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, [...]
Archive | April, 2021
NMFS Issues Cook Inlet O&G Letter of Authorization
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.
Shipping Coordinating Committee to Hold Public Meeting
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 [...]
State Dept. to Hold Public Meeting Ahead of IMO Gathering
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 [...]
USCG Issues Supp. Notice on Northern NY Bight Port Access Route Study
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 [...]
NMFS Issues Wind-related MMPA Authorization
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 [...]
NOPC Provides Comments on U.S. 30×30 Conservation Initiative
NOPC today provided comments and recommendations on external outreach and implementation associated with the administration’s 30×30 conservation initiative directed by Section 216(a) of the January 27, 2021 Executive Order on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.”
NMFS Highlights Northeast Shelf Ecosystem Assessments
NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today highlighted the findings of two new annual Northeast Fisheries Science Center reports developed for the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Councils regarding the current status of the Northeast Shelf marine ecosystems in the New England (Georges Bank/Gulf of Maine) and Mid-Atlantic (Mid-Atlantic Bight) regions. In addition to covering new areas such as [...]
