[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 20846-20847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06978]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC760]

50 CFR Part 224


Endangered and Threatened Species; Petition To Establish a Vessel 
Speed Restriction and Other Vessel-Related Measures To Protect Rice's 
Whales

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Natural Resources Defense Council, Healthy Gulf, Center 
for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, and New 
England Aquarium submitted a petition to the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS) for rulemaking to establish a year-round 10-knot (kn) 
(5.1 meters/second) vessel speed limit and other vessel-related 
mitigation measures in the Rice's whale ``core'' habitat area. NMFS is 
requesting comments on the petition and will consider all comments and 
available information when determining whether to accept the petition 
and proceed with the suggested rulemaking.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 6, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit data, information, or comments on this 
document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2023-0027, and the petition by either 
of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic comments via 
the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and 
enter NOAA-NMFS-2023-0027. Click on the ``Comment'' icon and complete 
the required fields. Enter or attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Assistant Regional 
Administrator, Protected Resources Division, NMFS, Southeast Regional 
Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
    Instructions: NMFS may not consider comments sent by any other 
method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end 
of the comment period. All comments received are a part of the public 
record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address), confidential business information, 
or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender 
will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter 
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). 
Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, or Adobe portable electronic file (PDF) formats only. The 
petition can be obtained electronically on our website at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale#conservation-management.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Engleby, NMFS Southeast Region, 
[email protected], 727-824-5312.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 11, 2021, NMFS received a petition 
pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act from the Natural Resources 
Defense Council, Healthy Gulf, Center for Biological Diversity,

[[Page 20847]]

Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, and New England Aquarium 
requesting that we utilize our authorities under the Endangered Species 
Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to establish a 
``Vessel Slowdown Zone'' to protect Rice's whales from collisions with 
vessels and noise pollution. The petition proposes a year-round 10-knot 
vessel speed restriction within waters between 100 meters (m) and 400 m 
deep from approximately Pensacola, FL, to just south of Tampa, FL 
(i.e., from 87.5[deg] W longitude to 27.5[deg] N latitude) plus an 
additional 10 kilometers (km) around that area (referred to in the 
petition as the ``Vessel Slowdown Zone''). The petition proposes the 
following additional restrictions within this ``Vessel Slowdown Zone'': 
(a) no vessel transits at night; (b) vessels transiting through the 
zone must report their plans to NMFS, utilize visual observers, and 
maintain a separation distance of 500 m from Rice's whales; (c) use and 
operate an Automatic Identification System, or notify NMFS of transits 
through the zone; and (d) report deviations from these requirements to 
NMFS. The petitioners discuss the vulnerability of the species, 
identify vessel strikes and vessel noise as risks to the whales, and 
describe NMFS' authority under the ESA and MMPA to establish a ``Vessel 
Slowdown Zone'' with regulations. The petition describes the features 
of a ``Vessel Slowdown Zone'' and asserts that the petitioned vessel-
related mitigation measures are necessary for the conservation and 
recovery of Rice's whales.
    We are soliciting information from the public, governmental 
agencies, tribes, the scientific community, industry, environmental 
entities, and any other interested parties concerning the petitioned 
action. In particular, we request information and comments on: (1) the 
advisability of and need for regulations to establish a ``Vessel 
Slowdown Zone;'' (2) the geographic scope of any such regulations; (3) 
alternative management options for regulating vessel interactions with 
Rice's whales, including but not limited to the options in the 
petition; (4) scientific and commercial information regarding the 
effects of vessels on Rice's whales, or other similar species, and 
their habitat; (5) information regarding potential economic effects of 
regulating vessel interactions; and (6) any additional, relevant 
information that NMFS should consider. The petition is available at: 
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale#conservation-management.
    You may submit your information and materials electronically or via 
mail (see ADDRESSES section). We request that all information be 
accompanied by supporting documentation such as maps, bibliographic 
references, or reprints of pertinent publications. We also would 
appreciate the submitter's name, address, and any association, 
institution, or business that the person represents; however, anonymous 
submissions will also be accepted.
    If NMFS decides to initiate rulemaking, we will notify the 
petitioners and publish a notice of our decision in the Federal 
Register. If NMFS decides not to proceed with the petitioned action, we 
will notify the petitioners and provide a brief statement of the 
grounds for the decision.

    Dated: March 29, 2023.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-06978 Filed 4-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P