Current Agency Actions & Public Comment Opportunities

The Portal maintains this listing of informational resources for current and recent government agency actions related to ocean planning in the region as a service to users. The page does not provide a comprehensive list of notices for the agencies tracked, but is meant to offer a snapshot of activities that are most closely connected to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean’s priorities and work, or are likely to be of interest to the Portal’s community of users.

Contents

AGENCY TITLE NOTICE DATE COMMENTS DUE
U.S. Coast Guard USCG: Empire Wind 1 Wind Farm Project Area Safety Zones 10/22/24 11/21/24
RECENTLY EXPIRED ITEMS
BOEM BOEM: Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development - Central Atlantic 2 Call for Information and Nominations 8/22/24 10/21/24
ASMFC/MAFMC ASMFC and MAFMC: Summer Flounder Commercial Mesh Size Exemptions Framework Addendum 8/29/24 9/28/24
NOAA NOAA: Proposed Protective Regulations for the Oceanic Whitetip Shark 5/14/24 7/15/24
NOAA NOAA: Notice of Availability of Draft Guidance on Designation of New Regional Ocean Partnerships 6/11/24 7/11/24
USCG USCG: Shipping Safety Fairways Along the Atlantic Coast 1/19/24 5/17/24
BOEM BOEM: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Atlantic Shores North Project 3/18/24 5/2/24
BOEM BOEM: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment of Offshore Wind Gulf of Maine WEA 3/18/24 4/17/24
BOEM BOEM: Draft Environmental Review of Future Development of Wind Lease Areas Offshore New York and New Jersey 1/12/24 3/13/24
BOEM BOEM: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment for Additional Site Assessment Activities on Beacon Wind LLC Lease OCS-A 0520 2/2/24 3/4/24
BOEM BOEM: Draft Environmental Analysis of Central Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Areas 1/12/24 2/12/24
BOEM BOEM: Wind Lease Sale: Wind Power Development on the U.S. States Central Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Sale 10 12/12/23 2/12/24
BOEM BOEM: Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for US Wind Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore Maryland 10/6/23 11/20/23
NOAA NOAA: Proposed Southern New England Habitat Area of Particular Concern 9/26/23 10/26/23
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USFWS: Draft Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument (announced 9/12/23) 9/12/23 10/26/23
Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind RWSC: Draft Integrated Science Plan for Wildlife, Habitat, and Offshore Wind Energy in U.S. Atlantic Waters (announced 6/30/23) 6/30/23 9/30/23
BOEM BOEM: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia (announced 7/31/23) 8/1/23 8/31/23
White House OSTP OSTP: Request for Information; National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (announced 6/29/23) 6/29/23 8/28/23
White House CEQ CEQ: Ocean Justice Strategy (announced 6/8/23) 6/6/23 7/24/23
BOEM BOEM: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Atlantic Shores South Wind Project Offshore New Jersey (announced 5/15/23) 5/15/23 7/3/23
BOEM BOEM: Request for Information: Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development on the Gulf of Maine Outer Continental Shelf; Request for Nominations (announced 4/25/23) 4/26/23 6/12/23
U.S. Coast Guard Consolidated Port Approaches Port Access Route Studies (announced 3/10/23) 3/10/23 6/8/23
USFWS/NOAA Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument Proposed Joint Monument Management Plan (announced 12/28/22) 12/28/22 1/27/23
BOEM Notice of Availability for Sunrise Wind Draft Environmental Impact Statement (announced 12/12/22) 12/16/22 2/14/23
BOEM Notice of Availability for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Draft Environmental Impact Statement (announced 12/12/22) 12/16/22 2/14/23

About these Listings

When available, listings will provide links for Federal Register announcements and agency websites with more information, the date range for public comments, and map data available on the Portal or external sites. Items are arranged in order of the date of their announcement and will be removed on or around the time of the public comment period’s expiration.

To suggest an item for inclusion, please email portal@midatlanticocean.org. Users may also visit our News from Our Partners page for more agency announcements on ocean planning matters.

For further information on the status of offshore wind-related planning in the region, select your area of interest on the BOEM State Activities page or view the table on the Northeast Ocean Data Portal’s Offshore Wind Projects page.

USCG: Empire Wind 1 Wind Farm Project Area Safety Zones

Comment Period Ends: 11/21/24

Online Resources:

View map of Empire Wind lease area and proposed turbine locations on the Portal

BOEM: Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development - Central Atlantic 2 Call for Information and Nominations

Comment Period Ends: 10/21/24

Online Resources:

ASMFC and MAFMC: Summer Flounder Commercial Mesh Size Exemptions Framework Addendum

Comment Period Ends: 9/28/24

Online Resources:

NOAA: Notice of Availability of Draft Guidance on Designation of New Regional Ocean Partnerships

Comment Period Ends: 7/11/24

Online Resources:

NOAA: Proposed Protective Regulations for the Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Comment Period Ends: 7/15/24

Online Resources:

BOEM: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Atlantic Shores North Project

Comment Period End: 5/2/24

Online Resources

USCG: Shipping Safety Fairways Along the Atlantic Coast

Commend Period End: 5/17/24

Online Resources:

BOEM: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment of Offshore Wind Gulf of Maine WEA

Comment Period Ends: 4/17/24

Online Resources:

BOEM: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment for Additional Site Assessment Activities on Beacon Wind LLC Lease OCS-A 0520

Comment Period End: 3/4/24

Online Resources

BOEM: Draft Environmental Review of Future Development of Wind Lease Areas Offshore New York and New Jersey

Comment Period End: 3/14/23

Online Resources

BOEM: Draft Environmental Analysis of Central Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Areas

Comment Period End: 2/12/23

Online Resources

BOEM: Wind Lease Sale: Wind Power Development on the U.S. States Central Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Sale 10

Comment Period End: 2/12/23

Online Resources:

NOAA: Proposed Southern New England Habitat Area of Particular Concern

Comment Period End: 10/26/23

Online Resources:

BOEM: Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for US Wind Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore Maryland

Comment Period End: 11/20/23

Online Resources:

USFWS: Draft Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument (announced 9/12/23)

Comment Period End: 10/26/23

Online Resources:

BOEM: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia (announced 7/31/23)

Comment Period End: 8/31/23

Online Resources:

RWSC: Draft Integrated Science Plan for Wildlife, Habitat, and Offshore Wind Energy in U.S. Atlantic Waters (announced 6/30/23)

Comment Period End: 9/30/23

Online Resources:

OSTP: Request for Information; National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (announced 6/29/23)

Comment Period End: 8/28/23

Online Resources:

CEQ: Ocean Justice Strategy (announced 6/8/23)

Comment Period End: 7/24/23

Online Resources:

BOEM: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Atlantic Shores South Wind Project Offshore New Jersey (announced 5/15/23)

Comment Period End: 7/3/23

Online Resources:

BOEM: Request for Information: Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development on the Gulf of Maine Outer Continental Shelf; Request for Nominations (announced 4/25/23)

Comment Period End: 6/12/23

Online Resources:

Coast Guard: Consolidated Port Approaches Port Access Route Studies (announced 3/10/23)

Comment Period End: 6/8/23

Online Resources:

USFWS/NOAA: Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument Proposed Joint Monument Management Plan (announced 12/28/22)

Comment Period End: 1/27/23

Online Resources:

BOEM: Notice of Availability for Sunrise Wind Draft Environmental Impact Statement (announced 12/12/22)

Comment Period End: 2/14/23

Online Resources:

BOEM: Notice of Availability for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Draft Environmental Impact Statement (announced 12/12/22)

Comment Period End: 2/14/23

Online Resources: