The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced that it is seeking comments by Monday, July 3 on a draft environmental impact statement for the construction and operations plan for the proposed Atlantic Shores South Wind Project offshore New Jersey. In conjunction with the comment period, BOEM will hold public hearings in Manahawkin, NJ (Wednesday, June 21), Atlantic City, NJ (Thursday, June [...]
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NOAA Initiates Scoping Process for Potential Great Lakes Marine Sanctuary
NOAA today announced the initiation of a process to potentially designate a ~740-square mile national marine sanctuary in Lake Erie, calling the effort “part of the action that NOAA is taking to support President Biden’s America the Beautiful initiative.” Comments are sought by Tuesday, July 18 on the scope and significance of issues to be addressed in preparing [...]
Mid-Atlantic Committee On the Ocean Holds Annual Forum
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Council’s (MARCO) Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean (MACO) held its 5th annual Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum in New York, NY on May 17-18. This year’s event included a focus on climate-ocean action, offshore wind transmission planning, Mid-Atlantic biodiversity conservation, planning for sustainable ocean economies, the incorporation of tribal elements and knowledge in data tools, [...]
Comments Sought on U.S. Ocean Acidification Action Plan
The State Department today announced that it is seeking comments by Friday, June 16 on the proposed scope for the upcoming United States Ocean Acidification Action Plan (“Action Plan”), which it says will highlight U.S. leadership in reducing carbon emissions, strengthening monitoring, research, and coordination efforts, and investing in adaptive measures. Public comments are also sought on suggestions [...]
Gulf Fishery Mgmt. Council Meeting to Address Wind Energy, Vessel Speed Limit
NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a public meeting in Mobile, AL on June 5-8. The agenda includes an update from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as public comments on the petition for a NMFS rulemaking to establish vessel [...]
USFWS Announces Revised Mitigation Policies
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 [...]
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 [...]
