Marine Mammal Commission

2018 Marine Mammal Commission Letters and Agency Responses

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2018 Commission letters and agency responses are provided as PDF files below. Download times of large PDFs will vary based on connection speed. Additional information on PDFs.

 

Application from National Park Service to take marine mammals incidental to conducting seabird surveys and climate monitoring activities in Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to conduct research on manatees.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Not yet available.

Application from ABR, Inc.—Environmental & Research Services to conduct research on northern sea otters.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

View Response

Application from National Wildlife Health Center to possess, receive, and/or export samples from northern sea otters, walruses, polar bears, and manatees.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Not yet available.

Application from Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Research Program to incidentally harass and import, receive, possess, transfer, export, analyze, and archive samples from manatees, polar bears, walruses, and sea otters.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Not yet available.

Application from Karyn Rode to conduct research on captive polar bears.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Not yet available.

Application from U.S. Geological Survey to conduct research on polar bears in Alaska.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

View Response

Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed oil and gas lease sale in the Beaufort Sea Outer Continental Shelf planning area.

View Letter

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Not yet available.

Application from Space Explorations Technology Corporation to take marine mammals incidental to conducting rocket recovery activities at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Draft 2018 Stock Assessment Reports.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Draft Blue Whale Recovery Plan.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from Stephen Trumble to amend his permit to import, receive, and possess samples from cetaceans.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from City of Juneau to take marine mammals incidental to conducting harbor improvements at Statter Harbor in Juneau, Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

2019 List of Fisheries.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from Karyn Rode to conduct research on captive polar bears.

View Letter

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Not yet available.

Application from Michelle Shero to conduct research on pinnipeds in Antarctica.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Washington State Department of Transportation to take marine mammals incidental to bridge repair in Aberdeen, Washington.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Exempted fishing permit application for golden crab in the Gulf of Mexico.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from Heidi Pearson to conduct research on cetaceans in Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Comments on Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule allowing fishing with “ropeless” lobster gear in restricted areas in New England.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Draft recommendations to the Governor of Washington State for protecting Southern Resident killer whales.

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Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force

Not yet available.

Application from Joshua Schiffman to import, receive, possess, and export samples from pinnipeds and cetaceans.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Draft Restoration Plan 1 and Environmental Assessment on habitat projects, nutrient reduction, water quality, and recreational opportunities.

View Letter

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/Florida Trustee Implementation Group

Not yet available.

Application from John Calambokidis to conduct research activities on marine mammals in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from SeaWorld, LLC, to conduct research activities on a Cook Inlet beluga whale.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Air Force to take pinnipeds incidental to conducting rocket launches at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Comments on Washington State Governor’s Southern Resident Orca Task Force – Draft Report and Potential Recommendations

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Governor's Office, State of Washington

Not yet available.

Proposed rule on prohibitions applicable to threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Not yet available.

Proposed rule on listing species and designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act.

View Leltter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Draft regional programmatic environmental assessments for the National Marine Sanctuaries.

View Letter

National Ocean Science

Not yet available.

Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Federally-Regulated Offshore Oil and Gas Activities in the Southern California Planning Area.

View Letter

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

Not yet available.

Application from Port of San Francisco to take marine mammals incidental to ferry and water taxi landing construction in San Francisco, California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from Point Blue Conservation Science to conduct research on pinnipeds in California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to take marine mammals incidental to reconstruction of the ferry terminal in Gustavus, Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active sonar training and testing activities in the central and western Pacific Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean.

View Letter

U.S. Navy

Not yet available.

Application from Jay Rotella to amend his permit to conduct research on Weddell seals in Antarctica.

View Letter

National Science Foundation

View Response

Proposed revisions of regulations governing the taking of fur seals for subsistence on the Pribilof Islands.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Linnea Pearson to amend her permit to conduct research on Weddell seals in Antarctica.

View Letter

National Science Foundation

View Response

Application from Southeast Fisheries Science Center to conduct research on cetaceans in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Letter

Draft Injury Assessment Plan for Upper Duwamish River, Seattle, Washington.

View Letter

National Ocean Service

Not yet available.

