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 (FWS), in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 from the Alaska Oil and Gas Association (AOGA), finalize 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 (OCS)) 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 6, 2021, through August 5, 2026. We will issue letters of authorization, upon request, for specific activities in accordance with these regulations.

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

What changed in the regulation

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

50 CFR 18

Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).

Compared with

The Fish and Wildlife Service has published 28 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 13 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

Before this

1 earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 1018-BI93 since Jan. 1, 2025.

• March 9, 2026 Proposed rule; notice of availability of draft environmental assessment; and request for comments. Marine Mammals; Incidental Take of Polar Bears and Pacific Walruses in the Beaufort Sea and North Slope of Alaska

What happens next and when

This rule is effective October 19, 2026 and remains effective through October 19, 2031.

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