NOAA Fisheries (also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service, NMFS), through the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), is the federal agency responsible for regulating interactions between offshore wind energy projects and marine mammals. Information on Incidental Take Authorizations under the MMPA can be found on this NOAA regulatory processes web page. These authorizations are designed to help reduce impacts to marine mammals from human activities, including during offshore wind development. 

On December 6, 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held a lease sale for the Humboldt and Morro Bay lease areas off California. For projects in these lease areas, NOAA Fisheries will remain responsible for the regulatory process linked above, which will help reduce impacts to marine mammals here on the West Coast. Both BOEM and NOAA Fisheries welcome and encourage the submission of questions, comments, and concerns from the public throughout their authorization processes, which can be done when notices and documents are published in the Federal Register. On the Federal Register website, you can keep track of all offshore wind-related documents by typing “offshore wind” in the search box and subscribing to email updates on all published documents that are open for comment. You can also learn more about West Coast offshore wind projects and related marine wildlife management by visiting the BOEM Pacific and NOAA Fisheries West Coast websites.