Draft RIR/4(b)(2) Preparatory Assessment/IRFA of Critical Habitat Designation for the Arctic Ringed Seal (2014)

This Regulatory Impact Review addresses the proposed action to designate critical habitat for Arctic ringed seals in waters of the northern Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and the Beaufort Sea, adjacent to the coast of Alaska, under the Endangered Species Act. The purpose of this RIR/4(b)(2) Preparatory Assessment/IRFA is to evaluate the economic, socioeconomic, and other costs and benefits of designating critical habitat for the Arctic ringed seal. It will also assist the Secretary of Commerce in determining whether the benefits of excluding any particular area from the critical habitat designation outweigh the benefits of including that particular area.