Dear MMPA/ESA permit holders and interested parties, The NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Protected Resources’ Permits and Conservation Division is pleased to announce we will be hosting a workshop on our newly redesigned Applications and Permits for Protected Species (APPS) system at the 26th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in San Juan, Puerto Rico:
*Workshop*: New & Improved “APPS” System for MMPA/ESA Permits *Date*: Saturday, October 17, 2026 Time: 8am-12pm ET (half day) The workshop will introduce new and returning researchers to NOAA Fisheries’ new and improved APPS application and reporting website, which is is the primary method for requesting MMPA/ESA permits and authorizations for scientific research, commercial/educational photography, or public display of cetaceans and pinnipeds in the U.S. Through this new and improved system, we are also introducing a streamlined, applicant-forward approach to environmental reviews and incidental take permitting. The first and last hours of the workshop (8-9am and 11am-12pm) will be “open hours” serving as a Help Desk or support service for APPS where we can help attendees set up their profiles in APPS and we can answer questions about the new system. At 9am, we will begin the group session with a presentation of the changes from the original system followed by a targeted demonstration of the new APPS system. After the demonstration there will be dedicated time for feedback and suggested improvements to the new system as well as Q&A. We look forward to this opportunity to provide an in-depth tutorial of our new APPS system and reconnect with our constituents. For those unable to attend, we will host webinars during the rollout of the new system with key information. If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact Sara Young at [email protected]. *Sara Young* *Fishery Biologist* *Office of Protected Resources* *NOAA Fisheries* *U.S. Department of Commerce* (301) 427-8484 [email protected]
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