Media Coverage

The U.S. Coast Guard today announced that it is seeking comments by Wednesday, Oct. 6 on specific Coast Guard programs, regulations, policies, and procedures that the Coast Guard should consider changing to combat and respond to climate change. The Coast Guard notes that this action is being taken in response to the Jan. 2021 Executive Order on “Protecting […]

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries today announced that it is seeking comments by Friday, Sept. 10 on a draft environmental impact statement and management plan that considers three alternatives for the proposed designation of a national marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario, NY and the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River.  In connection with the comment

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced its recommendation for $17.5 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding for three ongoing partnerships that would help implemented twelve projects to restore Great Lakers habitat and improve resilience.  The funding targets projects on Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, and the Maumee, Niagara, and Detroit Rivers.

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Wednesday announced that it is seeking comments by Friday, July 30 on its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement analyzing the potential impacts of Vineyard Wind’s Construction & Operations Plan (Plan). The Plan involves the construction and operation of up to 130 wind turbines, two to five offshore substations,

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that the Caribbean Fishery Management Council’s Outreach and Education Advisory Panel will hold a public virtual meeting on July 28-29.  Agenda items include marine protected areas in territorial and federal jurisdiction and related recommendations.

The Interior Department today announced the availability of a Final Restoration Plan 2 and Environmental Assessment: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Birds; and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities, which was prepared by federal natural resource trustee agencies for the Florida Trustee Implementation Group. The plan includes ~$62 million to help restore to help restore

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced their decision to withdraw a proposed rule to revise 21 existing regulations and add 13 new regulations governing exploration drilling in U.S. Arctic waters. In announcing the withdrawal, BSEE and BOEM cited President Biden’s Jan. 2021 Executive Order on “Protecting

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it is seeking comments by Monday, Aug. 30 on the agency’s initiation of a 5-year review for the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle.  The review will assess the best scientific and commercial data available to determine whether the species should be delisted or reclassified.

NOAA’s National Ocean Service today announced that it is seeking comments by Tuesday, Aug. 24 on its draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (appendices accessible here) analyzing the potential impacts associated with NOAA’s recurring data collection projects to characterize submerged features in U.S. rivers and state and federal waters over the next six years. NOAA noted that the purpose of the proposed

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service today announced its release of revised marine mammal stock assessment reports (SAR’s) for the Southern Beaufort Sea polar bear stock and the Chukchi/Bering Seas polar bear stock. The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare stock assessment reports for each stock of marine mammals occurring