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Marine Mammals; Incidental Take of Polar Bears During Specified Activities; North Slope, Alaska (Final)
Jun. 27, 2025
USFWS are revising a portion of their regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act pertaining to incidental take of marine mammals. These regulations, codified at 50 CFR part 18, subpart J, authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take by harassment of small numbers of polar bears from the Southern Beaufort Sea stock and Pacific walruses during year-round oil and gas industry activities in the Beaufort Sea (Alaska and the Outer Continental Shelf) and adjacent northern coast of Alaska. Such take may result from oil and gas exploration, development, production, and transportation activities occurring through 5 August 2026. The revisions made by this final rule authorize incidental Level A harassment of polar bears in addition to the incidental Level B harassment of polar bears and Pacific walruses already authorized. No lethal take is authorized under this rule. This rule is effective 26 June 2025 and remains effective through 5 August 2026. POC is Stephanie Burgess, Marine Mammals Management, USFWS, 1011 East Tudor Road, MS-341, Anchorage, AK 99503, telephone 907-786-3844, or email: R7mmmregulatory@fws.gov. (Federal Register 26 June 2025 [Rule] Pages 27398-27432)
 

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