August 24th Public Hearing for the Proposed Rule to Designate Critical Habitat for Rice’s Whales Under the Endangered Species Act
The Southeast Regional Office is holding a virtual public hearing on the proposed rule on Thursday, August 24 from 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. EDT. As a reminder, the comment period closes on September 22, 2023.
About
We are proposing to designate critical habitat for the Rice’s whale (Balaenoptera ricei) by designating waters from the 100 meter (m) isobath to the 400 m isobath in the Gulf of Mexico, pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have considered economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the proposed designation. We are not excluding any particular area from the critical habitat designation. We are seeking comments on all aspects of the proposed critical habitat designation and will consider information received before issuing a final designation.
You may submit comments in writing via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA-NMFS-2023-0028 in the Search box. Click on the “Comment” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. Additional information is available in the Proposed Rule.
Public Hearing Information
NOAA Fisheries will give a short presentation followed by a brief opportunity to ask clarifying questions before accepting public comment testimony for the record. The remaining time will be for public comment. We will limit each speaker’s time to ensure the participants all have an opportunity to speak during the hearing. If you wish to make a public comment during the hearing, you will have up to 3 minutes to do so. At the end of 3 minutes, you will be muted.
We will begin at 7:00 p.m. EDT, but you may join starting at 6:30 EDT. If you are new to this platform, we strongly recommend that you log on early. To join the meeting, please register here.
Registration
To attend the virtual public hearing, please see the following meeting details:
Thursday, August 24, 2023
7:00 p.m.– 9:00 p.m. EDT
Go To Webinar Meeting link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3419927996576071001
Additional information on how to join will be sent upon registration.
We will begin at 7:00 p.m. EDT, but you may join starting at 6:30. If you are new to this platform, we strongly recommend that you log on early.