Notice2024-09900
Marine Mammals; Letters of Authorization To Take Pacific Walruses, Polar Bears, and Northern Sea Otters in Alaska, in 2023
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 7, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) issues letters of authorization (LOA) for the nonlethal take of polar bears and Pacific walruses incidental to oil and gas industry exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and the adjacent northern coast of Alaska. The Service also issues LOAs for the nonlethal take of northern sea otters incidental to pile driving and marine construction activities in the Gulf of Alaska. This notice announces the LOAs issued in calendar year 2023. The LOAs stipulate conditions and methods that minimize impacts to polar bears, Pacific walruses, and northern sea otters from these activities.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 89 (Tuesday, May 7, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38180-38182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09900]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2024-0003; FXES111607MRG01-245-FF07CAMM00]
Marine Mammals; Letters of Authorization To Take Pacific
Walruses, Polar Bears, and Northern Sea Otters in Alaska, in 2023
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of issuance.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,
as amended, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) issues letters
of authorization (LOA) for the nonlethal take of polar bears and
Pacific walruses incidental to oil and gas industry exploration,
development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and the
adjacent northern coast of Alaska. The Service also issues LOAs for the
nonlethal take of northern sea otters incidental to pile driving and
marine construction activities in the Gulf of Alaska. This notice
announces the LOAs issued in calendar year 2023. The LOAs stipulate
conditions and methods that minimize impacts to polar bears, Pacific
walruses, and northern sea otters from these activities.
ADDRESSES:
Accessing documents: You may view the letters of authorization at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> under Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2024-0003.
Alternatively, you may request these documents from the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Hamilton, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road MS-341, Anchorage, AK 99503, by
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#edbfda8080809f888a98818c99829f94ad8b9a9ec38a829b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cb99fca6a6a6b9aeacbea7aabfa4b9b28badbcb8e5aca4bd">[email protected]</span></a> or by telephone at (907) 786-3800.
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in
the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 5, 2021, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service) published in the Federal Register a final
rule (86 FR 42982) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize
the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar
bears (Ursus maritimus) and Pacific walruses
[[Page 38181]]
(Odobenus rosmarus divergens) during year-round oil and gas industry
exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea
and adjacent northern coast of Alaska. These incidental take
regulations are located in subpart J in part 18 of title 50 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) and are effective through August 5, 2026.
The rule prescribed a process under which we issue letters of
authorization (LOA) to applicants conducting activities as described
under the provisions of the regulations.
Each LOA stipulates conditions or methods that are specific to the
activity and location. Holders of the LOAs must use methods and conduct
activities in a manner that minimizes to the greatest extent
practicable adverse impacts on Pacific walruses and polar bears and
their habitat, and on the availability of these marine mammals for
subsistence purposes. No intentional take or lethal incidental take is
authorized under these regulations.
In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50 CFR
part 18, subpart J, in 2023, we issued LOAs to the companies in the
Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska shown in table 1.
Table 1--Letters of Authorization Issued for Oil and Gas Development Activities in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, in
2023
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Company Project LOA #
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Eni U.S. Operating Company Inc........... Oil and gas drilling and 23-01.
production within the
Nikaitchuq and Oooguruk Units
on Alaska's North Slope.
ASRC Consulting and Environmental Well drilling and production 23-02.
Services. test facility construction and
operation for a methane hydrate
project on the Kuparuk State 7-
11-12 gravel pad within the
Prudhoe Bay Unit on the North
Slope of Alaska.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company......... Operation and maintenance of the 23-03.
Trans Alaska Pipeline System,
which extends from Pump Station
1 in the Prudhoe Bay Oilfield
to the Valdez Marine Terminal.
Oil Search Alaska, LLC................... Oil and gas exploration and 23-04.
development within and adjacent
to the Pikka Unit area and oil
and gas exploration on Oil
Search Alaska operated
leaseholds on Alaska's North
Slope.
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC...................... Year-round oil and gas 23-05.
exploration, production,
development, and support
activities in the Milne Point,
Duck Island (Endicott),
Northstar Island, Prudhoe Bay,
and Point Thomson operation
areas located in the Beaufort
Sea incidental take regulations
area of the North Slope of
Alaska.
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC...................... An amendment request dated 23-05 [Amended in Dec. 2023 from
November 2, 2023, for 23-INC-05 July 2023].
to include three additional pad
expansions, two additional road
expansions, repair of the
Northstar bench, and
construction and use of an ice
road from Niakuk to Endicott's
main drilling island in the
Mine Point, Duck Island
(Endicott), and Northstar
Island operational areas.
