Marine Mammals; Incidental Take of Polar Bears and Pacific Walruses in the Beaufort Sea and North Slope of Alaska

What it does

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, received a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 from the Alaska Oil and Gas Association to issue regulations facilitating the authorization of incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) during year-round oil and gas industry activities in the Beaufort Sea (Alaska and the Outer Continental Shelf) and adjacent northern coast of Alaska. Take may result from oil and gas exploration, development, production, and transportation activities occurring for a period of 5 years. Oil and gas industry operations include similar types of activities covered by the previous 5-year Beaufort Sea incidental take regulations effective from August 5, 2021, through August 5, 2026. If this rule is finalized, we may issue letters of authorization, upon request, for specific proposed activities in accordance with this proposed regulation. We are proposing that this rule, if finalized, will be for 5 years. We intend that any final action resulting from this proposed rule will be as accurate and effective as possible. Therefore, we request comments or suggestions on these proposed regulations and the accompanying draft environmental assessment from the public, Tribes, and local, State, and Federal agencies.

The Fish and Wildlife Service's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What it would change

1 part of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

50 CFR 18

Before this

No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 1018-BI93 since Jan. 1, 2025.

Since then:

• Oct. 19, 2026 Final rule. Marine Mammals; Incidental Take of Polar Bears and Pacific Walruses in the Beaufort Sea and North Slope of Alaska

What happens next and when

Comments will be accepted on or before April 8, 2026. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the closing date.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket FWS-R7-ES-2026-0694 on Regulations.gov
• Title 50 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register