Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization Available for Public Review and Comment

You are viewing ARCHIVED content published online before January 20, 2025. Please note that this content is NOT UPDATED, and links may not work. Additionally, any previously issued diversity, equity, inclusion or gender-related guidance on this webpage should be considered rescinded. For current information, visit our newsroom.
Press Release
Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization Available for Public Review and Comment

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will be publishing in the Federal Register on December 8, 2020, a proposed Marine Mammal Protection Act Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) and the associated draft Environmental Assessment for a 30-day public review and comment period. If finalized, the IHA would allow the incidental harassment of polar bears in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, during seismic work between January 21 and September 30, 2021. The draft Environmental Assessment analyzes the effects of this IHA on the human environment.

The Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation (KIC) petitioned the Service to develop this IHA. The Service carefully evaluated the proposed activity using the best available science and worked with KIC to establish protocols to reduce impacts to polar bears. This IHA also specifies monitoring and reporting requirements. The information we receive from IHA reports enables us to evaluate the impacts of current activities and potential impacts of future activities on marine mammals.  We are also able to use the information to evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures and modify them if necessary.

You can view this proposed authorization, the associated draft environmental assessment and other related documents at http://www.regulations.gov, search Docket No. FWS‒R7‒ES‒2020‒0129.

You may submit comments on the proposed authorization by one of the following methods:

  • Electronic submission: Federal eRulemaking Portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. FWS‒R7‒ES‒2020‒0129.
  • U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS‒R7‒ES‒2020‒0129, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803.

All comments submitted will be available at http://www.regulations.gov. You may request that we withhold personal identifying information from public review; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. See Request for Public Comments for more information.

Learn more about Incidental Harassment Authorizations on the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service’s Alaska Region website.

Press Release

Published

Latest Press Releases