This environmental assessment (EA) addresses one proposed Federal action: oil and gas Lease Sale 197 in the proposed lease sale area of the Eastern Planning Area (EPA) of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) as scheduled in the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2002-2007 (5-Year Program) (USDOI, MMS, 2002a). This EA incorporates by reference all of the relevant material in the multisale environmental impact statement (EIS) from which it tiers (Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales 198 and 197; Eastern Planning Area; Final Environmental Impact Statement; Volumes I and II (USDOI, MMS, 2003a)). It has been prepared to aid in the determination of whether or not newly available information indicates that the proposed lease sale would result in new significant impacts not addressed in the multisale EIS.