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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 122 / Tuesday, June 29, 2021 / Notices
Minke Whales There are no density estimates of minke whales available in the project area. These whales are usually sighted individually or in small groups of two or three, but there are reports of loose aggregations of hundreds of animals NMFS 2018. Dedicated surveys for cetaceans in Southeast Alaska found that minke whales were scattered throughout inland waters from Glacier Bay and Icy Strait to Clarence Strait Dahlheim et al. 2009. All sightings were of single minke whales, except for a single sighting of multiple minke whales. Anecdotal observations suggest that minke whales do not enter Port Chester, and may be more rare in the project area L. Bethel, personal communication, June 11, 2020 as cited in the application. Based on the potential for one group of a group size of three whales entering the Level B
harassment zone during the project, similar to what is observed in Tongass Narrows, AKDOT&PF requested, and NMFS proposes to authorize, take of three minke whales over the 4-month project period by Level B harassment.
No take by Level A harassment is proposed for authorization or anticipated to occur due to their rarer occurrence in the project area. In addition, the shutdown zones are larger than all the calculated Level A
harassment isopleths for all pile driving/removal and DTH activities for cetaceans.

individuals and abundance is highest in August and September 84 FR 34134.
However, anecdotal reports suggest that humpback whale abundance is higher and occurrence is more regular in Metlakatla. Therefore, AKDOT&PF
requested and NMFS proposes that two groups of two whales, up to four individuals per day, may be taken by Level B harassment for a total of 104
humpback whales 4 whales per day
26 days = 104 humpback whales.
Under the MMPA, humpback whales are considered a single stock Central North Pacific; however, we have divided them here to account for DPSs listed under the ESA. Using the stock assessment from Muto et al. 2020 for the Central North Pacific stock 10,103
whales and calculations in Wade et al.
2016; 9,487 whales are expected to be from the Hawaii DPS and 606 from the Mexico DPS. Therefore, for purposes of consultation under the ESA, we anticipate that 7 whales of the total takes would be individuals from the Mexico DPS 104 0.061 = 6.3 rounded to 7. No take by Level A harassment is proposed for authorization or anticipated to occur due to their large size and ability to be visibly detected in the project area if an animal should approach the Level A harassment zone as well as the size of the Level A
harassment zones, which are expected to be manageable for the PSOs. The calculated Level A isopleths for lowfrequency cetaceans are 113 m or less with the exception of DTH of limited duration of 24-in piles where they range from 166.3346.0 m. The shutdown zones Table 11 are larger for all calculated Level A harassment isopleths during all pile driving activities vibratory, impact and DTH for all cetaceans.

found in long-term stable social units pods of 1 to 16 whales. Average pod sizes in Southeast Alaska were 6 in spring, 5 in summer, and 4 in fall. Pod sizes of transient whales are generally smaller than those of resident social groups. Resident killer whales occur in pods ranging from 7 to 70 whales that are seen in association with one another more than 50 percent of the time Dahlheim et al. 2009; NMFS 2016b. In Southeast Alaska, resident killer whale mean pod size was approximately 21.5
in spring, 32.3 in summer, and 19.3 in fall Dahlheim et al. 2009. Killer whales are observed occasionally during summer throughout Nichols Passage, but their presence in Port Chester is unlikely. Anecdotal local information suggests that killer whales are rarely seen within the Port Chester area, but may be present more frequently in Nichols Passage and other areas around Gravina Island L. Bethel, personal communication, June 11, 2020 2020 as cited in the application. To be conservative AKDOT&PF requested one killer whale pod of up to 15 individuals once during the project could be taken by Level B harassment based on a pod of 12 killer whales that may be present each month similar to Tongass Narrows near Ketchikan. Additionally, a recent monitoring report for Tongass Narrows reported 10 individuals sighted and 10
Level B harassment takes of killer whales during May 2021. No take by Level A harassment is proposed for authorization or anticipated to occur to the ability to visibly detect these large whales and the small size of the Level A harassment zones. In addition, the shutdown zones are larger than all the calculated Level A harassment isopleths for all pile driving/removal and DTH
activities for cetaceans.

Humpback Whales There are no density estimates of humpback whales available in the project area. Use of Nichols Passage and Port Chester by humpback whales is common but intermittent and dependent on the presence of prey fish.
No systematic studies have documented humpback whale abundance near Metlakatla. Anecdotal information from Metlakatla and Ketchikan suggest that humpback whales utilization of the area is intermittent year-round and local mariners estimate that one to two humpback whales may be present in the Port Chester area on a daily basis during summer months L. Bethel, personal communication, June 11, 2020 2020 as cited in the application. This is consistent with reports from Ketchikan, which suggest that humpback whales occur alone or in groups of two or three
Killer Whales There are no density estimates of killer whales available in the project area. Three distinct eco-types occur in Southeast Alaska resident, transient and offshore whales; Ford et al., 1994;
Dahlheim et al., 1997, 2008. Dahlheim et al. 2009 observed transient killer whales within Lynn Canal, Icy Strait, Stephens Passage, Frederick Sound, and upper Chatham Strait. As determined during a line-transect survey by Dalheim et al. 2008, the greatest number of transient killer whale observed in Southeast Alaska occurred in 1993 with 32 animals seen over 2
months for an average of 16 sightings per month. Resident pods were also observed in Icy Strait, Lynn Canal, Stephens Passage, Frederick Sound and upper Chatham Straight Dalheim et al.
2008. Transient killer whales are often
Pacific White-Sided Dolphin There are no density estimates of Pacific white-sided dolphins available in the project area. Most observations of Pacific white-sided dolphins occur off the outer coast or in inland waterways near entrances to the open ocean.
Pacific white-sided dolphins have been observed in Alaska waters in groups ranging from 20 to 164 animals, with the sighting of 164 animals occurring in Southeast Alaska near Dixon Entrance to the south of Metlakatla Muto et al., 2018. In nearby Tongass Narrows, NMFS estimated that one group of 92
Pacific white-sided dolphin median between 20 and 164 may occur over a period of 1 year 85 FR 673. There are no records of this species occurring in Port Chester, and it is uncommon for individuals to occur in the project area.
Therefore, the AKDOT&PF requested
by Level B harassment only will be considered for this action. Take by Level B harassment are calculated differently for some species based on monthly or daily sightings data and average group sizes within the action area using the best available data.

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