Federal Register #RTID 0648-XF718

NOAA Issues Incidental Harassment Authorizations for Alaska Marine Construction Projects

This summary covers the issuance of Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHAs) by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of NOAA, for two Alaska construction projects impacting marine mammals: - Government Buyer: - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Protected Resources - Authorizations issued to: - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) - City of Homer - Projects and Services: - Angoon Ferry Terminal Modification Project (Angoon, Alaska) - IHA authorizes incidental take by harassment of 8 marine mammal species (12 stocks) - Activities include down-the-hole drilling, impact and vibratory pile driving, and pile removal - Includes mitigation, monitoring, and reporting services for compliance - Homer Harbor System Four Float Replacement Project (Homer, Alaska) - IHA authorizes incidental take of marine mammals during float replacement construction - Includes similar mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements - No OEMs or commercial vendors are named; the focus is on regulatory compliance and environmental protection, not procurement of goods or equipment - Notable Requirements: - Strict mitigation, monitoring, and reporting to minimize and document impacts on marine mammals - Authorizations are time-limited and project-specific - Locations: - Angoon Ferry Terminal, Angoon, Alaska - Homer Harbor System, Homer, Alaska

Description

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) for the Angoon Ferry Terminal Modification Project in Angoon, Alaska. This authorization allows for the incidental take by harassment of 8 species (12 stocks) of marine mammals during construction activities such as down-the-hole drilling, impact and vibratory pile driving, and vibratory pile removal. The project aims to modify the existing ferry terminal to accommodate larger Alaska Class Vessels. The IHA re-issues a previously issued authorization with updated effective dates, maintaining the same scope, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements as the initial IHA.

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