Incidental Take Authorizations for Military Readiness Activities

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Authorizations In Process

The Authorizations below are in process:

Military Readiness Activities in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Study Area (2025-2032)

Summary: NOAA Fisheries has received a request from the U.S. Department of the Navy (including the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps) and on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard (hereafter, Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are collectively referred to as Action Proponents) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to training and testing activities conducted in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing Study Area over the course of 7 years from November 2025 through November 2032. NOAA Fisheries is announcing receipt of the Action Proponents’ request for the development and implementation of regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals and issuance of three, 7-year Letters of Authorization. NOAA Fisheries invites the public to provide information, suggestions, and comments on the Action Proponents’ application and request.

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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) to modify the 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 between 2018 and 2025. 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, in waters off Southern California. The takes by vessel strike of the two whales by the U.S. Navy were covered by the existing regulations and LOAs, which authorize the U.S. Navy to take up to three large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike between 2018 and 2025. The Navy reanalyzed the potential of vessel strike in the HSTT Study Area, including the recent strikes and as a result, requested two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period. In May 2023, a U.S. Navy vessel struck a large whale in waters off Southern California. NOAA Fisheries reanalyzed the potential for vessel strike following the May 2023 strike and proposes to authorize two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period (two takes in addition to the three takes authorized in the current regulations). 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.

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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:

Office of Naval Research's Arctic Research Activities (Year 7) in the Beaufort Sea and Eastern Chukchi Sea

Summary: NOAA Fisheries has issued an incidental harassment authorization to the Office of Naval Research to incidentally harass marine mammals during Year 7 of Arctic Research Activities in the Beaufort Sea and eastern Chukchi Sea.

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United States Space Force Operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

Summary: NOAA Fisheries in response to a request of the U.S. Space Force, issued regulations and a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to launches and supporting activities at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Vandenberg, California, from April 2024 to April 2029. Missile launches conducted at Vandenberg Space Force Base, which comprise a portion of the activities, are considered 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 LOAs 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.

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U.S. Navy Ice Exercise Activities 2024 (ICEX24) in the Arctic Ocean

Summary: NOAA Fisheries has issued an incidental harassment authorization to the U.S. Navy to incidentally harass marine mammals during submarine training and testing activities associated with a 2024 Ice Exercise Activities in the Arctic Ocean.

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U.S. Air Force Eglin Gulf Testing and Training (2023)

Summary: NOAA Fisheries, upon request from the U.S. Department of the Air Force, issues these regulations to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to testing and training activities to be conducted in the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range from 2023 to 2030 in the Gulf of Mexico. The USAF’s activities qualify as military readiness activities, 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 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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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. 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

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