NOAA Fisheries has extended to April 8 the deadline for public comment on a proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the threatened Beringia population segment of the Pacific bearded seal subspecies under the Endangered Species Act.
Also extended from March 9 to April 8 was the revised proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the threatened Arctic subspecies of ringed seal.
NOAA Fisheries received two requests to extend the comment deadline. The federal agency concluded it could accommodate a 30-day extension without significantly delaying completion of the final rules.
NOAA published both proposed rules in the Federal Register on Jan. 8.
For each species, the proposed designation includes an area of marine habitat in the northern Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas. An area north of the Beaufort Sea shelf is proposed for exclusion from the critical habitat designation for Arctic ringed seals at the request of the U.S. Navy, based on national security impacts, NOAA officials said.
Comments may be submitted electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at cdv.tiny.us/ringed and cdv.tiny.us/bearded.
Email comments should be addressed to Jon Kurland, Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: Records Office, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
