Final rule · 2026-09884

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project on Interstate 5 between Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA

NMFS, upon request from the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP), issues this final rule and associated 5-year letter of authorization (LOA) pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to construction activities conducted in support of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project (IBR Project) on Interstate 5 (I-5) between Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, over the course of 5 years. This final rule prescribes the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species and their habitat and establishes requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.