Notice2024-18608
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Marine Site Characterization Surveys in the New York Bight
Primary source
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Published
August 21, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS received a request from Community Offshore Wind, LLC (COSW) for the renewal of their incidental harassment authorization (IHA) (hereinafter, the "initial IHA") to take marine mammals incidental to marine site characterization surveys in coastal waters off of New Jersey and New York in the New York Bight, specifically within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Area OCS-A 0539 (Lease Area) and associated Export Cable Route (ECR) survey area (ECR Area). Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to issuing the initial IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. The renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed renewal that were not previously provided during the initial 30-day comment period.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 162 (Wednesday, August 21, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67592-67596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18608]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE150]
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities;
Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Marine Site Characterization
Surveys in the New York Bight
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments on proposed renewal incidental
harassment authorization.
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SUMMARY: NMFS received a request from Community Offshore Wind, LLC
(COSW) for the renewal of their incidental harassment authorization
(IHA) (hereinafter, the ``initial IHA'') to take marine mammals
incidental to marine site characterization surveys in coastal waters
off of New Jersey and New York in the New York Bight, specifically
within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease of
Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Area OCS-A 0539 (Lease Area) and
associated Export Cable Route (ECR) survey area (ECR Area). Pursuant to
the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to issuing the initial IHA,
NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for
renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were
satisfied. The renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is
now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any
additional comments on the proposed renewal that were not previously
provided during the initial 30-day comment period.
DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than
September 5, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief,
Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service, and should be submitted via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0a435e5a246263667e4a64656b6b246d657c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="662f3236480e0f0a12260809070748010910">[email protected]</span></a>.
Instructions: NMFS is not responsible for comments sent by any
other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the
end of the comment period. Comments, including all attachments, must
not exceed a 25-megabyte file size. Attachments to comments will be
accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel or Adobe PDF file formats only. All
comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be
posted online at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/incidental-take-authorizations-under-marine-mammal-protection-act">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/incidental-take-authorizations-under-marine-mammal-protection-act</a> without change. All
personal identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.)
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do
not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information.
Electronic copies of the initial IHA application, renewal request,
and supporting documents, including
[[Page 67593]]
Federal Register notices of the initial proposed and final IHA, the
initial IHA, and a list of the references cited in this document, may
be obtained online at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-take-authorizations-other-energy-activities-renewable">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-take-authorizations-other-energy-activities-renewable</a>. In case of problems accessing these documents,
please call the contact listed below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Hilt, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427-8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibits the ``take'' of
marine mammals, with certain exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D)
of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce
(as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not
intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens
who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing)
within a specified geographical region if certain findings are made and
either regulations are promulgated or, if the taking is limited to
harassment, an incidental harassment authorization is issued.
Authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if NMFS finds
that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or
stock(s) and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the
availability of the species or stock(s) for taking for subsistence uses
(where relevant). Further, NMFS must prescribe the permissible methods
of taking and other ``means of effecting the least practicable adverse
impact'' on the affected species or stocks and their habitat, paying
particular attention to rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar
significance, and on the availability of such species or stocks for
taking for certain subsistence uses (referred to here as ``mitigation
measures''). NMFS must also prescribe requirements pertaining to
monitoring and reporting of such takings. The definition of key terms
such as ``take,'' ``harassment,'' and ``negligible impact'' can be
found in the MMPA and the NMFS's implementing regulations (see 16
U.S.C. 1362; 50 CFR 216.103).
NMFS' regulations implementing the MMPA at 50 CFR 216.107(e)
indicate that IHAs may be renewed for additional periods of time not to
exceed 1 year for each reauthorization. In the notice of proposed IHA
for the initial IHA, NMFS described the circumstances under which we
would consider issuing a renewal for this activity, and requested
public comment on a potential renewal under those circumstances.
Specifically, on a case-by-case basis, NMFS may issue a one-time 1-year
renewal of an IHA following notice to the public providing an
additional 15 days for public comments when (1) up to another year of
identical, or nearly identical, activities as described in the Detailed
Description of Specified Activities section of the initial IHA issuance
notice is planned or (2) the activities as described in the Description
of the Specified Activities and Anticipated Impacts section of the
initial IHA issuance notice would not be completed by the time the
initial IHA expires and a renewal would allow for completion of the
activities beyond that described in the DATES section of the notice of
issuance of the initial IHA, provided all of the following conditions
are met:
1. A request for renewal is received no later than 60 days prior to
the needed renewal IHA effective date (recognizing that the renewal IHA
expiration date cannot extend beyond 1 year from expiration of the
initial IHA).
