Public Hearings on Proposed Critical Habitat For Green Sea Turtles Under the Endangered Species Act

NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are jointly hosting informational meetings and public hearings on the proposed designation of critical habitat for green sea turtle distinct populations within U.S. jurisdiction. Registration is required for the virtual events. Doors open at 5:30 PM at the in-person venues. The informational meetings begin at 6:00 PM, local time, with introductions, presentations, and an opportunity to ask questions about the proposed rules. The public hearings begin at 7:00 PM and are your opportunity to provide oral comments on the proposed rules. Depending on participation, commenters may have an allotted time to provide comments, and the order of commenters will be based on registration (virtual) or sign-in (in-person). The dates and times for the hearings are as follows:

Hawaii (virtual):  August 10, 2023, 6 PM to 8 PM Hawaiian time. Registration is required.

American Samoa (in-person at the Governor Rex Lee Auditorium):  August 16, 2023, 6 PM to 8 PM Samoan time. Doors open at 5:30 PM.

Guam (in-person at the Hilton Guam Resort):  August 21, 2023, 6 PM to 8 PM Chamorro time. Doors open at 5:30 PM.

Saipan (in-person at the Crowne Plaza Resort):  August 23, 2023, 6 PM to 8 PM Chamorro time. Doors open at 5:30 PM.

Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic (virtual):  August 29, 2023, 6 PM to 8 PM Eastern time. Registration is required.

California (virtual):  August 30, 2023, 6 PM to 8 PM Pacific time. Registration is required.

Virtual Hearing Instructions

We are hosting virtual public hearings via the Zoom Webinar online platform so that participants can attend remotely. During the virtual public hearing, attendees can join by computer or phone.

We recommend that members of the public log into the Zoom meeting platform 5 minutes prior to the beginning of the presentation to ensure that they can connect. If using the phone-only option, participants will be able to listen to the virtual public hearing, but they will not view the presentation. Instructions will be given regarding how participants will be able to provide their comments for the public hearing.

For security purposes, registration is required. To listen and view the hearing via Zoom, listen to the hearing by telephone, or provide verbal public comment during the hearing by Zoom or telephone, you must register.

Interested members of the public not familiar with the Zoom platform should view the Zoom video tutorials (https://support.zoom.us/​hc/​en-us/​articles/​206618765-Zoom-video-tutorials) prior to the public hearing. If you have technical difficulties registering for the hearing or joining the hearing on August 30^th, please email megan.stone@empsi.com.

Instructions for Attending the Virtual Public Hearing:

For Participants Joining by Zoom Web Platform or Zoom App:

1. Please pre-register using the links provided above. If you plan on providing a comment or asking a question during the virtual public hearing, please indicate that when registering.
2. After registration, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the hearing.
3. On the day of the hearing, please join using the information contained in your confirmation email.

For Participants Joining by Phone:

1. Register for the hearing (see above). On the day of the hearing, call in using one of the toll-free phone numbers listed below. You will be prompted to enter your Meeting ID. Enter your Webinar ID from your confirmation email and press the # key.
2. You will then be prompted: “Enter your Participant ID followed by #. Otherwise just press #.” Phone-only participants will not receive an individualized Participant ID, so just press the # key.
3. You will then be prompted: “Enter your Password followed by #. Otherwise just press #.” Enter the Passcode from your confirmation email and press the # key.
4. You will be directly joined to the hearing. If the hearing has not started, you will be on hold until the hearing begins.

Call-in Numbers (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

• US: +1 720 707 2699 or +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799
• International numbers available: Zoom International Dial-in Numbers - Zoom

 Instructions for Accessing Translation during the Virtual Public Hearing:

The virtual hearings will include live Spanish translation. Attendees are welcome to provide comments and questions in Spanish. To access language interpretation, please:

1. In your meeting/webinar controls, click Interpretation . 
2. Click the language that you would like to hear. You should see “Spanish” as an option.
3. (Optional) To hear the interpreted language only, click Mute Original Audio.

Please note that “original audio” should be selected if you would like to hear English. Spanish should be selected if you would like to hear Spanish.

Please note:

• You must join the meeting audio through your computer audio/VoIP. You cannot listen to language interpretation if you use the dial-in or call me phone audio features.
• As a participant joining a language channel, you can broadcast back into the main audio channel if you unmute your audio and speak.

Reasonable Accommodations

NOAA is committed to providing access to the virtual public hearing for all participants. Closed captioning will be available during the public hearing. Further, a full audio and video recording and transcript of the public hearing will be posted online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/proposed-rule-designate-critical-habitat-green-sea-turtles  after the hearing. Participants will also have access to live audio during the public hearing via their telephone or computer speakers. An accessible version of the NOAA’s public hearing presentation will also be posted online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/proposed-rule-designate-critical-habitat-green-sea-turtles prior to the hearing.