NOAA seeks comment on marine mammal permits for Juneau cruise terminal

The National Marine Fisheries Service is asking the public to weigh in on permits that would allow construction of a new cruise ship terminal on Douglas Island, near Juneau, to proceed even if it disturbs marine mammals in Gastineau Channel.

NMFS published the proposal Monday in the Federal Register. The agency is proposing to issue two consecutive incidental harassment authorizations to Turnagain Marine Construction under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Those authorizations would permit the incidental, but not intentional, disturbance of marine mammals during construction. NMFS is also soliciting comment on possible one-time, one-year renewals of each authorization if certain conditions are met.

The agency said it will consider public comments before making any final decision on the requested authorizations. All comments received become part of the public record and will generally be posted online without change. Personal identifying information submitted voluntarily, such as name and address, may be publicly accessible. The application and supporting documents are available on the NOAA Fisheries website for incidental take authorizations for construction activities.

Comments must be emailed to [email protected] no later than July 29, 2026. Attachments must not exceed 25 megabytes. NMFS will not accept comments sent by any other method or received after the deadline.