2. The request for renewal must include the following:
<bullet> An explanation that the activities to be conducted under
the requested renewal IHA are identical to the activities analyzed
under the initial IHA, are a subset of the activities, or include
changes so minor (e.g., reduction in pile size) that the changes do not
affect the previous analyses, mitigation and monitoring requirements,
or take estimates (with the exception of reducing the type or amount of
take); and
<bullet> A preliminary monitoring report showing the results of the
required monitoring to date and an explanation showing that the
monitoring results do not indicate impacts of a scale or nature not
previously analyzed or authorized.
3. Upon review of the request for renewal, the status of the
affected species or stocks, and any other pertinent information, NMFS
determines that there are no more than minor changes in the activities,
the mitigation and monitoring measures will remain the same and
appropriate, and the findings in the initial IHA remain valid.
An additional public comment period of 15 days (for a total of 45
days), with direct notice by email, phone, or postal service to
commenters on the initial IHA, is provided to allow for any additional
comments on the proposed renewal. A description of the renewal process
may be found on our website at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-harassment-authorization-renewals">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-harassment-authorization-renewals</a>. Any comments received on the potential renewal, along with
relevant comments on the initial IHA, have been considered in the
development of this proposed IHA renewal, and a summary of agency
responses to applicable comments is included in this notice. NMFS will
consider any additional public comments prior to making any final
decision on the issuance of the requested renewal, and agency responses
will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.
National Environmental Policy Act
This action is consistent with categories of activities identified
in Categorical Exclusion B4 (incidental take authorizations with no
anticipated serious injury or mortality) of the Companion Manual for
NOAA Administrative Order 216-6A, which do not individually or
cumulatively have the potential for significant impacts on the quality
of the human environment and for which we have not identified any
extraordinary circumstances that would preclude this categorical
exclusion. Accordingly, NMFS determined that the issuance of the
initial IHA qualified to be categorically excluded from further
National Environmental Policy Act review. NMFS has preliminarily
determined that the application of this categorical exclusion remains
appropriate for this renewal IHA.
History of Request
On June 30, 2023, NMFS issued an IHA to COSW to take marine mammals
incidental to Marine Site Characterization Surveys in the New York
Bight, specifically within the BOEM Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands
for Renewable Energy Development on the OCS Lease Area and associated
ECR Area (88 FR 42322), effective from July 1, 2023, through June 30,
2024. On June 14, 2024, NMFS received an application for the renewal of
that initial IHA. COSW has met all the conditions for a renewal.As
described in the application for renewal IHA, the activities for which
incidental take is requested consist of activities that are covered by
the initial authorization but were not completed prior to its
expiration. As required, the COSW also provided a preliminary
monitoring report which confirms that the applicant has implemented the
required mitigation and monitoring, and which also shows that no
impacts of a scale or nature not previously analyzed or authorized have
occurred as a result of the activities conducted. NMFS has
[[Page 67594]]
decided to waive the 60 days renewal requirement, recognizing that the
renewal IHA, if issued, will expire one year from the expiration date
of the initial IHA, on June 30, 2025, and having ensured that COSW
understands that there is a lapse in MMPA authorization coverage
between the expiration of the initial IHA and the issuance of any
renewal.
Description of the Specified Activities and Anticipated Impacts
COSW proposes to conduct marine site characterization surveys with
high-resolution geophysical (HRG) surveys and geotechnical sampling
from August 6, 2024 through June 30, 2025. Only HRG surveys are
expected to have the potential to cause incidental take of small
numbers of marine mammals. Specifically, the initial IHA consisted of
up to 30,467 kilometers of trackline in waters off the coast of New
Jersey and New York in the New York Bight, which is within the BOEM
Lease Area OCS-A 0539 and associated ECR Area. Hereafter, both the
areas are referred to as the Survey Area. Of note, the trackline was
broken down by Lease Area survey and ECR survey area. Approximately
28,290 km was planned for the Lease Area and 2,177 km for the ECR Area.
The effort for bottlenose dolphins was differentiated to account for
the two stocks present in the Survey Area. In the ECR Area trackline,
400 kilometers is in waters <20 m deep where the Western North Atlantic
Migratory Coastal Stock (Coastal Stock) of bottlenose dolphins may be
present, whereas the remaining 1,777 km is in waters >20 meters deep
where the Western North Atlantic Offshore Stock (Offshore Stock) of
bottlenose dolphins may be present. In the Lease Area, all 28,290 km of
trackline are in waters >20 meters deep. COSW was unable to complete
the full survey effort planned under the initial IHA and, for this
renewal, COSW requests authorization for take incidental to completion
of the remaining HRG survey tracklines.
