Federal Register

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to Vineyard Wind 1, LLC (Vineyard Wind) to take, by Level A harassment and Level B harassment, marine mammals during construction of a commercial wind energy project offshore Massachusetts.

This document is the proposed sale notice (PSN) for the sale of a commercial wind energy lease on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Carolina Long Bay area offshore North Carolina (Lease Area). The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes to offer a single lease using a multiple-factor bidding auction format. The PSN contains information pertaining to the areas available for leasing, certain provisions and conditions of the lease, auction details, lease forms, criteria for evaluating competing bids, award procedures, appeal procedures, and lease execution procedures. The issuance of a lease resulting from this sale, if any, would not constitute an approval of project-specific plans to develop offshore wind energy. Such plans, if submitted by the lessee, would be subject to subsequent environmental, technical, and public reviews prior to a decision on whether the proposed development should be authorized.

This FSN contains information pertaining to the areas available for commercial wind energy leasing on the OCS in the NY Bight. Specifically, this FSN details certain provisions and conditions of the leases, auction details, the lease form, criteria for evaluating competing bids, award procedures, appeal procedures, and lease execution. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will offer six leases: Lease OCS-A 0537, Lease OCS-A 0538, Lease OCS-A 0539, Lease OCS-A 0541, Lease OCS-A 0542, and Lease OCS-A 0544 (Lease Areas). The issuance of any lease resulting from this sale would not constitute an approval of project-specific plans to develop offshore wind energy. Such plans, if submitted by the lessee, would be subject to subsequent environmental, technical, and public reviews prior to a decision on whether the proposed development should be authorized.

Consistent with the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), BOEM announces its intent to prepare an EIS for the review of a construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by Mayflower Wind Energy, LLC (Mayflower Wind) for the construction and operation of a wind energy facility offshore Massachusetts with proposed interconnection locations at Falmouth, Massachusetts, and at Brayton Point in Somerset, Massachusetts. This NOI announces the EIS scoping process for the Mayflower COP. Additionally, this NOI seeks public comment and input under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and its implementing regulations. Detailed information about the proposed wind energy facility, including the COP, can be found on BOEM's website at: www.boem.gov/​mayflower-wind.

BOEM announces the availability of the joint ROD on the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by South Fork Wind, LLC (South Fork Wind). The joint ROD includes the decisions of the Department of the Interior (DOI) and NMFS regarding the South Fork Wind COP. NMFS has adopted the Final EIS to support its decision to issue an incidental take authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The joint ROD concludes the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for each agency and is available with associated information on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/​renewable-energy/​state-activities/​south-fork.

NMFS has received a request from Ocean Wind, LLC (Ocean Wind), a subsidiary of Orsted Wind Power North America, LLC's (Orsted), for authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to construction activities associated with the Ocean Wind 1 wind energy facility in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) Lease Area Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)-A-0498 Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf off of New Jersey over the course of 5 years beginning in 2023. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is announcing receipt of Ocean Wind's request for the development and implementation of regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals. NMFS invites the public to provide information, suggestions, and comments on Ocean Wind's application and request.