Endangered Species Committee

The Endangered Species Committee held a public meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Washington, DC, to address the Secretary of War's finding that it is necessary for reasons of national security to exempt Gulf of America Oil and Gas Activities (defined below) from the requirements of the Endangered Species Act. By unanimous vote, the Committee exempted under section 7(h) of the Endangered Species Act the Gulf of America Oil and Gas Activities, which include the avoidance or minimization measures described in the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) 2025 biological opinion and in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) 2018 and 2025 consultation decisions.