The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced its revised Mitigation Policy and Endangered Species Act Compensatory Mitigation Policy. The revised Mitigation Policy, which updates the original policy created in 1981, establishes fundamental principles and a framework for applying a landscape approach to achieve no net loss of resources and their values, services, and functions resulting from proposed actions. The revised [...]
Archive | May, 2023
G7 Ministerial Communique Address Natural Capital Accounts, Oceans
During Group of Seven (G7) Science and Technology Ministerial Meeting in Japan, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar represented the United States in signing on to a Communique that among other things notes that scientific innovation connecting biological and physical science and economic “should support the measurement, within official statistics, of natural [...]
National Maritime Security Advisory Committee to Hold Public Meeting
The Coast Guard today announced that the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee will hold a virtual public meeting on Monday, June 5. Among other things, the Committee will discuss a final report of recommendations to support further development of the Maritime Cyber Risk Assessment Model. The Committee advises the Homeland Security Secretary on matters related to national maritime security, [...]
BOEM Announces New Environmental Studies Report
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced the availability of the Environmental Studies Report for Q3-Q4 FY 2022. The report addresses studies for the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, Pacific, and Alaska regions, including subject areas such as subsistence, deepwater ecosystem observing, deep coral and hardbottom habitat data and modeling, and noise during conductor-removal operations.
U.S. House Science Subcmte. Holds NOAA Budget Hearing
During a U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Environment Subcommittee FY 2024 budget oversight hearing held today, NOAA Admin. Dr. Rick Spinrad among other things highlighted his agency’s efforts to “create value-added, data-driven sustainable economic development, with a particular focus on the new Blue Economy,” continue to work with the Interior Dept. to “minimize the effects of offshore energy [...]
POTUS Highlights Federal Conservation Efforts
During a Rose Garden event today, President Biden spoke about his administrations efforts to protect Bristol Bay and support conservation across the country, saying that “when we conserve our country’s national gifts, we’re not only protecting the livelihoods of people who depend on them…we’re also protecting…the heart and the soul of our…national pride.” Calling efforts to [...]
NOAA Announces Ocean and Coastal Observation Funding Investment
NOAA today announced its decision to invest $14 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding in the eleven Regional Associations across the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System, noting that the funds will be used to “modernize and recapitalize” ocean observing assets, networks, and communications systems. Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo noted the administration’s commitment to “ensuring that the United States [...]
NOAA Completes Env. Review for Federal Aquaculture R&D Assistance
NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research today announced the final programmatic environmental assessment to fund aquaculture research and development projects and related Finding of No Significant Impact. The proposed action is to issue federal financial assistance through existing NOAA programs for R&D projects involving farmed and wild populations of aquatic organisms in permitted aquaculture facilities and sites, research laboratories, the [...]
USGS Seeks Comments, Nominees on Biodiversity/Climate Change Assessment
The U.S. Geological Survey today announced that it is seeking comments by Friday, July 7 on a draft prospectus for an assessment of the linkages between biodiversity and climate change, as directed by FY 2022 appropriations legislation. USGS is also seeking nominations by Friday, July 7 from individuals interested in serving on the authoring team for the assessment, which will [...]
Comments Sought on EA for Maine Offshore Wind Energy Research Lease
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced that comments are being sought by Monday, June 5 on the preparation of an environmental assessment to consider the reasonably foreseeable environmental consequences of issuing a lease granting the State of Maine the exclusive right to submit plans for wind energy-related research activities offshore Maine.
