50 CFR § 18.103

50 CFR · Wildlife and Fisheries

§ 18.103 — Procedure to obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA).

50 CFR § 18.103

TitleTitle 50: Wildlife and Fisheries PartPart 18: Marine Mammals

SourceeCFR (current through Apr 6, 2026)

This text of 50 C.F.R. § 18.103 (Procedure to obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA).) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

50 C.F.R. § 18.103 (2026).

Text

§ 18.103 Procedure to obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA).

(a)The applicant must submit the request for an LOA to the FWS Alaska Region, Marine Mammals Management Office (MMM), MS 341, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99503, at least 30 days prior to the start of the specified activity.

(b)The request for an LOA must comply with the requirements set forth in §§ 18.107 through 18.109 and must include the following information:

(1)An operational plan that describes in detail the activity (e.g., type of project, methods, and types and numbers of equipment and personnel, etc.), the dates and duration of the activity, and the specific locations affected by the activity.

(2)A digital geospatial file of the project footprint.

(3)A site-specific marine mammal monitoring and miti

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§ 18.103 Procedure to obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA).

(a) The applicant must submit the request for an LOA to the FWS Alaska Region, Marine Mammals Management Office (MMM), MS 341, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99503, at least 30 days prior to the start of the specified activity.

(b) The request for an LOA must comply with the requirements set forth in §§ 18.107 through 18.109 and must include the following information:

(1) An operational plan that describes in detail the activity (e.g., type of project, methods, and types and numbers of equipment and personnel, etc.), the dates and duration of the activity, and the specific locations affected by the activity.

(2) A digital geospatial file of the project footprint.

(3) A site-specific marine mammal monitoring and mitigation plan that specifies the procedures to monitor and mitigate the effects of the activities on sea otters.

(4) Documentation of the applicant's communication with potentially affected subsistence communities surrounding Seward, Sitka, and Kodiak and appropriate subsistence user organizations to discuss the location, timing, and methods of activities and identify and mitigate any potential conflicts with subsistence sea otter hunting activities.

(i) The applicant must specifically inquire of relevant communities and organizations if the activity will interfere with the availability of sea otters for the subsistence use of those groups.

(ii) Documentation must include a summary of any concerns identified by community members and hunter organizations and the applicant's responses to identified concerns.

(iii) A plan of cooperation (POC) may not be required for an LOA request if no concerns are raised during community consultation regarding impacts to subsistence harvest or Alaska Native communities and subsistence user organizations.

(5) A POC, if required, to mitigate potential conflicts between the activity and subsistence hunting.