National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 17, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is providing notice that the final rule published on June 23, 2021, to designate Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary (WSCNMS) became effective on August 16, 2021. NOAA is also amending the WCSNMS regulations to reflect the effective date.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued a renewal incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the United States Navy (Navy) to incidentally harass marine mammals incidental to construction activities for the Service Pier Extension Project at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor in Silverdale, Washington.

We, NMFS, announce 12-month findings on 2 petitions to list populations of spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as threatened or endangered Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to designate critical habitat concurrently with the listings. We have completed a comprehensive analysis of Oregon Coast (OC) and Southern Oregon and Northern California Coastal (SONCC) spring-run Chinook salmon populations in response to the petitions. Based on the best scientific and commercial data available, including the ESU configuration report, we have determined that listing the OC and SONCC spring-run Chinook salmon populations as threatened or endangered ESUs is not warranted. We determined that the OC and SONCC spring-run Chinook salmon populations do not meet the ESU Policy criteria to be considered ESUs separate from the OC and SONCC fall-run Chinook salmon populations and, therefore, do not meet the statutory definition of a species under the ESA. We also announce the availability of an ESU configuration report we prepared to inform our determination.