Public Hearing for the Southern Resident Killer Whale and Humpback Whale Critical Habitat Proposed Rules in Santa Cruz, CA
NOAA Fisheries will hold hearings related to our proposed rule to designate critical habitat for humpback whales and to revise the critical habitat designation for Southern Resident killer whales. This is one of five hearings.
The hearing will be held from 4pm to 7pm, November 4, in Conference Room 188, NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center Santa Cruz Laboratory, UC Santa Cruz’s Coastal Science Campus, 110 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA.
About
The hearings will begin with a brief presentation by NOAA Fisheries that gives an overview of critical habitat under the ESA and a summary of the relevant proposed critical habitat designation(s).
Proposed Rule: Critical Habitat for Distinct Population Segments of Humpback Whales
Proposed Rule: Critical Habitat for the Southern Resident Killer Whale
Following the presentation, members of the public will have the opportunity to provide oral comments on the record regarding the proposed designation(s). Members of the public will also have the opportunity to submit written comments at the hearing.
Written comments may also be submitted at any time during the relevant public comment period by mail or via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Please see the “Addresses” section of the relevant proposed rule for instructions.
Electronic copies of the proposed rules and supporting documents may be found at www.regulations.gov (search on “NOAA-NMFS-2019-0066” for the humpback whale proposed rule and on “NOAA-NMFS-2014-0041” for the Southern Resident killer whale proposed rule).