Public Comment Period: Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization for Northern Sea Otters in Juneau

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has issued a notice of a proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) for Turnagain Marine Construction (TMC). The authorization would allow for the incidental take of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from the Southeast Alaska stock during the construction of two cruise ship berths on Douglas Island in Stephens Passage, Juneau, Alaska. The project involves the installation and removal of 78 temporary and 97 permanent steel piles using vibratory, impact, and down-the-hole (DTH) drilling methods over a period of up to 122 non-consecutive days. The FWS estimates that the project could result in up to 98 instances of Level A harassment and 360 instances of Level B harassment, affecting up to 119 individual sea otters. The agency has determined that this represents a small number of the total Southeast Alaska stock (estimated at 22,359 animals) and will have a negligible impact on the population. The proposed authorization includes extensive mitigation measures, such as the use of bubble curtains for 121.9-cm piles, soft-start procedures, and the establishment of shutdown zones to minimize potential injury. Public comments on the proposed IHA and the accompanying draft environmental assessment are requested within 30 days of the publication date. The FWS has also initiated a process to ensure the project does not interfere with subsistence hunting by Alaska Natives, requiring the applicant to develop a Plan of Cooperation if conflicts arise.