Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

The complexity of regulatory writing, including environmental impact statements, often hinders meaningful public engagement and action. This project serves as a communication tool to help various stakeholders and communities gain a comprehensive understanding of proposed regulations regarding chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. Given the cultural, economic, and environmental sensitivity of this issue, effective collaboration is essential for achieving impactful and meaningful outcomes. The interactive tool summarizes key elements of the preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) using ArcGIS StoryMaps. A central goal of the StoryMap is to encourage public participation once the DEIS becomes available for comment in the Federal Register. By simplifying complex scientific and regulatory information, the project aims to foster greater involvement in policymaking and ensure that community voices are meaningfully incorporated into the decision-making process.

Please see media created for this project here: https://arcg.is/0O09fP0