Coastal Conservancy, Coastal Commission and BCDC Comment on Streamlining Regulatory Processes and Reducing Regulatory Burden under Department of Commerce

Under the direction of Executive Order, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and National Ocean Service (NOS), is reviewing existing regulations and regulatory processes associated with the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Act, Federal Power Act, National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and Coastal Zone Management Act.

The Coastal Conservancy, Coastal Commission and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission have submitted a joint letter to the Department of Commerce asserting that the current CZMA regulations and regulatory processes  have been an enormous success nationwide and have been consistently implemented by states in a manner that has facilitated and expedited federal agency and federally permitted activities.

While we welcome further dialogue and suggestions to improve efficiencies in the federal consistency review process, we firmly believe the existing regulations and processes already encourage such improvements and do not need to be changed.

The letter can be viewed here: Public Comment on Streamlining Regulatory Processes and Reducing Regulatory Burden under Department of Commerce 

The public comment period for this review is open until August 21.  https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NMFS-2017-0067