Federal Register #2026-16595

Re-issuance of Incidental Harassment Authorizations for Alaska Marine Construction Projects

This notice concerns the re-issuance of Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHAs) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Protected Resources, for two Alaska construction projects: - Government Buyer: - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) - Office of Protected Resources - Projects Covered: - City of Hoonah Cargo Dock Project (Hoonah, Alaska) - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Ferry Berth Construction (Ketchikan, Alaska) - Services Requested: - Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) for the incidental take (by harassment only) of marine mammals during construction activities - Hoonah Cargo Dock Project: covers 8 marine mammal species (e.g., humpback whale, killer whale, harbor seal, Steller sea lion) - Ketchikan Ferry Berth Construction: covers 11 marine mammal species - Activities include pile driving and drilling - Notable Requirements: - Mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements remain unchanged from previous IHAs - No new products, OEMs, or vendors are involved; this is a regulatory authorization, not a procurement of goods or services - IHAs are reissued due to project delays; no work was conducted under the original authorizations - Compliance with marine mammal protection regulations and environmental safeguards is required

Description

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a re-issuance of an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the City of Hoonah for marine mammal take incidental to construction activities associated with the Cargo Dock Project in Hoonah, Alaska. The project involves installation of a dock to enable barge operations during all tidal conditions and seasons. The re-issued IHA covers the same species, authorized take numbers, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures as the initial IHA, with the only change being the effective dates from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027. The project was delayed and no work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. Species expected to be taken include humpback whale, minke whale, killer whale, Pacific white-sided dolphin, Dall's porpoise, harbor porpoise, harbor seal, and Steller sea lion.

View original listing