Cook Inlet Beluga Whales
Development Projects in Cook Inlet Beluga Habitat
The Cook Inlet beluga whale stock may once have numbered as many as 1,300 but declined dramatically during the last decade. Aerial survey results indicated a decline of 47 percent between 1994 and 1998. In response to this significant decline, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service designated the Cook Inlet (CI) stock of beluga whales as depleted under the MMPA on May 31, 2000 (65 FR 34590 PDF). Surveys from 1999 to 2005 have resulted in point estimates of abundance ranging between 278 and 435 with no significant trend in numbers. Harvests have been severely restricted (0-2 whales annually) from this stock since 1999, but the population has not shown significant response. Other factors are now thought to have the potential to impact the CI belugas. Considerable concern remains regarding the recovery of this stock and the habitat necessary to lead to their recovery.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- ACS Fiber Optic Cable Project
- Cook Inlet Oil and Gas
- Seismic - Beluga River, Granite Point
- National Pollution Discharge Elimination System
- Chuitna Coal Project
- Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority
- Knik Arm Ferry
- Pebble Mine
- Port of Anchorage Expansion
- Port MacKenzie
- Seward Highway
- Ship Creek
ACS FIBER OPTIC CABLE PROJECT
- ACS letter to NMFS, February 2008
- Alaska Marine Route map
- Homer to Gulf of Alaska map
- Nikiski to Anchorage map
COOK INLET OIL AND GAS
Seismic
Beluga River 3D Seismic Project
- 72 FR 17118, April 6, 2007. Notice of issuance of IHA's to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting seismic operations in the northwest portion of Cook Inlet, Alaska, to ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. and Union Oil Company of California for a period between mid-March and mid-June, 2007.
- Environmental Assessment of the Issuance of Incidental Harassment Authorizations to ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. and Union Oil Company to Take Marine Mammals by Harassment Incidental to Conducting Seismic Operations in Northwestern Cook Inlet, Alaska, March 2007
- 72 FR 536, January 5, 2007. Notice of proposed authorizations for two incidental take authorizations; request for comments by February 5, 2007.
- ConocoPhillips (external website)
Chevron/Union Oil Company Granite Point Onshore/Offshore 3D Seismic Survey
- 72 FR 536, January 5, 2007. Notice of proposed authorizations for two incidental take authorizations; request for comments by February 5, 2007.
Upper Cook Inlet Seismic Survey
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System
- 72 FR 30377, May 31, 2007. Reissuance of the NPDES general permit for oil and gas exploration, development and production facilities in Cook Inlet
- Environmental Protection Agency website with final permit and response to comments (external website)
- NMFS comments to EPA on the NPDES Revised Biological Evalulation, October 2006
CHUITNA COAL PROJECT
- NOAA Fisheries letter to the Environmental Protection Agency about threatened and endangered species in the area of the Chuitna Coal Project, January 2007
- Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) Project (external website)
- NMFS response letter, August 2006
- Monthly project report for marine fish and mammal studies - June 2006
- Monthly project report for marine fish and mammal studies - April 2006
KNIK ARM BRIDGE AND TOLL AUTHORITY
- Knik Arm Crossing Project (external website)
- Beluga Reports (external website)
- Final Environmental Impact Statement, December 2007 (external website)
- EPA comments on Knik Arm Crossing Project, March 2008
- NMFS memo on FEIS, February 2008
- NMFS comments on FEIS, January 2008
- NMFS comments on Draft EIS, November 2006
- 71 FR 49433, August 23, 2006. NMFS has received a request from the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) for an authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to construction of the Knik Arm Bridge at the Knik Arm Crossing in Alaska during the period 2007 through 2012.
