Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Sea Ice Road and Trail Construction, Use, and Maintenance Activities Along the Beaufort Sea Coast in Alaska

Document 2026-02048 is a Proposed Rule published by the Department of Commerce in the Federal Register on February 2, 2026. NMFS has received a request from Hilcorp Alaska, LLC (Hilcorp) for promulgation of incidental take regulations (ITR) and issuance of an associated Letter of Authorization (LOA) that would authorize continued take of marine mammals over 5 years (2026-2031) incidental to the construction, maintenance and use of sea ice roads, trails and adjacent ice pads after the expiration of the existing ITR and LOA. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is proposing regulations setting forth permissible methods of taking, other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on such marine mammal stocks (i.e., mitigation measures), and requirements pertaining to monitoring and reporting takes and requests comments on the proposed rule. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the promulgation of the requested ITR and issuance of the LOA; agency responses to public comments will be summarized in the final rule, if promulgated. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/02/2026-02048/takes-of-marine-mammals-incidental-to-specified-activities-taking-marine-mammals-incidental-to-sea.

No. Document 2026-02048 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.