NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently announced a final rule designating areas in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico that are within the Northwest Atlantic Ocean loggerhead sea turtle Distinct Population Segment (DPS) as critical habitat. The loggerhead sea turtle was originally listed as threatened in 1978, and the Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS… More »
U.S. House Passes Comprehensive Energy Legislation
In a 229-185 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 4899 (“Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act of 2014”). The bill in part would expand U.S. offshore oil and gas production (including through required lease sales in Virginia, South Carolina, and Southern California), expand revenue-sharing to states outside the… More »
BOEM Completes Tract Evaluation, Awards Central Gulf of Mexico Leases
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced the agency’s completion of its required evaluation that fair market value is received for tracts leased as part of Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 231 (which took place in March 2014) and its awarding of 320 leases covering nearly 1.7 million acres.
U.S. Interior, Commerce Dept.’s Issue Policy Clarifying ESA Definition
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) announced a new policy clarifying the meaning of the phrase “significant portion of its range” in the Endangered Species Act as applicable to ESA listing determinations. The new policy takes effect on Thursday, July 31. Under the new policy, FWS and NMFS can list… More »
