NOAA Fisheries sought feedback on their proposals to designate critical habitat in the northern Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas for ringed and bearded seals under the Endangered Species Act. The proposed critical habitat designations would not affect subsistence harvest of these species, but should ensure that the actions federal agencies authorize, fund, or carry out are not likely to harm critical habitat. Kawerak Natural Resource Division’s Marine program, Social Science Program and Subsistence Program worked together utilizing current scientific information, tribal consultation, and regional workshops to complete thorough responses to these proposals.

Kawerak Bearded Seal proposed critical habitat comment letter (please note there was a misplaced question mark in the submitted version that is removed in this version)

https://kawerak.org/download/bearded-seal-noaa-critical-habitat-comment-letter/

Kawerak Ringed Seal proposed critical habitat comment letter (please note there was a misplaced question mark in the submitted version that is removed in this version)

https://kawerak.org/download/ringed-seal-proposed-critical-habitat-comment-letter/

 

More Background/Information:

NOAA Fisheries is publishing in the Federal Register two proposed rules to designate critical habitat in the northern Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas off the coast of Alaska for Arctic ringed seals and the Beringia distinct population segment of bearded seals, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. To view the proposed rules, comments and supporting documents, go to www.regulations.gov, and search for Docket ID NOAA-NMFS-2013-0114 for ringed seal critical habitat and NOAA-NMFS-2020-0029 for bearded seal critical habitat.

Critical habitat identifies areas that contain features essential to the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and that may require special management considerations or protection. Under the ESA, the only regulatory effect of critical habitat designation is the requirement under Section 7 that federal agencies ensure their actions are not likely to destroy or adversely modify critical habitat.

NoAA Bearded Seals and Ringed Seals: Critical Habitat Under the Endangered Species Act:

https://kawerak.org/download/endangered-species-act-critical-habitat/