State coastal agency accepting public comments regarding NOAA’s proposed amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management is accepting public comment on a request for review of a federal consistency submission from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources proposing amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule, (also known as the“speed rule”).

The proposed action includes:

• Modifying the boundaries and timing seasonal speed restrictions of 10 knots or less (renamed as Seasonal Speed Zones or SSZs) to better align with areas characterized by elevated collision-related mortality risk;
• Creating a Dynamic Speed Zone (DSZ) program to implement temporary mandatory speed restrictions when whales are known to be present outside active SSZs;
• Extending the size threshold of regulated vessels to include most vessels 35 ft (10.7 m) or greater in length; and
• Updating the speed rule’s safety deviation provision. See 87 FR 46921 (August 1, 2022).

A more thorough description of the proposed federal actions may be examined online at https://www.deq.nc.gov/news/events/notice-federal-consistency-review-bureau-ocean-energy-managements-boem-consistency-determination-1.

The public may comment in writing or at a meeting scheduled for July 23, 2024, at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, 3505 Arendell St., Morehead City. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. and run until 6:30 p.m. or until comments are concluded (whichever comes first). Each speaker will be allowed to comment for up to 3 minutes.

The division will accept written comments on the proposal until 5 p.m. on July 31, 2024.

Written comments should be mailed to Daniel Govoni, Federal Consistency Coordinator, 400 Commerce Avenue, Morehead City, NC 28557 or emailed to DCMComments@deq.nc.gov. Please put “North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule” in the subject line. All comments will be considered in developing the state’s consistency response. Notice of the decision regarding this matter will be provided upon request.