Media Coverage

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Council’s (MARCO) Mid-Atlantic Ocean Planning Committee will hold its 7th annual Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum in Baltimore, MD on May 6-7.  The event will include discussions on maritime commerce and navigation safety, coastal hazards mitigation and resilience, seafloor habitat mapping, the Mid-Atlantic ocean economy, data sharing and management for ocean planning, eDNA in marine systems and applications for the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic ocean ecosystems, and […]

The Interior Department’s Fish & Wildlife Service today announced the withdrawal of an October 2021 advance notice of proposed rulemaking that informed the public of the agency’s intent to develop proposed regulations to authorize the incidental take of migratory birds.  The announcement noted that the ANPR was being withdrawn consistent with the Feb. 2025 Secretarial Order on Unleashing

President Trump today issued a Presidential Proclamation on “Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific” that removes the prohibition on commercial fishing in the area located between 50-200 nautical miles from the landward boundaries of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. In explaining the decision, the Proclamation concludes that “appropriately managed commercial fishing would not put

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that the Council Coordination Committee will hold a public meeting in New Bedford, MA on May 13-15.  The Committee will address topics including a NMFS update and FY25-26 priorities, Executive Orders update, science and NEPA updates, a legislative outlook discussion, Draft Policy and Guidance: National Marine Sanctuaries Act Sec. 304(a)(5); International Fisheries Issues,

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the Interior Department’s Fish & Wildlife Service today announced that they are seeking comments by Monday, May 19 on their proposal to rescind the regulatory definition of “harm” in their Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations, which would apply to any permits issued after the regulation becomes final. In seeking comments, the agencies note

President Trump today issued an Executive Order on “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness” intended to promote productive harvest of U.S. seafood resources, remove regulatory burdens on U.S. commercial fishermen, combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and protect U.S. seafood markets from unfair trade practices. Among other things, within 30 days, the Order requires the Commerce Secretary

Interior Sec. and National Energy Dominance Council Chair Doug Burgum today announced on X that, following consultation with Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick, the Interior Department directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to immediately halt all construction activities related to the Empire Wind offshore wind project “until further review of information that suggests the Biden administration rushed through its approval without

In a letter sent today to Acting National Marine Fisheries Service Asst. Administrator Emily Menashes, U.S. House Oversight & Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) and Economic Growth, Energy Policy, & Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee Chair Eric Burlison (R-MO) noted the Committee’s investigation into “Biden Administration policies that led to higher costs and placed burdensome restrictions on consumer

President Trump today issued a Presidential Memorandum on “Updating Permitting Technology for the 21st Century.”  Noting that the federal government “does not properly leverage technology to effectively and efficiently evaluate environmental permits,” the Memorandum directs federal entities to “make maximum use of technology” when conducting environmental review and permitting processes for infrastructure projects of all types,

In a report released today regarding “Offshore Wind Energy: Actions Needed to Address Gaps in Interior’s Oversight of Development,” the Government Accountability Office examined potential impacts of offshore wind energy development and the mechanisms that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (in coordination with other agencies) has in place to oversee offshore wind development and the extent