Charts

SPECTACLED EIDER CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATION

Final Critical Habitat Total final area: 38,991 mi2 Total proposed area: 74,539 mi2

Unit Area Reason for Designation Changes from Proposal
Central Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta 988.6 mi2; lands inundated by tidal waters between Askinuk Mtns. & Nelson Island. Breeding area; presence of lead shot in environment poses continuing threat. 16% reduction - eliminated unsuitable habitat.
South Yukon-Kuskowkim Delta 89.7 mi2; lands inundated by tidal waters between Nelson Island and Chefornak. Breeding area; presence of lead shot in environment poses continuing threat. 65% reduction - eliminated unsuitable habitat and areas that do not appear to make significant contribution to recovery.
Norton Sound 4087.3 mi2; Norton Sound east of 1620 47', excluding specified waters within Norton Bay; marine waters 5-25m deep. Molting area; high, consistent use during flightless molting; the only molting area known to be used by breeding females from YK Delta; high gastropod biomass; shipping activities may pose threat. 40% reduction - removed areas that water depth and sparse sightings of eiders suggest areas are not essential for molting.
Ledyard Bay 5,390.0 mi2; waters of Ledyard Bay within about 74 km (40 nm) of shore, excluding waters less than 1.85 km (1 nm) from shore; marine waters 5-25m deep. Molting area; principle molting area for breeding females from North Slope; shipping activities may pose threat. 43% reduction - local observations that eiders don't use < 1 nm from shore; excluded waters don't contain features essential to conservation; few or no eiders sighted in excluded portions.
Waters South of St. Lawrence Island 28,436.3 mi2; U.S. waters south of St. Lawrence Island between the latitudes 610 N and 630 30' N, and between the longitudes 1690 W and 1740 30' W; marine waters < 75m deep. Wintering area; most or all spectacled eiders use some portion of this unit each winter for substantial portion of annual cycle. Flux in Bering Sea ecosystem is cause for concern. No change in boundary from proposal, but modified primary constituent elements to exclude waters > 75m deep.

STELLER'S EIDER CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATION

Final Critical Habitat Total final area: 2,830 mi2, 852 mi. shoreline Total proposed area: 25,428 mi2

Unit Area Reason for designation Change from proposal
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta 989 mi2 +337 miles shoreline; lands inundated by tidal waters between Askinuk Mtns. & Nelson Island. Breeding area; recovery plan likely to include re-establishment of YK Delta breeding population; listing based on near-disappearance from YK Delta; increasing abundance on YK Delta will reduce AK-breeding population vulnerability to extirpation. presence of lead shot in environment poses continuing threat. 18% reduction - eliminated unsuitable habitat.
Kuskokwim Shoals 1,472 miles2 + 115 miles shoreline: northern Kuskokwim Bay from the mouth of the Kolavinarak River to near Kwigillingok village, approx.

11-24 miles offshore.

Molting and spring staging area; high concentrations (>5000 Steller's eiders in most years & >10000 in >1year) and known use by Alaska-breeding Steller's eiders. Environmental perturbations may pose threat to population. Subset of proposed Kuskokwim Bay unit - eliminated southern portion of proposed unit and reduced northern portion of proposed unit to more accurately reflect areas used by Steller's eiders.
Seal Islands 24 miles2 + 65 miles shoreline; includes waters within Seal Islands Lagoon and marine waters 1/4 mile offshore of islands and adjacent mainland. Molting and spring staging area; high concentrations (>5000 Steller's eiders in most years & >10000 in >1year) and known use by Alaska-breeding Steller's eiders. Environmental perturbations may pose threat to population. Unchanged from proposed rule.
Nelson Lagoon complex 205 miles2 + 149 miles shoreline; includes Nelson Lagoon and 1/4 mile offshore, and portions of Port Moller and Herendeen Bay. Molting and spring staging area; high concentrations (>5000 Steller's eiders in most years & >10000 in >1year) and known use by Alaska-breeding Steller's eiders. Environmental perturbations may pose threat to population. Eliminated portions of Herendeen Bay & Port Moller where Steller's eiders not detected in significant numbers.
Izembek Lagoon 140 miles2 + 186 miles of shoreline; Includes waters of Izembek Lagoon, Moffett Lagoon, Applegate Cove, Norma Bay, and water 1/4 mile offshore of Kudiakof Islands and adjacent mainland. Molting and spring staging area; high concentrations (>5000 Steller's eiders in most years & >10000 in >1year) and known use by Alaska-breeding Steller's eiders. Unchanged from proposed rule.

AREAS REMOVED FROM FINAL SPECTACLED EIDER CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATION

Units removed Reason for removal
North Slope - land Entire proposed unit likely not necessary for recovery as specified in recovery plan, though some portion is essential. Available information insufficient to delineate which areas are essential to species. Benefits of exclusion outweigh benefits of designation. Inaccurate representation of critical habitat would negate informational & educational benefits associated with designation. Premature and inaccurate designation would undermine cooperative efforts with local residents to identify and implement recovery efforts.
North Slope - marine Available information does not support critical habitat designation. Few sightings, short duration of individual use; unable to determine the type of eider use so cannot identify physical/biological features important to the species.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Marine Units Insufficient information about type of use so cannot identify physical and biological features necessary for conservation of species. Limited telemetry information suggests individual use is of short duration each year.
North Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Habitat apparently unsuitable for eider nesting; contribution to species recovery is low; area not needed to meet recovery goals.

AREAS REMOVED FROM FINAL STELLER'S EIDER CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATION

North Slope - land Entire proposed unit likely not necessary for recovery, though some portion is essential. Barrow area is important, but not enough information to know where to draw critical habitat boundaries to accurately encompass critical habitat. Benefits of exclusion outweigh benefits of designation. Inaccurate representation of critical habitat would negate informational & educational benefits associated with designation. Premature designation would undermine cooperative efforts with local residents to identify and implement recovery efforts.
Nunivak Islands, Eastern Aleutians, Alaska Peninsula-south side, Kodiak Archipelago, Kachemak Bay/Ninilchik, North Side of the Alaska Peninsula Insufficient information on marine distribution and use to justify designation as critical habitat. Four specific areas with high concentrations of eiders and sightings of at least one Alaska-breeding eider were retained as critical habitat.