The deadline for public comment on a petition that would list Gulf of Alaska king salmon as endangered has been extended.
The petition was put forth by the Washington-based conservation group Wild Fish Conservancy in January. It claims that king salmon populations in the Gulf of Alaska are under threat and asks the federal government to list those kings under the Endangered Species Act.
In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that the information presented in the petition warranted further consideration. This is called a “90 day finding.” It means that federal regulators have 90 days to decide if they want to pursue further action on the petition. If they do, this kicks off a more comprehensive, year-long review that ends with a decision – either Gulf chinook populations don’t need more federal protections or they make the endangered species list. The latter could have far-reaching implications on how the species and their habitats are managed across Alaska.
This preliminary 90 day regulatory process includes a public comment period, which was set to end in late July.
However, NOAA announced on Thursday that they would extend it to September 6. Though, the federal agency also said that the 45-day extension doesn’t change the statutory deadline for the larger 90-day finding. In other words, the decision on whether they will move the petition forward to the next step in the process is still set for mid-August. NOAA urged those affected by the petition in any way to comment as soon as possible.
