🐬Proposed Rule on Marine Mammal Takes During Military Readiness
NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Department of the Navy (including the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps) (Navy) and on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard) and U.S. Army (Army) (hereafter, Navy, Coast Guard, and Army are collectively referred to as the Action Proponents) for Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and multiple associated Letters of Authorization (LOAs) pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The requested regulations would govern the authorization of take of marine mammals incidental to training and testing activities, and modernization and sustainment of ranges conducted in the Hawaii-California Training and Testing (HCTT) Study Area over the course of seven years from December 2025 through December 2032. NMFS requests comments on this proposed rule. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the promulgation of the requested ITR and issuance of the LOAs; agency responses to public comments will be summarized in the final rule, if issued. The Action Proponents' activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA) and the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2019 (2019 NDAA).
Learn More🐋Final Rule on Marine Mammal Takes for Port of Alaska Modernization
NMFS, upon request from the Don Young Port of Alaska (POA), hereby promulgates regulations to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the Cargo Terminals Replacement (CTR) project at the existing port facility in Anchorage, Alaska over the course of 5 years. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the specified activities in the specified geographical region (see Description of the Specified Activities section) during the effective dates of the regulations, 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.
Learn More🦅5-Year Status Reviews of Endangered Species
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are initiating 5-year status reviews under the Endangered Species Act for the short-tailed albatross and the wood bison. A 5-year status review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any new information on these species that has become available since the last reviews.
Learn More🌾USDA Ends Race and Sex-Based Preferences in Assistance Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has independently determined that it will no longer employ the race- and sex-based "socially disadvantaged" designation to provide increased benefits based on race and sex in the programs at issue in this regulation. The USDA has faced a long history of litigation stemming from allegations of discrimination in the administration of its farm loan and benefit programs. However, over the past several decades, USDA has undertaken substantial efforts to redress past injustices, culminating in comprehensive settlements, institutional reforms, and compensatory frameworks. These actions collectively support the conclusion that past discrimination has been sufficiently addressed and that further race- and sex-based remedies are no longer necessary or legally justified under current circumstances.
Learn More🎣New Regulation on Pacific Halibut Charter Fishing Stamps
This final rule authorizes fee collection for the Recreational Quota Entity (RQE) Program. A charter halibut stamp (stamp) is required under this final rule for every charter vessel angler, 18 years of age or older, for each charter vessel fishing trip in a given calendar day, or each calendar day during a charter vessel fishing trip that spans multiple days, who intends to catch and retain halibut on a charter vessel in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) regulatory areas 2C in Southeast Alaska and 3A in South Central Alaska. Persons who hold charter halibut permits (CHPs) must purchase electronic stamps from NMFS. Charter vessel guides are required to validate a stamp for each adult charter vessel angler intending to catch and retain halibut on a charter vessel fishing trip. This final rule is necessary to promote stability and economic viability in the charter halibut fishery and is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act), and other applicable laws.
Learn More🐟Proposed Endangered Status for Barrens Darter
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Barrens darter (Etheostoma forbesi), a fish species from Cannon, Coffee, Grundy, and Warren Counties, Tennessee, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the Barrens darter. After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Barrens darter as an endangered species under the Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to the species. We find that designating critical habitat for this species is not determinable at this time.
Learn More🦉Permit Applications for Endangered Species Conservation
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct scientific research to promote conservation or other activities intended to recover and enhance endangered species survival. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species, unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.
Learn More🎣2025 Management Measures for Pacific Halibut Commercial Fishery
NMFS is implementing annual management measures for the 2025 non-Tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut fishery that operates south of Point Chehalis, WA, (lat. 46[deg]53.30' N) in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. Annual management measures include fishing periods and fishing period limits. NMFS is also implementing modified permit deadlines for all Area 2A non-Tribal commercial fisheries and is modifying inseason action announcement procedures for the Area 2A non-Tribal directed commercial fishery. These actions are intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide fishing opportunity where available.
Learn More🦙Proposed Endangered Species Listing for Seven Pangolin Species
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list seven species of pangolin distributed throughout Asia and Africa as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list these species. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing these species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis), white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), black- bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla) and giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) as endangered species under the Act. Finalizing this rule as proposed would add these species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to these species. We also propose to revise the entry for Temminck's ground pangolin, which is listed as an endangered species under the Act, to reflect the species' current common name spelling and to use the most recently accepted scientific name.
Learn More🐟Proposed Rule to Delist Gila Chub from Endangered Species List
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove the Gila chub (Gila intermedia) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Our review indicates that, based on the best scientific and commercial data available, the Gila chub is not a valid taxonomic entity and does not meet the definition of a species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Accordingly, we propose to delist the Gila chub. If we finalize this rule as proposed, the prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the Act, particularly through sections 7 and 9, would no longer apply to the Gila chub.
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