIS 10.8.1.14362 1 Data creation process - 2007 Alaska sites west of 144 degrees W only. SSL_226_Critical_Habitat_AK.shp (NAD_1983_Alaska_Albers) The 131 sites from PART 226 - Designated [SSL] Critical Habitat as included are 20nm buffers from either points or lines. Points are small rookeries or haulouts. Lines are larger rookery/haulouts that follow the shoreline at mean lower low water. See 226/223 for additional information. Since these points were identified before the advents of GPS units and unclear datums, some sites sit off in open water - as far as a 1/4 mile from the projected coastline. The intent of making the points and lines shapefile was to follow 226 as close as possible. When 226 could not be followed due to a line that was supposed follow the shore at mean lower low water (when the points defining the start and end point of line was in open water), the intent of the regulation was followed as closely as possible. This was done in coordiation with the AKRO PRD SSL Coordinator. SSL CH Foraging Areas overlap 20nm CH. 2007-07-31T00:00:00 2 Data creation process 2009 - Oregon sites only. StellerSLionCritHabAll4OR.shp (NAD_1983_Albers) In the Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR Part 226), the Appendix Table 1 to Part 226 - Major Steller Sea Lion Rookery Sites provides latitude / longitude basepoints along with the region and site names for the Steller sea lion rookeries used for critical habitat designations. However, the coordinates listed did not match up accurately with the data delineations from a number of sources for those rookery sites or the rocks or islands on which they are sited. Therefore, rather than using those basepoints to develop this data set, more accurate data was used to represent Pyramid Rock near Rogue Reef, and Long Brown Rock and Seal Rock, both in the vicinity of Orford Reef. The Pinniped Haulout data from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (2007) was used to locate the rookeries themselves. The Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge Boundary data from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2004) was used to delineate the shoreline of these islands and rocks. These 2 data sets were in agreement in that the rookeries were located within the shorelines of the islands / rocks. A 3,000 foot buffer was generated around the shorelines of these 3 islands or rocks to represent the critical habitat. 2009-04-14T00:00:00 3 Data creation process 2016 - California sites only. StellerSLionCritHab_OR_CA.shp (GCS_North_American_1983) California sites appended to the Oregon data and shapefile renamed. 2016-10-14T00:00:00 4 OR and CA source data converted to NMFS ESA critical habitat national standard 2020. StellerSLionCritHab_OR_CA.shp (GCS_North_American_1983) geographic transformation -> SeaLionSteller_WesternDPS_19930827 (GCS_WGS_1984). Geometry was not edited, attributes were edited. Copied metadata from source file and filled in additional metadata from final rule. Combined old fields Region, Site_Name, AreaType into new field Unit. Edited Units for clarity, to match final rule, and to provide more accurate feature labels. 2020-05-14T00:00:00 5 Data creation process - Alaska sites east of 144 degrees W only. Southeast Alaska features were copied from Alaska Region's REST service https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/ESA_data/MapServer/6. Original source shapefile unknown. 2020-10-23T00:00:00 6 All AK source data converted to NMFS ESA critical habitat national standard 2020. 2021-05-25T00:00:00 7 AK data merged with OR/CA feature class (SeaLionSteller_WesternDPS_19930827) and renamed to SeaLionSteller_WesternDPS_19940615 because a technical amendment was found. Merge was necessary to follow main gdb business rule "each listed entity has a single ch feature class." Edited Unit values by filling in "Island" for "I." Edited the attributes (FRN, Publication Date, Effective Date) for 10 features that had data amended in 1994. CFR notes: the 1999 amendment (64 FR 14067, Mar. 23, 1999) only changed the CFR section number for the Steller ch designation, the 1994 technical amendment (59 FR 30716, June 15, 1994) changed haulout data in Table 2 (pg 30715 says "The technical amendment revises regulations by changing the name of one designated haulout site from Ledge Point to Gran Point and by correcting the longitude and latitude of 12 haulout sites, including Gran Point. The purpose of this action is to correct errors in the published regulations.") Note for future data development: In AK, there is a "3,000 ft landward zone" that's missing from the spatial data for Forrester Island and all the islands within the 20 nautical mile buffer. Flag: review Hazy Islands geometry. 2021-06-16T00:00:00 66067 Entity gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:66066 Shanna Dunn 2021-12-21T19:27:46 Lincoln Rehm 2025-09-25T15:45:17 2021-12-22 West Coast Regional Office WCRO 501 West Ocean Blvd Long Beach CA 90802-4213 https://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 1001 Public No No 2021-12-22 1 Year 2022-12-22