The purpose of COSW's proposed surveys is to provide sufficient
data to meet BOEM guidelines and support the development of offshore
wind facilities in the Survey Area. Specifically, data collected would
support site characterization, siting, and engineering design of
offshore wind facilities including turbine generators, offshore
substations, submarine cables and data necessary for project review
requirements. COSW will have a maximum of three vessels surveying
concurrently. Underwater sounds produced from sparkers during COSW's
surveys have the potential to result in Level B harassment for 15
species and 16 stocks of marine mammals. With the exception of a slight
change in the remaining survey trackline kilometers and reduction in
the take estimates, activities proposed for the IHA renewal are
identical in scope, effort, potential harassment to marine mammals, and
mitigation measures as the final proposed IHA (88 FR 42322 June 30,
2023).
Detailed Description of the Activity
A detailed description of the surveys for which incidental take is
proposed here may be found in the Federal Register Notices of the
initial Proposed IHA (88 FR 24574, April 21, 2023). During the initial
IHA, COSW surveyed a total of 11,775 kilometers (120 kilometers of
trackline in waters <20 meters deep) of trackline using a 3-sparker
array (Applied Acoustics Dura-Spark UHD 400+400). As noted above, COSW
was unable to complete the total 30,467 kilometers of tracklines
included in the initial IHA, and have requested a renewal to authorize
take incidental to the remaining 19,092 kilometers (280 kilometers in
waters <20 meters) of tracklines. The location, duration, and nature of
the activities, including the types of equipment planned for use, are
identical to those described in the previous notices. As a result of a
miscommunication, COSW's initial IHA authorized 400 km less trackline
than they intended (i.e., 30,467 km versus 30,867 km) and, therefore,
COSW asked that the renewal IHA include the 400 km (19,092 km vs.
18,692) of trackline that was inadvertently omitted from the initial
IHA. NMFS has determined that this correction to the remaining
trackline is a minor change that does not affect the previous analyses,
mitigation or monitoring requirements, or take estimates (except, of
course, for the reduction in the take estimates). The percent of
trackline left to survey and estimated take that may occur has been
updated accordingly. The proposed renewal would be effective from the
date of issuance through June 30, 2025 (one year after the expiration
of the initial IHA).
Description of Marine Mammals
A description of the marine mammals in the area of the activities
for which authorization of take is proposed here, including information
on abundance, status, distribution, and hearing, may be found in the
Federal Register notice of the proposed IHAs (88 FR 24574, April 21,
2023) for the initial IHA. NMFS has reviewed the monitoring data from
the initial IHA, the draft 2023 Stock Assessment Reports (SARs), which
included updates to certain stock abundances since the initial IHA was
issued, information on relevant unusual mortality events (UME), and
other scientific literature. The draft 2023 SAR updated the population
estimate (N<INF>best</INF>) of North Atlantic right whales from 338 to
340 and annual mortality and serious injury from 31.2 to 27.2. The
updated population estimate in the draft 2023 SAR is based upon
sighting history through December 2021 (89 FR 5495, January 29, 2024).
Total annual average observed North Atlantic right whale mortality
during the period 2017-2021 was 7.1 animals and annual average observed
fishery mortality was 4.6 animals, however, estimates of 27.2 total
mortality and 17.6 fishery mortality account for undetected mortality
and serious injury (89 FR 5495, January 29, 2024). In October 2023,
NMFS released a technical report identifying that the North Atlantic
right whale population size based on sighting history through 2022 was
356 whales, with a 95 percent credible interval ranging from 346 to 363
(Linden, 2023).
The population estimates (N<INF>best</INF>) also increased for the
North Atlantic stock of sperm whales, the Western North Atlantic
Offshore stock of common bottlenose dolphins, Western North Atlantic
stocks of Risso's dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, and gray seals.
However, abundance estimates slightly decreased for the Western North
Atlantic stocks of common dolphins and harbor porpoises. NMFS has
determined there is no new information that affects which species or
stocks have the potential to be affected or the pertinent information
in the Description of the Marine Mammals in the Area of Specified
Activities contained in the supporting documents for the initial IHA.
Potential Effects on Marine Mammals and Their Habitat
A description of the potential effects of the specified activity on
marine mammals and their habitat for the activities for which an
authorization of incidental take is proposed here may be found in the
Notices of the Proposed and Final IHAs for the initial IHA. NMFS has
reviewed the monitoring data from the initial IHA, recent draft stock
assessment reports, information on relevant UMEs and other scientific
literature and determined that there is no new information that affects
our initial analysis of impacts on marine mammals and their habitat.
