News

The U.S. Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a final rule effective Tuesday, Jan. 19 that amends Endangered Species Act regulations to establish a process for excluding areas of critical habitat. The final rule outlines when and how an exclusion analysis will be conducted, including identifying a non-exhaustive list of categories of potential impacts that will […]

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it is seeking comments by Monday, Jan. 15 on the Interagency Working Group on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing’s Work Plan. The Work Plan is to form the basis of a 5-year strategic plan that must be submitted to Congress by Dec. 31, 2021 and reflects the initial focus of federal

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a final rule effective Monday, Jan. 15 adding a definition of “habitat” to the Endangered Species Act implementing regulations related to critical habitat designations.

The Environmental Protection Agency today announced the 2-year renewal of the Great Lakes Advisory Board, which provides advice and recommendations on matters related to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and domestic matters related to implementation of the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The Board’s primary objectives are to provide advice and recommendations on Great Lakes protection and restoration activities

President Trump earlier this month announced his intent to appoint Thomas Dans, Crawford Patkotak, David Kennedy, and Dr. Julia Nesheiwat, Ph.D. to serve as Members of the Arctic Research Commission. Dans is Counselor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Treasury Department, with previous experience including positions with Texana Pecan, Grand River Capital, and Agribusiness Partners

The OSPAR Commission for the protection of  the marine environment of the Northeast Atlantic today announced the outcomes of its annual meeting held virtually on Dec. 8-9. Discussion items included the development of OSPAR’s Northeast Atlantic Environment Strategy 2030, which will include targets to achieve a sustainably used and clean, healthy, and biologically diverse ocean and be adopted at a

The Environmental Protection Agency today commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which has funded more than 5,400 projects worth in excess of $2.7 billion since its launch in 2010. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said that GLRI “has made a critical difference in dramatically improved water quality and sustainable habitat across the Great Lakes

NOAA today announced the release of the agency’s 15th Arctic Report Card, which provides annual updates on surface air temperature, terrestrial snow cover, the Greenland ice sheet, sea ice, sea surface temperature, Arctic ocean primary productivity, and tundra greenness. Findings include the second-warmest land-surface air temperature on record, the second-lowest Arctic minimum sea ice extent on record,

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced the availability of new tools established to provide information about the effects of proposed Atlantic offshore wind energy projects on fisheries and fishing communities.  NMFS noted that there are currently over 16 wind energy areas stretching from Maine to North Carolina that could ultimately lead to the installation of over 2,100