Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the North Jetty Maintenance and Repairs Project in Coos Bay, Oregon

NMFS received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the reissuance of their two previously issued IHAs to take marine mammals incidental to in-water construction activities associated with the North Jetty Maintenance and Repairs Project in Coos Bay, Oregon. The IHAs were initially issued on January 3, 2020, with the first IHA (Year 1) effective from September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2021 and the second IHA (Year 2) effective from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. The project has been delayed and none of the work covered in the IHAs has been conducted. NMFS is proposing to reissue the IHAs with the Year 1 IHA effective from September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023 and the Year 2 IHA effective from March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHAs. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to reissue the two IHAs to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS is also requesting comments on a possible one-time, one-year renewal of each IHA that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorizations and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.