Incidental Take Authorization: US Wind, Inc. Construction and Operation of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project off of Maryland
Summary
NOAA Fisheries has promulgated regulations to govern the incidental taking of marine mammals incidental to US Wind, Inc. (US Wind) during the construction of an offshore wind energy project in Federal and State waters off of Maryland, specifically within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf Lease Area (OCS-A-0490) and along associated export cable routes to sea-to-shore transition points, over the course of 5 years. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a Letter of Authorization for the incidental take of marine mammals during specific construction related activities within the project area during the effective dates of the regulations, 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.
Federal Register
Supporting Materials
- Request for Information Comment Responses (pdf, 4 pages)
- Take and Density Revision Memo (pdf, 25 pages)
- Revised Take Tables Memo (pdf, 8 pages)
- Inshore Pile Driving Memo (pdf, 4 pages)
- Appendix A: Underwater Acoustic Assessment (pdf, 154 pages)
- Appendix B: Marine Mammal Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (pdf, 21 pages)
- Environmental Impact Statement
- Record of Decision (pdf, 177 pages)
- Public Comments, NOR (pdf, 135 pages)
- Public Comments, Proposed Rule
- Application (pdf, 156 pages)
- References, Proposed and Final Rules (pdf, 55 pages)
- Construction and Operations Plan, OCS-A 0490
- Biological Opinion