National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration December 20, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS, upon request from the United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard), hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to maintenance and repair at facilities in Alaska, over the course of 5 years (2023-2028). These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.