Beginning in 2010 and in response to mounting requests for digital depictions of NMFS Regulated Areas in Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Waters (Regulated Areas), the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) and Southeast Regional Office Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Committee launched a project to standardize the development, publication and regular updating of GIS files depicting Regulated Area boundaries. This dataset is a product of that initiative. This dataset was created to depict the boundaries of NMFS Regulated Areas in Northeast Waters only. For information on the proper use of the dataset refer to the Use Constraints metadata section.

This dataset depicts the river lengths along which Critical Habitat has been designated (82 FR 39160, August 17, 2017) for the Gulf of Maine distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic Sturgeon. Critical habitat includes all of the river along the specified segment, from the ordinary high water mark of one riverbank to the ordinary high water mark of the opposing riverbank of the mainstem of the river, to the downstream limit at the bank-to-bank transect of the specified segment. For clarification of the critical habitat definition, please refer to the maps and narrative descriptions in the CFR. It is a product of the NOAA Fisheries Service’s Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO). This dataset includes boundaries for the following Regulated Areas: - Critical Habitat for Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Sturgeon: Penobscot River, Kennebec River, Androscoggin River, Piscataqua River, and Merrimack River. Because GIS projection and topology functions can change or generalize coordinates, these GIS files are considered to be approximate representations and are NOT an OFFICIAL record for the exact Area boundaries. For information on the official legal definition refer to the Use Constraints metadata section.