Marine Mammals; Incidental Take During Specified Activities; Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization for Southcentral Alaska Stock of Northern Sea Otters in Cordova, Alaska; Draft Environmental Assessment

Issuing agencies

Abstract

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, from the City of Cordova, Alaska, propose to authorize nonlethal incidental take by harassment of small numbers of the Southcentral Alaska stock of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) for 1 year from the date of issuance of the incidental harassment authorization. The applicant has requested this authorization for take by harassment that may result from activities associated with pile driving and marine construction activities in Cordova, Alaska. We estimate that this project may result in the nonlethal incidental take by harassment of up to 82 northern sea otters from the Southcentral stock. This proposed authorization, if finalized, will be for up to 30 takes of 5 northern sea otters by Level A harassment and 790 takes of 77 northern sea otters by Level B harassment. No lethal take is requested, or expected, and no such take will be authorized.