The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has made modifications to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning areas used for managing the oil and gas program, increasing the total number of planning areas from 26 to 27.  Announced in April 2025, this change includes the establishment of a new High Arctic Planning Area and updates...Read More

The Coast Guard has issued a final rule updating the accepted required payment method for merchant mariner credentialing fees. Effective January 19, 2025, the National Maritime Center (NMC) and Regional Examination Centers (RECs) will only accept user fee payments made using the USCG Merchant Mariner User Fee Payment Page on Pay.gov. Pay.gov is a secure...Read More