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Proposed Rule2025-114992025-06-23

Marine Mammals; Incidental Take of Northern Sea Otters During Specified Activities; Seward, Sitka, and Kodiak, Alaska

Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service

Abstract

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, from the U.S. Coast Guard, propose to issue regulations for the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take by harassment of small numbers of Southcentral Alaska, Southeast Alaska, and Southwest Alaska stocks of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) during pile driving and marine construction activities in Seward, Sitka, and Kodiak, Alaska. Incidental take of northern sea otters may result from in-water noise generated during pile driving and marine construction activities occurring for a period up to 5 years. This proposed rule would authorize take by harassment only, and no lethal take would be authorized. If this rule is finalized, we will issue letters of authorization for the incidental take of northern sea otters, upon request, for specific activities in accordance with the final rule for a period up to 5 years. We request comments on these proposed regulations.

Action & Dates

Action
Notification of receipt of application; proposed rule; availability of draft environmental assessment; request for comments.
Dates
Comments on these proposed incidental take regulations and the accompanying draft environmental assessment will be accepted on or before July 23, 2025. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the closing date.

CFR References

Topics

Administrative practice and procedureAlaskaImportsIndiansMarine mammalsReporting and recordkeeping requirementsTransportation

Public Comment

Comments Close
2025-07-23

Document Excerpt

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 18 [Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2024-0195; FXES111607MRG01-245-FF07CAMM00] RIN 1018-BI08 AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notification of receipt of application; proposed rule; availability of draft environmental assessment; request for comments. SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, from the U.S. Coast Guard, propose to issue regulations for the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take by harassment of small numbers of Southcentral Alaska, Southeast Alaska, and Southwest Alaska stocks of northern sea otters ( Enhydra lutris kenyoni ) during pile driving and marine construction activities in Seward, Sitka, and Kodiak, Alaska. Incidental take of northern sea otters may result from in-water noise generated during pile driving and marine construction activities occurring for a period up to 5 years. This proposed rule would authorize take by harassment only, and no lethal take would be authorized. If this rule is finalized, we will issue letters of authorization for the incidental take of northern sea otters, upon request, for specific activities in accordance with the final rule for a period up to 5 years. We request comments on these proposed regulations. DATES: Comments on these proposed incidental take regulations and the accompanying draft environmental assessment will be accepted on or before July 23,

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Full Document

Citation: 90 FR 26486