BOEM and NOAA Fisheries Release Draft Right Whale Wind Energy Strategy
WASHINGTON — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Oceanic and the National Marine Fisheries Service have released a joint strategy aimed at protecting and promoting the recovery of the North Atlantic right whale during the development of offshore wind energy projects.
The draft strategy identifies the agencies’ goals and objectives to better understand the effects of offshore wind development on the whales and their habitat.
The public is invited to review and comment on the draft strategy by Dec. 4.
The strategy identifies areas where the agencies will work together to improve the necessary science, information, and indigenous knowledge to support the Biden administration’s goal of developing 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030 while protecting biodiversity and promoting ocean co-use.
According to the agencies, it provides a clear path forward to expand upon existing efforts to understand, mitigate, and monitor potential impacts.
Additionally, the draft strategy provides a long-term approach to adaptive management, by integrating new information as it becomes available, the agencies said.
“BOEM is deeply committed to ensuring responsible offshore wind energy development while protecting and promoting the recovery of the North Atlantic right whale,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton in a written statement.
“Working with NOAA Fisheries on this draft strategy leverages the resources and expertise of both agencies to collect and apply the best available information to inform our future decisions,” she continued. “We’re seeking open and honest feedback from the public to help us evaluate and improve this effort.”
The draft strategy identifies three main goals:
- Mitigation and decision-support tools.
- Research and monitoring.
- Collaboration, communication and outreach.
It focuses on improving the science and integrating past, present, and future efforts related to North Atlantic right whales and offshore wind development.
The strategy also establishes the agencies’ plans to engage stakeholders, partners, and other ocean users on these issues. Following review of public comments, the strategy will be finalized and then regularly evaluated and updated as new information becomes available.
Comments on the guidance can be submitted via regulations.gov under Docket Number BOEM-2022-0066.
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