Good morning Colleagues, On Thursday, January 4, 2024, NOAA Fisheries will open a 30-day public comment period on the proposed incidental take regulations related to US Wind’s Maryland Offshore Wind Project <https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/incidental-take-authorization-us-wind-inc-construction-and-operation-maryland-offshore-wind>. The project would be located offshore Maryland within the Maryland Wind Energy Area. Under Offshore Renewable Energy Certificates, the project would provide power to Maryland. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, these regulations will govern the “take,” by harassment only, of small numbers of marine mammals exposed to elevated underwater noise generated by the project’s activities over a five-year period. NOAA Fisheries has preliminarily determined the take as analyzed in the proposed rule, will have a negligible impact on all affected marine mammal species and stocks. No take by mortality, serious injury, or non-auditory injury is anticipated to occur or proposed for authorization. As required by the MMPA, the proposed regulations include mandatory mitigation measures undertaken by the wind developer that ensure the "least practicable adverse impact" on marine mammals and their habitat, as well as monitoring and reporting measures to better understand those impacts. Impacts to a small number of North Atlantic right whales are expected to be limited to short-term behavioral disturbance (Level B harassment). The public comment period on the proposed regulations will be open January 4, 2024 to February 3, 2024. Documents associated with this proposed action, including information on how to submit a public comment, will be available on our website <https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/incidental-take-authorization-us-wind-inc-construction-and-operation-maryland-offshore-wind> . NOAA Fisheries is committed to careful review and use of the best available scientific information in satisfying the requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. -- Jessica Taylor, M.E.M. (she/her) Senior Analyst, ESA/MMPA Support Services Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc. Permits and Conservation Division Office of Protected Resources, NOAA Fisheries 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301) 427-8475 Email: Jessica.Taylor@noaa.gov