Estimated Take
A detailed description of the methods and inputs used to estimate
take for the
[[Page 67595]]
specified activity are found in the Federal Register Notice of the
Final IHA (88 FR 42322, June 30, 2023) for the initial IHA.
Specifically, the source levels, days of operation, and marine mammal
density/occurrence data applicable to this authorization remain
unchanged from the initial IHA.
To estimate the number of marine mammals predicted to be exposed to
sound levels that would result in harassment of the initial IHA, radial
distances to predicted isopleths corresponding to Level B harassment
thresholds were calculated. The distance (i.e., 141 meters distance
associated with both sparker systems) to the Level B harassment
criterion and the total length of the survey trackline were then used
to calculate the total ensonified area, or harassment zone, around the
survey vessel. The number of marine mammals expected to be incidentally
taken during the total survey was then calculated by estimating the
number of each species predicted to occur within the ensonified area
(animals/km\2\), incorporating the greatest seasonal estimated marine
mammal densities. The product was then rounded to generate an estimate
of the total number of instances of harassment expected for each
species over the duration of the survey (up to 293 days). A summary of
this method is illustrated in the following formula, where the
Harassment Zone is multiplied by the highest seasonal mean density (D)
of each species or stock (animals/km\2\; except for pilot whales where
annual density was used based on data availability).
Estimated Take = Harassment Zone x D
The number of takes proposed for authorization in this renewal are
a subset of the initial authorized takes that better represent the
amount of the remaining activity COSW has left to complete. For all
species but bottlenose dolphins, estimated takes were calculated by
multiplying the authorized take in the initial IHA by the percent of
the initial total trackline considered (30,467 kilometers) represented
by the requested remaining trackline (19,092 km), which is 63 percent
(see Table 1). As noted above, the effort for bottlenose dolphins was
differentiated to account for the two stocks present in the Survey
Area. Tracklines in the Survey Area in waters <20 meters and >20 meters
deep were differentiated to account for differences in density between
the two stocks of bottlenose dolphins, and the appropriate percentages
of tracklines (70 and 62, respectively) are also indicated in Table 1.
Table 1--Proposed Number of Takes by Level B Harassment by Species and Stock and Percent of Take by Stock \1\
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2024 proposed renewal IHA
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2023 IHA Percentage
Species Scientific name Stock Abundance authorized of Estimate of
take trackline take for Max percent
requested requested population
in renewal trackline
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North Atlantic Right Whale......... Eubalaena glacialis... Western Atlantic.......... 340 24 63 15 \2\ 4.4
Fin whale.......................... Balaenoptera physalus. Western North Atlantic.... 6,802 76 63 48 0.7
Sei whale.......................... Balaenoptera borealis. Nova Scotia............... 6,292 24 63 15 0.2
Minke whale........................ Balaenoptera Canadian East Coastal..... 21,968 304 63 192 0.9
acutorostrata.
Humpback whale..................... Megaptera novaeangliae West Indies DPS........... 1,396 46 63 29 2.1
Sperm whale........................ Physeter macrocephalus North Atlantic............ 4,349 10 63 6 0.1
Risso's dolphin.................... Grampus griseus....... Western North Atlantic.... 35,215 59 63 37 0.1
Long-finned pilot whale............ Globicephala melas.... Western North Atlantic.... 39,215 78 63 49 0.1
Atlantic white-sided dolphin....... Lagenorhynchus acutus. Western North Atlantic.... 93,233 427 63 269 0.3
Common dolphin..................... Delphinus delphis..... Western North Atlantic.... 172,974 5,572 63 3,510 2.0
Atlantic spotted dolphin........... Stenella frontalis.... Western North Atlantic.... 39,921 320 63 202 0.5
Common bottlenose dolphin, Offshore Tursiops truncates.... Western North Atlantic 62,851 1,316 62 816 1.3
Stock. Offshore (occurs within
>20 meters deep).
Common bottlenose dolphin, Northern Tursiops truncates.... Western North Atlantic 6,639 115 70 81 1.2
migratory coastal stock. Northern Migratory
Coastal (occurs within
<20 meters deep).
Harbor porpoise.................... Phocoena phocoena..... Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy 95,543 1,912 63 1,205 1.3
Stock.
Harbor seal........................ Phoca vitulina........ Western North Atlantic.... 61,336 1,955 63 1,232 2.0
Gray seal \3\...................... Halichoerus grypus.... Western North Atlantic.... 27,300 1,955 63 1,232 4.5
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\1\ Information on the classification of marine mammal species can be found on the web page for The Society for Marine Mammalogy's Committee on Taxonomy
(<a href="https://marinemammalscience.org/science-and-publications/list-marine-mammal-species-subspecies/">https://marinemammalscience.org/science-and-publications/list-marine-mammal-species-subspecies/</a>; Committee on Taxonomy (2022)).
