News

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Gulf of Mexico Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, July 28. Agenda items include an overview and feedback on proposed Wind Energy Areas in the Gulf of Mexico and the related draft Environmental Assessment, as well as a public comment opportunity. The Task Force […]

The U.S. State Dept. today announced that it will hold a virtual information session on Tuesday, July 26 regarding the upcoming 5th session of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Conference on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), to be held in New York on Aug. 15-26.  The Conference was established to develop text

The Coast Guard today announced its decision to recertify the Cook Inlet Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council through Aug. 31, 2023. The Advisory Council monitors the activities of terminal facilities and crude oil tankers pursuant to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it is seeking comments by Monday, Sept. 12 on its 90-day finding that a revised critical habitat designation for the North Pacific right whale may be warranted. The finding was made in response to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and Save the North Pacific Right Whale seeking to connect

NOAA today announced ~$3 billion in funding opportunities over the next 5 years from the infrastructure law to address coastal and climate resilience.  Funding will support initiatives on Climate Ready Coasts ($1.467B), Climate Data and Services ($904M), and Fisheries and Protected Resources ($592M). Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo said that funding will be used to “support transformational projects that will

The Coast Guard today announced that it is seeking comments by Friday, Sept. 9 on its intention to seek approval to extend an information collection related to safety onboard offshore supply vessels.  The information collection involves an estimated 718 annual burden hours by vessel owners and operators. The Coast Guard today also announced that it is seeking comments by Friday, Sept.

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced that it is seeking comments by Thursday, Oct. 6 on its 2023-2028 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Proposed Program and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (see here and here). The Proposed Program’s lease sale schedule includes 10 potential lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and 1 potential lease sale

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it is seeking comments by Tuesday, Sept. 6 on its proposed rule to implement provisions of the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 and the Ensuring Access to Pacific Fisheries Act, and to amend the definition of IUU fishing in the regulations that implement the High

The Ocean Policy Committee today released a 2022-2023 Action Plan to guide its actions through the end of next year. The Action Plan includes a series of actions, including the following: Development of National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (formal notice for public input planned for Summer 2022); Development of Ocean-Climate Action Plan that includes assessment