The draft Environmental Assessment (EA) considers a number of reasonable geographic and non-geographic alternatives, and evaluates the environmental and socioeconomic consequences (including potential user conflicts) associated with issuing leases and approving site assessment plans under each alternative. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) intends to use this EA to inform decisions to issue leases in the wind energy area (WEA), and to subsequently approve site assessment plans on those leases. Under Alternative A, the preferred alternative, lease issuance and approval of site assessment activities could occur in all areas of the WEA offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts. High-value fishing grounds and fishery areas were excluded from the WEA.