\2\ Based on the 2023 draft marine mammal stock assessment reports (SAR).
\3\ NMFS's stock abundance estimate (and associated PBR value) applies to the U.S. population only. Total stock abundance (including animals in Canada)
is approximately 451,600. The annual mortality/serious injury given is for the total stock.
Description of Proposed Mitigation, Monitoring and Reporting Measures
The proposed mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures
included as requirements in this proposed IHA are identical to those
included in the Federal Register notice announcing the issuance of the
initial IHA (88 FR 42322, June 30, 2023) and the discussion of the
least practicable adverse impact determination included in that
document remains applicable and accurate.
[[Page 67596]]
Comments and Responses
As noted previously, NMFS published a notice of a proposed IHA (88
FR 24574, April 21, 2023) and solicited public comments on both our
proposal to issue the initial IHA for marine site characterization
surveys in coastal waters off of New Jersey and New York in the New
York Bight and on the potential for a renewal IHA, should certain
requirements be met.
All public comments were addressed in the notice announcing the
issuance of the initial IHA (88 FR 42322, June 30, 2023) and none of
the comments specifically pertained to the renewal of the 2024 IHA.
Preliminary Determinations
NMFS proposes to authorize incidental take of small numbers of
marine mammals from specified activities that are a subset of, but
otherwise identical to, those analyzed in the initial IHA and to
require mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures that are also
identical to those in the initial IHA. The number of takes by Level B
harassment proposed is less than that authorized in the initial IHA. In
the initial IHA, NMFS determined that COSW's specified activities would
have a negligible impact on the affected species and/or stocks and the
authorized take for each stock would be small relative to individual
stock abundance (less than one third).
NMFS has preliminarily concluded that there is no new information
suggesting that our analysis or findings should change from those
reached for the initial IHA. This includes consideration of the
estimated abundance of one stock increasing slightly. Specifically,
NMFS is proposing to authorize 15 takes of North Atlantic right whales
by Level B harassment only, and the impacts resulting from the
project's activities are neither reasonably expected nor reasonably
likely to adversely affect the stock through effects on annual rates of
recruitment or survival. 15 takes of North Atlantic right whales
equates to approximately 4.4 percent of the stock abundance, if each
incident of take is assumed to accrue to a separate individual whale.
Based on the information and analysis contained here and in the
referenced documents, NMFS has determined the following: (1) the
required mitigation measures will effect the least practicable impact
on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat; (2) the
authorized takes will have a negligible impact on the affected marine
mammal species or stocks; (3) the authorized takes represent small
numbers of marine mammals relative to the affected stock abundances;
(4) COSW's activities will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on
taking for subsistence purposes as no relevant subsistence uses of
marine mammals are implicated by this action, and; (5) appropriate
monitoring and reporting requirements are included.
Endangered Species Act
Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) requires that each Federal agency insure that any action
it authorizes, funds, or carries out is not likely to jeopardize the
continued existence of any endangered or threatened species or result
in the destruction or adverse modification of designated critical
habitat. To ensure ESA compliance for the issuance of IHAs, NMFS
consults internally whenever we propose to authorize take for
endangered or threatened species.
NMFS' Office of Protected Resources is proposing to authorize take
of four species of marine mammals that are listed under the ESA (i.e.,
North Atlantic right whale, fin whale, sei whale, and sperm whale) and
has determined these activities fall within the scope of activities
analyzed in the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
programmatic consultation regarding geophysical surveys along the U.S.
Atlantic coast in the three Atlantic renewable energy regions
(completed June 29, 2021; revised September 2021).
Proposed Renewal IHA and Request for Public Comment
As a result of these preliminary determinations, NMFS proposes to
issue a renewal IHA to COSW for conducting marine site characterization
with HRG surveys off the coast of New Jersey and New York in the New
York Bight from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, provided the
previously described mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements
are incorporated. A draft of the proposed and final initial IHA can be
found at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/incidental-take-authorizations-under-marine-mammal-protection-act">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/incidental-take-authorizations-under-marine-mammal-protection-act</a>. We request comment
on our analyses, the proposed renewal IHA, and any other aspect of this
notice. Please include with your comments any supporting data or
literature citations to help inform our final decision on the request
for MMPA authorization.
Dated: August 14, 2024.
Catherine Marzin,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-18608 Filed 8-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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