June 27, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries announces the extension of the public comment period on our May 24, 2024, 90-day finding on a petition to list Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), or any evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) that may exist in the petitioned area, as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
As part of that finding, we solicited scientific and commercial information about the status of this population and announced a 60-day public comment period to end on July 23, 2024.
Today, we extend the public comment period until September 6, 2024.
Although we have extended the comment period by 45 days, we are unable to extend the statutory deadline for completing the status review and publishing a 12-month finding under the ESA. As such, we urge interested parties to submit their comments and data as soon as possible to allow us more time to review and incorporate the information where appropriate.