Department of Commerce July 8, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce is currently seeking nominations of individuals for consideration for appointment by the Secretary of Commerce to serve as members of one of the 61 District Export Councils (DECs) nationwide. DECs are closely affiliated with the U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEACs) of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS), and play a key role in the planning and coordination of export activities in their communities.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during biological research, monitoring, and maintenance activities at the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Complex).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issues final regulations to implement the designation of the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary (MPNMS or sanctuary). The area is 18 square miles of waters and submerged lands encompassing and surrounding the Mallows Bay area of the tidal Potomac River. The area is located entirely within Maryland state waters, adjacent to the Nanjemoy Peninsula of Charles County, Maryland. The sanctuary protects nationally-significant maritime cultural heritage resources, including the fragile, historic remains of more than 100 World War I (WWI)-era U.S. Emergency Fleet Corporation (USEFC) wooden steamships known as the ``Ghost Fleet,'' vessels related to the historic ship-breaking operations, other non-USEFC vessels of historic significance, and related maritime debris fields. The area also includes Native American sites, remains of historic fisheries operations, and Revolutionary and Civil War battlescapes. The significance of the area is recognized through its listing on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register Listing Number 15000173, April 24, 2015). NOAA, the State of Maryland, and Charles County, Maryland, will jointly manage MPNMS.