State to review NOAA’s proposed ‘speed rule’ changes

North Carolina Division of Coastal Management staff are encouraging the public to speak about proposed changes to vessel speed restrictions determined on the federal level.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, or NOAA Fisheries, proposed the amendments to what is often called the “speed rule” to further reduce “the likelihood of mortalities and serious injuries to endangered right whales from vessel collisions, which are a leading cause of the species’ decline and a primary factor in an ongoing Unusual Mortality Event.”

The state is in the process of reviewing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s consistency determination to see if NOAA Fisheries’ proposed amendments to the speed rule are as consistent as possible with the state’s enforceable coastal management policies.

Division officials said that the changes include the following:

• Modifying the boundaries and timing seasonal speed restrictions of 10 knots or less, renamed seasonal speed zones, to better align with areas characterized by elevated collision-related mortality risk.
• Creating a dynamic speed zone program to implement temporary mandatory speed restrictions when whales are known to be present outside active seasonal speed zones.
• Extending the size threshold of regulated vessels to include most vessels 35 feet or greater in length.
• Updating the speed rule’s safety deviation provision.

The public can submit comments during a meeting 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City. The meeting will end at 6:30 p.m. or until comments are concluded, whichever comes first. Each speaker will be allowed 3 minutes each.

Written comments can be mailed to Federal Consistency Coordinator Daniel Govoni, 400 Commerce Ave., Morehead City, NC 28557, or emailed to DCMComments@deq.nc.gov. Include “North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule” in the email subject line. Deadline is 5 p.m. July 31.

All comments will be considered in developing the state’s consistency response. Notice of the decision regarding this matter will be provided upon request, officials said.