KNIK ARM FERRY
- Knik Arm Ferry Project (external website)
- NMFS letter to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, May 2007
- NMFS letter to Anchorage Port Director, January 2007
- NMFS response to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Public Notice, November 2006
- NMFS letter to Federal Transit Administration on the Supplemental EA and EFH Assessment, October 2006
- NMFS letter to Port Director, September 2006
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough response to cancel the public boat launch, October 2006 - NMFS letter to the Federal Transit Administration, April 2003
- Environmental Assessment
- NMFS review of Supplemental Environmental Assessment, October 2006
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Permit
- NMFS letter on potential impacts, November 2006
PEBBLE MINE
- Pebble Project Technical Working Groups and Steering Committee, NMFS letter, April 2009
- Pebble Partnership (external website)
- Letter of Confirmation for aerial surveys of Cook Inlet, February 2009
PORT OF ANCHORAGE EXPANSION
- General Information
- Port of Anchorage Intermodal Expansion Project (external website)
- Map of Port of Anchorage Phasing Plan, December 2007
- Port of Anchorage Marine Terminal Development Project, Underwater Noice Survey Test Pile Driving Program, Prepared for Integrated Concepts & Research by URS, December 2007
- Distribution, Habitat Use, and Behavior of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales in Knik Arm, Department of Environmental Science, Alaska Pacific University, Fall 2007
- Summary of Beluga Whale Monitoring Activities - Port of Anchorage, November - July 2005 (external website)
- Port of Anchorage Draft Environmental Assessment
- Incidental Harrassment Authorization (IHA)
- 74 FR 18492, April 23, 2009. Notice of receipt of an application from the Port of Anchorage and the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration for issuance of regulations governing the take of small numbers of marine mammals incidental to the Port’s Marine Terminal Redevelopment Project, Anchorage, Alaska. Construction activities which have the potential to harass marine mammals include in-water pile driving and demolition of the existing dock. Comments and information must be postmarked no later than May 26, 2009.
- 73 FR 77013, December 18, 2008. Notice of a request from the Port of Anchorage and the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Port’s Marine Terminal Redevelopment Project for the period of July 2009 through July 2014. Comment period through January 20, 2009.
- 73 FR 41318, July 18, 2009. Notice of issuance of an IHA to the Port of Anchorage and the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, to take small numbers of marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to the first year of construction of its Marine Terminal Redevelopment Project at the Port, Anchorage, Alaska. Effective from July 15, 2008 – July 14, 2009.
- Incidental Harrassment Authorization, July 2008
- Environmental Assessment on the Issuance of an IHA and Subsequent Rulemaking for Take of Small Numbers of Marine Mammals Incidental to the Port of Anchorage Terminal Redevelopment Project, Anchorage, Alaska, July 2008
- Finding of No Significant Impact, July 2008
- 73 FR 14443, March 18, 2008. Notice of proposed IHA and receipt of application from the Port of Anchorage to take small numbers of marine mammals by Level B harassment. Comment period through April 17, 2008.
- Corps of Engineers Permits
- US Army Corp of Engineers Environmental Assessment (EA) Anchorage Harbor Dredging & Disposal, and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), August 2008
- Public comment period through September 15, 2008.
- NMFS letter to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on NOI to Issue Permit, August 10, 2007
- NMFS letter to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on Phase II of the Port of Anchorage Marine Terminal Redevelopment Project, March 4, 2007
- NMFS letter to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to advance discussions on the mitigation for the Port of Anchorage Marine Terminal Redevelopment Project, January 2007
- NMFS Response to the Port of Anchorage's Permit Request, March 2006
- US Army Corp of Engineers Environmental Assessment (EA) Anchorage Harbor Dredging & Disposal, and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), August 2008
- Corps of Engineers Dredging
- Port of Anchorage Intermodel Expansion Project Phase II Permit to Discharge Dredged Material in Waters of the U.S., Including Wetlands, Necessary for the Expansion of the Port of Anchorage, 2007 (external website)
- Characterization of underwater sounds produced by bucket dredging operations, Dickerson, C., Reine, K. J., and Clarke, D. G., 2001, DOER Technical Notes Collection (ERDC TN-DOER-E14), U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (external website)
PORT MACKENZIE
- NMFS review of US Army Corp of Engineers' public notice, May 2008
- NMFS letter to US Army Corp of Engineers about potential impacts to beluga whales, April 2008
- Port MacKenzie - Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (external website)
- Underwater Measurements of Pile-driving Sounds during the Port MacKenzie Dock Modifications, August 2004