Application from Office of Naval Research to take marine mammals incidental to conducting research activities in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Port of Kalama to take marine mammals incidental to constructing the Kalama Manufacturing and Marine Export Facility on the Columbia River in Washington.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Tamara McGuire to conduct research on beluga whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Alaska Fisheries Science Center to take marine mammals incidental to conducting fisheries research surveys in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Arctic Ocean, and off the U.S. west coast.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to take marine mammals incidental to industry operators conducting geophysical surveys in the Gulf of Mexico.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Draft environmental impact statement on bowhead whale subsistence harvest.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from Oregon State University to conduct research on cetaceans worldwide.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Letter

Application from Aaron Roberts to amend his permit to import, receive, and possess samples from harp and hooded seals.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Jooke Robbins to conduct research on large whales in the western North Atlantic Ocean.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory to take marine mammals incidental to conducting two marine geophysical surveys in the North Pacific Ocean.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Seattle Department of Transportation to take marine mammals incidental to restoration of Piers 62 and 63 in Seattle, Washington.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division to take marine mammals incidental to construction of a new Mukilteo Ferry Terminal in Mukilteo, Washington.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Plimsoll Productions to conduct filming activities on bottlenose dolphins in Florida.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from U.S. Navy to take marine mammals incidental to conducting training and testing activities in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing study area.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Linnea Pearson to amend her permit to conduct research on Weddell seals in Antarctica.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from Icon Films to conduct filming activities on killer whales and harbor seals in Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Shaw Institute to import, receive, possess, and/or export samples from marine mammals.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from John Wise to import, receive, possess, and/or export samples from cetaceans.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Marine Mammals Management to conduct research on polar bears in Alaska.

View Letter

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

View Response

Application from Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a/ Dominion Energy Virginia to take marine mammals incidental to conducting unexploded ordnance investigation surveys off the coast of Virginia.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Geological Survey to conduct research on manatees in the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico.

View Letter

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

View Response

Application from Sea to Shore Alliance to conduct research on manatees in the southeastern United States.

View Letter

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

View Response

Application from Mote Marine Laboratory to conduct research on manatees in Florida.

View Letter

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Geological Survey to take marine mammals incidental to conducting a geophysical survey in the Atlantic Ocean.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Orsted LLC/Bay State Wind LLC to take marine mammals incidental to conducting marine site characterization surveys off the coast of Massachusetts.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Ketchikan Dock Company to take marine mammals incidental to conducting a berth expansion project in Ketchikan, Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Venoco, LLC, to transfer to Chevron USA, Inc., an authorization to take marine mammals incidental to conducting pile replacement at the Casitas Pier in Carpinteria, California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from Kitsap Transit to take marine mammals incidental to conducting construction activities at the Annapolis Ferry Terminal in Port Orchard, Washington.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division to take marine mammals incidental to reconfiguring the Seattle Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock in Washington.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Deepwater Wind New England, LLC to take marine mammals incidental to conducting marine site characterization surveys off the coast of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Chesapeake Tunnel Joint Venture to take marine mammals incidental to conducting construction activities for the Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel Bridge Project in Virginia.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from ABR, Inc.–Environmental & Research Services to conduct research on marine mammals in Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Hilcorp Alaska, LLC to take sea otters incidental to conducting aerial surveys for oil and gas exploration in Cook Inlet, Alaska.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Not yet available.

Application from Northeast Fisheries Science Center to conduct research on pinnipeds in the Atlantic Ocean.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Scripps Institution of Oceanography to take marine mammals incidental to conducting a marine geophysical survey in the north Atlantic Ocean.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority to take marine mammals incidental to ferry terminal expansion and renovations in San Francisco, California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Point Blue Conservation Science to take marine mammals incidental to conducting seabird research activities in California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Chevron to take marine mammals incidental to conducting construction activities at its Richmond Refinery Long Wharf in Richmond, California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Living Planet Productions/Silverback Films to conduct filming activities on common bottlenose dolphins in Florida.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Navy to take marine mammals incidental to conducting pier construction activities at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from California Department of Transportation to take marine mammals incidental to demolition and reuse activities associated with replacement of the east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Alabama Trustee Implementation Group’s Draft Restoration Plan II and Environmental Assessment: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats; Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; Nutrient Reduction; Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Birds; and Oysters.

View Letter

Alabama Trustee Implementation Group (c/o U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Not yet available.

