Media Coverage

The U.S. Interior Department’s Fish & Wildlife Service today announced its decision to reopen the comment period through Thursday, May 30 on its proposal to designate critical habitat for the threatened rufa red knot.  In doing so, FWS proposes to expand the critical habitat designation from ~649,066 acres to ~683,405 acres in an area spanning […]

The Standing Committee for Offshore Wind Energy and Fisheries today held a virtual public meeting to introduce the Committee to the public and discuss goals with its sponsor, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Attended by ~300 participants, the meeting began with brief remarks from Chair Jim Sanchirico and a briefing from BOEM Director Liz

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it will hold in-person public hearings (with teleconference available) at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm in Kodiak, AK on Tuesday, May 2 and in Petersburg, AK on Wednesday, May 10 regarding its proposal to list the sunflower sea star as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.  The documented

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that it is seeking nominations by Thursday, May 11 from individuals interested in being considered for membership on the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council. Appointees will be selected from among, but not limited to, the following national interest groups: state fish and wildlife resource management agencies, saltwater

NOAA today announced the 3-year renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding with Ocean X to continue collaboration on ocean mapping, exploration, and science, including through sharing of best practices, collaboration on coral reef research, monitoring, and development of uncrewed coral monitoring technologies, development of data sharing processes, and standardization of best practices for obtaining and archiving

NOAA today announced that it is seeking comments by Monday, June 12 on its request for Office of Management and Budget approval to revise the Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing Effort Survey that estimates marine recreational fishing activity for all coastal states from Maine to Mississippi and Hawaii.  The 5-minute mail survey involves an estimated

The Coast Guard today announced that it is seeking comments by Thursday, July 6 on its evaluation of safe access routes for the movement of vessel traffic proceeding to or from the ports or places in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and whether shipping safety fairways and/or routing measures should be established, adjusted,

The Interior Dept.’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced that the Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force will hold a public meeting on May 10-11 in Bangor, ME. Meeting topics will include an update on BOEM’s commercial and research offshore wind energy planning activities and discussion on next steps for the Gulf

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it is seeking comments by Thursday, July 6 on a petition seeking a rulemaking to establish vessel speed limit restrictions and other mitigation measures in the Rice’s whale “core” habitat area through a year-round 10-knot vessel speed limit in waters 100-400 meters deep from around Pensacola, FL

The Coast Guard today announced the availability of the Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port Access Route Study, which examined existing shipping routes and waterway uses to evaluate the need for establishing additional vessel routing measures. Study recommendations include implementation of five shipping safety fairways within the study area and a series of measures