Incidental Take Authorization: U.S. Navy Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT)
Summary
NOAA Fisheries, upon request from the U.S. Navy (Navy), has issued regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) Study Area. The Navy’s activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA). These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species and their habitat, and establish requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.
Project Area
Federal Register
Supporting Materials
- Letter of Authorization (pdf, 33 pages)
- Revised LOA Application (pdf, 325 pages)
- LOA Application (pdf, 318 pages)
- Monitoring and Reporting
- Notification and Reporting Plan (pdf, 4 pages)
- Biological Opinion
- Environmental Impact Statement
- Public Comments
- NRDC Comment Letter (pdf, 37 pages)
- References (pdf, 25 pages)