Marine Mammals; Incidental Take of Polar Bears and Pacific Walruses in the Southern Beaufort Sea and North Slope of Alaska

Dear Secretary Burgum, Please accept these 9,957 public comments from members and activists of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in reference to Docket # FWS-R7-ES-2026-0694. I am writing in opposition to your agency's proposed rule, based on the oil and gas industry's request, to allow the killing, harming, or capturing of threatened polar bears, particularly cubs still in their dens, and Pacific walruses in the Arctic. This disastrous proposal is on top of the irreversible destruction that drilling has already had on imperiled marine mammals, from ship strikes to deafening seismic testing, habitat loss, and worsening climate change. The U.S. is already the world's leading producer of oil and gas — we don't need to clear the way for more reckless drilling that kills, harms, or captures polar bears and walruses. I urge you to deny the request and protect marine mammals from drilling. Thank you. Sincerely, Margaret Tran Ramadhar National Digital Advocacy Campaign Manager, NRDC