Application from Garden State Offshore Energy, LLC to take marine mammals incidental to marine site characterization surveys off the coast of Delaware as part of the Skipjack Wind Project.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Coast Guard to take sea otters incidental to replacement of structures at the Coast Guard Station in Monterey, California.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Not yet available.

Application from Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division to take marine mammals incidental to conducting construction activities at Bremerton and Edmonds ferry terminals in Washington.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Navy to take marine mammals incidental to conducting a wharf recapitalization project in Mayport, Florida.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Call for Information and Nominations for the 2019 Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale for the Beaufort Sea Planning Area

View Letter

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Not yet available

Request for information for the 5-year status reviews of fin and sei whales, and the Western North Pacific gray whale Discrete Population Segment under the Endangered Species Act.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from Northwest Fisheries Science Center to conduct research on cetaceans in the Pacific Ocean.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Comments and recommendations on the draft revised stock assessment report for the northern sea otter stock in Washington state.

View Letter

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take marine mammals incidental to conducting confined blasting in Tampa Harbor in Florida.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Navy to take marine mammals incidental to conducting training and research, development, test, and evaluation activities within the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing study area.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from Robert Garrott to amend his permit to conduct research on Weddell seals in Antarctica.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Pacific Whale Foundation to conduct research on false killer whales in Hawaii.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Patricia Fair to import, receive, possess, and/or export samples from common bottlenose dolphins.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to take marine mammals incidental to replacing a dock and ferry terminal in Tenakee Springs, Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Navy to take marine mammals incidental to extending a service pier at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor in Washington.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Navy to take marine mammals incidental to conducting marine structure maintenance and pile replacement activities at multiple facilities in Washington.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Letter

Application from Harvest Alaska LLC to take marine mammals incidental to pipeline installation in Cook Inlet, Alaska.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from City of Astoria to take pinnipeds incidental to bridge replacement in Astoria, Oregon.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Waikiki Aquarium to conduct research on Hawaiian monk seals.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Draft 2017 Stock Assessment Reports.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Statoil Wind U.S. LLC to take marine mammals incidental to site characterization surveys off New York as part of the Empire Wind Project.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take pinnipeds incidental to conducting seabird, shorebird, and other monitoring and research activities within the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Additional consultation under section 103 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act concerning a proposed waiver of the Act’s taking moratorium to authorize the Makah Tribe to hunt gray whales.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Shannon Atkinson to import, receive, possess, and/or export samples from cetaceans and pinnipeds.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Issuance of a waiver of the Marine Mammal Protection Act’s taking moratorium for three wetland restoration projects in Louisiana as directed by Public Law 115-123.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Draft Proposed Program for the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

View Letter

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Not yet available.

Application from Center for Whale Research to conduct research on marine mammals in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society to take pinnipeds incidental to aircraft operations and restoration and maintenance activities at the St. George Reef Light Station off the coast of Crescent City, California.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Daniel Costa to conduct research on pinnipeds in Antarctica.

View Letter

National Science Foundation

Not yet available.

Application from Mystic Aquarium to collect, import, receive, possess, and/or export samples from cetaceans and pinnipeds.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Ari Friedlaender to modify his permit to conduct research on cetaceans in Antarctica.

View Letter

National Science Foundation

View Response

Draft Strategic Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #3: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats in the Barataria Basin, Louisiana

View Letter

Louisiana Deepwater Horizon Trustee Implementation Group

View Response

Application from Partnership for the Interdisciplinary Study of Coastal Oceans to take marine mammals incidental to conducting rocky intertidal monitoring activities along the California and Oregon coasts.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.

Application from North Slope Borough to collect, import, receive, possess, and/or export samples from nine species of marine mammals.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from Northeast Fisheries Science Center to conduct research primarily on cetaceans in the Atlantic Ocean.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from BBC to film southern sea otters in California.

View Letter

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Air Force to take marine mammals incidental to conducting testing and training activities at Eglin Air Force Base in the Gulf of Mexico.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Establishment of a Willamette River Pinniped-Fishery Interaction Task Force and application from Oregon seeking pinniped removal authority.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Proposed critical habitat designation for insular population of false killer whales in the Main Hawaiian Islands.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

View Response

Application from U.S. Navy to take marine mammals incidental to construction activities in association with a waterfront restoration project at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.

View Letter

National Marine Fisheries Service

Not yet available.