Incidental Take Authorization: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Duckabush Estuary Restoration Project near Brinnon, Washington
Summary
NOAA Fisheries, upon request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, issues this final rule pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the Duckabush Estuary Restoration Project in Hood Canal, Washington over 5 years (2027-2032). This final rule, which allows for the issuance of a 5-year letter of authorization allowing for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and timeframes, prescribes the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species and their habitat, and establishes requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.