On Friday, October 21, a Draft North Atlantic Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy (Draft Strategy” was jointly announced by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, also known as NOAA Fisheries). The Draft Strategy identifies three categories of actions: (1) Mitigation and Decision-Support Tools; (2) Research and Monitoring; and (3) Collaboration, Communication, and Outreach; and identifies specific priorities and actions within each category.

Friday’s announcement opened a 45-day public review and comment period on the Draft Strategy, which will close on December 4, 2022. Comments can be submitted on www.regulations.gov, under Docket Number BOEM-2022-0066; both the request for comment and the Draft Strategy can also be accessed via that online docket. The agencies will finalize the Draft Strategy after reviewing and responding to comments.