oceanpolicy.com

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that comments are being sought by Monday, June 14 on the agency’s finding that substantial scientific or commercial information exists indicating that it may be warranted to (1) list the shortfin mako shark as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act and (2) designate critical habitat.  The finding, made in [...]

President Biden today announced his intent to nominate Tommy Beaudreau to serve as Deputy Interior Secretary, Winnie Stachelberg to serve as Assistant Interior Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget, and Shannon Estenoz to serve as Assistant Interior Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. Beaudreau has most recently served as a lawyer at Latham & Watkins, LLP, with previous experience including [...]

The U.S. Senate today voted 53-45 to confirm Brenda Mallory to be Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.  Upon her confirmation, Mallory said that President Biden “has not wasted a moment in setting our nation on a path to a cleaner, healthier, and more just future” and that “[b]y helping forge unity of purpose – across communities, [...]

In a letter sent today to Interior Sec. Deb Haaland, 22 Republican members of the House Natural Resources Committee voiced concerns about the administration’s initiative to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 and requested more opportunities for engagement on its implementation. In noting a March 30 meeting between congressional staff and administration, [...]

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced its decision to issue an authorization for Hilcorp Alaska LLC to take 11 species of marine mammals by Level A and Level B harassment incidental to oil and gas activities in Alaska’s Cook Inlet through March 30, 2022.

The State Department today announced that the Shipping Coordinating Committee will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, June 3 in preparation for the 76th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Environment Protection Committee, to be held virtually on June 10-11 and June 14-17. Agenda items include air pollution prevention, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships, follow-up work related [...]

The State Department today announced that it will hold a public teleconference meeting on Tuesday, May 25 in preparation for the 45th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Facilitation Committee, to be held virtually June 1-4 and on June 7. Agenda items include a regulatory scoping exercise for the use of maritime autonomous surface ships, technical cooperation activities related to [...]

The U.S. Coast Guard today announced that it is seeking comments by Wednesday, May 12 on its efforts to conduct a Port Access Route Study to evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and whether additional vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to New York and New Jersey and international and domestic transit areas in [...]

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service recently announced the issuance of an authorization and potential 1-year renewal for Skipjack Offshore Energy, LLC to take 16 marine mammal species by Level B harassment incidental to marine site characterization high-resolution geophysical surveys offshore Delaware.  The surveys will provide a baseline assessment of seabed, ecological, and archeological conditions within the footprint of [...]