Daily Archives: February 6, 2025
Elon, it’s time to sic the DOGE on BOEM, and NMFS By Jim Lovgren
The Trump administration has begun a long overdue financial analysis of the spending habits of federal agencies, looking to weed out waste, fraud, incompetence, bureaucratic overlap of different agencies, and unnecessary regulations. To do this he has recruited Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who earned his wealth by his shear brilliance, to lead a new agency, called DOGE, Department of Governmental Efficiency. While there are plenty of federal departments that need cleaning up, or elimination, let’s hope that Elon doesn’t overlook BOEM and the NMFS. Let’s start with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the agency that cavalierly sells the ocean bottom and its non-renewable resources to the highest bidder. This is an agency that has always been surrounded by controversy and corruption so bad that they had to change their name years ago from the Marine Minerals Service to its present BOEM. More, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:57
Fishers Make the Most of a Better Crab Season
The rain is misting over Woodley Island Marina’s Dock B, where the F/V Jenna Lee is moored. Kristen Pinto, in a bright yellow slicker, pulls three Dungeness crabs from the trickling bin on the deck of the adjacent home-built pontoon boat from which the Pinto family sells to the public as Jenna Lee’s Seafood. “It’s been a little slower,” she says, lifting a half shrug and noting the strained economy and higher price of crab — $8 per pound — have kept some away. “They’re a nice size and all, but it adds up. A nice size crab can be $20.” The jump in price from last year has been a boon for crab fishers who’ve been stuck selling their hard-won catches for less and less over shortened seasons in recent years. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:43
N.B. lobster processors living with uncertainty as clock ticks on U.S. tariffs reprieve
Lobster processors in New Brunswick are relieved that U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports have been postponed, but there is still a possibility they will be implemented in March, creating anxiety in the industry. “That’s the frustrating bit,” Nat Richard, executive director of the Lobster Processors Association in the region, said. “It just extends the uncertainty, which is not great for business for sure.” The United States is by far the largest consumer of Canadian lobster. The concern for the lobster industry extends into the United States, as well. Chellie Pingree, the Democratic congresswoman for Maine’s 1st district, said lobster often goes back and forth between the two countries for processing. While diversification of markets is something Richard supports, he said it won’t be simple.”We’re not going to walk away from the U.S. market, whether this is a tariff or not,” said Richard. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:21
Interior Department Cancels Wind Project Meetings Following Trump’s Order
The first demonstration of the new Trump administration’s efforts to derail the offshore wind energy sector emerged as the Department of Interior began reversing steps taken in the last days of the Biden administration. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management canceled meetings for the review of an offshore wind project while the Department of the Interior highlighted that it was taking “steps to streamline processes that will enhance efficiency and innovation.” BOEM announced it was canceling the virtual public meetings scheduled by the Biden administration to begin comments and review of the Construction and Operations Plan submitted by Vineyard Mid-Atlantic. The first meeting had been scheduled for February 6, followed by sessions on February 11 and 19 for comments on the plan. It, however, noted that written comments could still be submitted before the March 3 deadline. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:19
Democrats accuse DOGE of going after NOAA
Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday accused Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of improperly inserting itself into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In a joint statement, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said Musk’s cost-cutting group of accessing NOAA’s computer systems. NOAA is charged with forecasting weather, monitoring atmospheric conditions and mapping the seas, among other things. “Elon Musk and his DOGE hackers are ransacking their way through the federal government, unlawfully gaining unfettered access to Americans’ private information and gutting programs people depend on,” said Huffman and Lofgren, the top Democrats on the House Natural Resources and Science, Space and Technology committees, respectively. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:57
Emergency Dredging in the Works for Montauk Inlet
Finally. After years of effort, accelerated recently because of dangerous conditions, the inlet at Lake Montauk will undergo emergency dredging, perhaps by the end of the month. At the East Hampton Town Board meeting on Tuesday, Councilman David Lys announced the development during his liaison reports, saying he was “very pleasantly surprised.” “This is the greatest indication that we will have some temporary relief there,” he told the board. The United States Army Corps of Engineers posted a public notice to its website Monday announcing the project that will remove shoals down to a depth of 12 feet below the mean low-water level (plus an allowable two feet over depth), and place 10,500 cubic yards of dredged sand on the beach immediately west of the inlet. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:22
