Data / Federal rules / 2026-21371

Marine Mammals; Incidental Take of Polar Bears and Pacific Walruses in the Beaufort Sea and North Slope of Alaska

The Fish and Wildlife Service published this final rule in the Federal Register on October 19, 2026. It took effect on October 19, 2026.

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What the agency says

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 from the Alaska Oil and Gas Association (AOGA), finalize regulations facilitating the authorization of incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) during year-round oil and gas industry activities in the Beaufort Sea (Alaska and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)) and adjacent northern coast of Alaska. Take may result from oil and gas exploration, development, production, and transportation activities occurring for a period of 5 years. Oil and gas industry operations include similar types of activities covered by the previous 5-year Beaufort Sea incidental take regulations effective from August 6, 2021, through August 5, 2026. We will issue letters of authorization, upon request, for specific activities in accordance with these regulations.

Key facts

Document number: 2026-21371
Type: Final rule
Action: Final rule
Agency: Interior Department; Fish and Wildlife Service
Published: October 19, 2026
Takes effect: October 19, 2026
Dates: This rule is effective October 19, 2026 and remains effective through October 19, 2031.
Docket: Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2026-0694; FXES111607MRG01-267-FF07CAMM00
Regulation ID (RIN): 1018-BI93
Code of Federal Regulations: 50 CFR 18
Topics: Administrative practice and procedure; Alaska; Imports; Indians; Marine mammals; Oil and gas exploration; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Transportation
Pages: 71

The document on federalregister.gov PDF

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Everything from the Fish and Wildlife Service · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on alaska · Rules on imports · Published in October 2026

Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.