Authorization for Marine Mammal Disturbance During Shelter Cove Stairway Replacement
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This notice allows the Bureau of Land Management to unintentionally disturb small numbers of marine mammals during the Mal Coombs Stairway Replacement Project in Shelter Cove, California. The authorization covers harassment only, not injury or killing, and lasts for up to one year from May 5, 2026. The practical effect is that the project can move forward if BLM follows required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures. NOAA found the activity should have only a negligible impact on affected marine mammal populations, received no substantive public comments, and determined no endangered or threatened species are expected to be taken.
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Key Changes
- Authorizes incidental harassment of marine mammals during the Mal Coombs Stairway Replacement Project
- Requires BLM to follow mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures
- Confirms no incidental take of endangered or threatened species is authorized or expected
Obligations
What this law requires
BLM must conduct the Mal Coombs Stairway Replacement Project under the issued incidental harassment authorization and may only take marine mammals by incidental harassment; intentional take, injury, or mortality are not authorized.
BLM must implement the mitigation measures prescribed in the incidental harassment authorization to achieve the least practicable adverse impact on affected marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat.
BLM must comply with the monitoring requirements prescribed by NMFS for marine mammal takes during the authorized stairway replacement project activities.
BLM must comply with NMFS reporting requirements for marine mammal takes occurring under the incidental harassment authorization.
BLM must not rely on this IHA to take endangered or threatened ESA-listed species, because no incidental take of ESA-listed species is authorized or expected for this activity.