Original LOA (23-INC-05) for
year-round oil and gas
exploration, production,
development, and support
activities in the Milne Point,
Duck Island (Endicott),
Northstar Island, Prudhoe Bay,
and Point Thomson operation
areas located in the Beaufort
Sea incidental take regulations
area of the North Slope of
Alaska.
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC...................... A letter from the Service dated 23-05 [Amended in Dec. 2023 from
December 19, 2023, outlining July 2023].
additional monitoring and
mitigation measures to reduce
disturbance of a putative den
identified through aerial
infrared surveys and located
within the 1-mile buffer zone
of operations and
infrastructure.
Conoco Philips Alaska Inc................ Incidental take of polar bears 23-06.
during oil and gas activities
associated with the Willow
Development (Project) work in
2023-2024. Represents an
extension of Willow LOA 22-INC-
10, which expires August 6,
2023.
Conoco Philips Alaska Inc................ Renewal request of 22-INC-09: 23-07.
Incidental take of polar bears
and Pacific walrus that may
occur during ConocoPhillips
Alaska Inc.'s field-wide
operations in the Kuparuk
River, Western North Slope,
Colville River, Greater Moose's
Tooth, and Bear Tooth Units on
the North Slope of Alaska.
Glacier Oil and Gas...................... Incidental harassment of polar 23-08.
bears and Pacific walrus that
may occur during Glacier Oil
and Gas Corporation's oil
production, facilities and
pipeline maintenance, workovers
of existing wells, and
construction and maintenance of
ice roads associated with the
Badami oilfield near Mikkelsen
Bay in the North Slope.
Conoco Philips Alaska Inc................ Incidental take of polar bears 23-09.
that may occur during CPAI's
Ptarmigan Seismic Survey in the
Greater Mooses Tooth, Bear
Tooth, and non-unitized land on
the North Slope of Alaska.
ASRC Consulting and Environmental Incidental take of polar bears 23-10.
Services. associated with Lagniappe
drilling program activities,
including ice road and ice pad
construction, ice road
transportation, well drilling,
and aircraft-supported cleanup
for an oil and gas exploration
well drilling project. Drilling
located south of the Badami
Unit.
Oil Search Alaska, LLC................... Amendment submitted on Jan. 18, 22-04 [Amended in 2023 from 2022].
2023, to LOA 22-INC-04.
Amendment pertains to the
incidental take of polar bears
that may occur during
activities associated with oil
and gas exploration and
development within and adjacent
to the Pikka Unit area and oil
and gas exploration on OSA-
operated leaseholds on Alaska's
North Slope. Amendment allows
for additional tundra travel to
survey a pipeline route between
Oliktok Point and the Kuparuk
area and the construction of a
10-acre gravel pad alongside
the NDA gravel road.
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[[Page 38182]]
On April 19, 2023, the Service published in the Federal Register a
final rule (88 FR 24115) establishing regulations that allow us to
authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small
numbers of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) during marine
construction and pile-driving activities in coastal waters surrounding
eight United States Coast Guard (USCG) facilities in the Gulf of
Alaska. These incidental take regulations are located in subpart L in
part 18 of title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and are
effective through May 19, 2028. The rule prescribed a process under
which we issue LOAs to the USCG Guard conducting activities as
described under the provisions of the regulations.
Each LOA stipulates conditions or methods that are specific to the
activity and location. Holders of the LOAs must use methods and conduct
activities in a manner that minimizes to the greatest extent
practicable adverse impacts on northern sea otters and their habitat,
and on the availability of northern sea otters for subsistence
purposes. No intentional take or lethal incidental take is authorized
under these regulations.
In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50 CFR
part 18, subpart L, in 2023, we issued two LOAs to the USCG for their
activities in the Gulf of Alaska shown in table 2.
Table 2--Letters of Authorization Issued to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for Marine Construction and Pile-Driving
Activities in the Gulf of Alaska
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Company Project LOA #
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USCG..................................... Incidental take of small numbers 23-CG-01
of northern sea otters that may
occur during activities
associated with pile driving
and marine construction
activities in Cordova, Alaska.
USCG..................................... Incidental take of small numbers 23-CG-02
of northern sea otters that may
occur during activities
associated with improvements to
the small boat fueling tank
facility at USCG Station
Valdez, Alaska.
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Authority: We issue this notice under the authority of the Marine
Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.).
Peter Fasbender,
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries and Ecological Services, Alaska
Region.
[FR Doc. 2024-09900 Filed 5-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 7, 2024.
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