September 28th Public Hearing for the Proposed Rule to Designate Critical Habitat for Rice’s Whales Under the Endangered Species Act

We, NMFS, have rescheduled a public hearing related to the proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Rice's whale under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (88 FR 47453). We are also extending the public comment period for this proposed rule to October 6, 2023 (88 FR 62522).

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

A virtual public hearing on the proposed rule will be held online on September 28, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). 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 3:00 p.m. EDT, but you may join starting at 2:30 EDT. If you are new to this platform, we strongly recommend that you log on early. To join the meeting, please register here. Additional information on how to join will be sent upon registration. 

Registration  

To attend the virtual public hearing, please see the following meeting details:

Thursday, September 28, 2023

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Go To Webinar Meeting link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8354248111052852059