Incidental Take Authorizations for Military Readiness Activities

An Interactive Map can be viewed that shows recent and in process authorizations.

Authorizations In Process

The Authorizations below are in process:

U.S. Navy Pile Training Exercises at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme in California

Summary: NOAA Fisheries has received a request from the United States Navy for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to pile driving training exercises at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme. NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NOAA Fisheries is also requesting comments on a possible one-time, 1 year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met. NOAA Fisheries will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested Marine Mammal Protection Act authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision. The Navy’s activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the Mammal Protection Act, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004.

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U.S. Air Force Eglin Gulf Testing and Training

Summary: NOAA Fisheries has received a request from the U.S. Department of the Air Force to take marine mammals incidental to testing and training military operations proposed to be conducted in the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range from 2023 to 2030 in the Gulf of Mexico. 

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U.S. Navy Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT)

Summary: NOAA Fisheries has received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for revision of the existing regulations and Letters of Authorization (LOAs) authorizing the take of marine mammals incidental to Navy training and testing activities conducted in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT) Study Area. In 2021, two separate U.S. Navy vessels struck unidentified large whales on two separate occasions, one whale in June 2021 and one whale in July 2021. NOAA Fisheries and the Navy discussed the vessel strikes, and the Navy has reanalyzed the potential for vessel strike in the HSTT Study Area. As a result, the Navy has requested two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period. NOAA Fisheries is announcing receipt of the Navy's application for the development and implementation of revised regulations governing this additional incidental taking of marine mammals.

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U.S. Marine Corps Training Operations at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Range Complex

Summary: NOAA Fisheries has received a request from the U.S. Marine Corp (USMC) for authorization to take bottlenose dolphin incidental to training operations at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Range Complex over the course of seven years from the date of issuance. NOAA Fisheries is announcing receipt of the USMC’s request for the development and implementation of regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals.

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Active Authorizations

The Authorizations below are active:

U.S. Navy Training Activities in the Gulf of Alaska Study Area

Summary: NOAA Fisheries, upon request from the U.S. Navy, has issued regulations to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training activities conducted in the Gulf of Alaska Study Area. The Navy’s activities qualify as military readiness activities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization 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 for monitoring and reporting of such taking.

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Office of Naval Research Arctic Research Activities in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas Year 5 (2022-2023)

Summary: NOAA Fisheries has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during active acoustic testing associated with Arctic Research Activities in the Beaufort Sea and eastern Chukchi Sea. The ONR’s activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004.

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U.S. Navy Testing and Training Activities in the Point Mugu Sea Range Study Area

Summary: NOAA Fisheries, upon request from the U.S. Navy (Navy), has issued regulations to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Point Mugu Sea Range Study Area. The Navy’s activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004. 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.

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U.S. Air Force Testing of Extended Range Cannon Artillery II at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

Summary: NOAA Fisheries has issued two consecutive incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs) to the United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during two years of testing of the Long Range Cannon (LRC) system at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), California. The DAF’s activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA).

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U.S. Navy Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) 2020

Summary:  NOAA Fisheries, upon request from the U.S. Navy, has issued regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Northwest Training and Testing 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. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization 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.

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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.

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U.S. Navy Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT)

Summary: NOAA Fisheries 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 Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT) Study Area over the course of seven years, effectively extending the time period from December 20, 2023, to December 20, 2025. In August 2018, the MMPA was amended by the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 to allow for seven-year authorizations for military readiness activities, as compared to the previously allowed five years. The Navy’s activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA as amended by the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2004. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization (LOAs) 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 or stocks and their habitat, and establish requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.

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U.S. Navy Operations of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) Sonar (beginning in 2019)

Summary:  NOAA Fisheries, upon request from the U.S. Navy, issues these regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the use of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor Systems Low Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) sonar systems onboard U.S. Navy surveillance ships for training and testing activities conducted under the authority of the Secretary of the Navy in the western and central North Pacific and eastern Indian oceans beginning August 2019. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters 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 or stocks and their habitat, and establish requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.  

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U.S. Air Force Launching of Space Launch Vehicles, Missiles, and Aircraft and Helicopter Operations at Vandenberg Air Force Base (2019-2024)

Summary:  NOAA Fisheries, upon request of the U.S. Air Force (USAF), hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to launching space launch vehicles, intercontinental ballistic and small missiles, and aircraft operations at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), over the course of five years. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby additionally given that a five-year LOA has been issued to USAF to take marine mammals incidental to rocket and missile launch and recovery activities and aircraft operations.

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U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) along Atlantic and Gulf Coasts

Summary: NOAA Fisheries 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 Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Study Area over the course of seven years, effectively extending the time period from November 13, 2023, to November 13, 2025. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization (LOAs) 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 or stocks and their habitat, and establish requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. 

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Expired Authorizations

For documents related to expired authorizations, please contact us.

More Information

• Incidental Take Authorization under the MMPA
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