In accordance with section 304(a) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), as amended, and based on the area’s qualities described in the community-based nomination submitted to NOAA on November 17, 2016 (https://nominate.noaa.gov/nominations), NOAA initiated a process to consider designating a national marine sanctuary in the Hudson Canyon area approximately 100 miles offshore southeast of New York City (June 8, 2022, 87 FR 34853). The designation process, as required by the NMSA, is being conducted concurrently with a public process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NOAA has completed the scoping phase and is moving forward with the designation process of the proposed Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary and formulating alternatives for the draft environmental impact statement and proposed regulations.