Quiero saber acerca de...

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1

34208

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 122 / Tuesday, June 29, 2021 / Notices
of year in Alaska, but most animals winter in temperate or tropical waters near Hawaii. In the spring, the animals migrate back to Alaska where food is abundant. The Central North Pacific stock of humpback whales are found in the waters of Southeast Alaska and consist of two distinct population segments DPSs, the Hawaii DPS and the Mexico DPS Mexico DPS listed under the ESA as threatened.
Within Southeast Alaska, humpback whales are found throughout all major waterways and in a variety of habitats, including open-ocean entrances, openstrait environments, near-shore waters, area with strong tidal currents, and secluded bays and inlets. They tend to concentrate in several areas, including northern Southeast Alaska. Patterns of occurrence likely follow the spatial and temporal changes in prey abundance and distribution with humpback whales adjusting their foraging locations to areas of high prey density Clapham 2000. While many humpback whales migrate to tropical calving and breeding grounds in winter, they have been observed in Southeast Alaska in all months of the year Bettridge et al., 2015.
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. Their abundance, distribution, and occurrence are dependent on and fluctuate with fish prey. 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 as cited in the application.
This is consistent with reports from nearby Tongass Narrows, which suggest that humpback whales occur alone or in groups of two or three individuals about once a week Freitag 2017 as cited in 85 FR 673. Therefore, in nearby Tongass Narrows, NMFS estimated that approximately four humpback whales may transit through each week 85 FR
673. A recent monitoring report for Tongass Narrows reported 9 individual sightings of humpback whales with 6
Level B harassment takes of humpback whales in May 2021report available at https www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/
incidental-take-authorization-alaskadepartment-transportation-ferry-berthimprovements. Anecdotal reports suggest that humpback whale abundance is higher and occurrence is more regular in Metlakatla.
On April 21, 2021, a final rule designating critical habitat for
VerDate Sep<11>2014

18:06 Jun 28, 2021

Jkt 253001

humpback whales was published in the Federal Register 86 FR 21082, however, no critical habitat for Mexico DPS humpback whales is within or near the project area.

incidental-take-authorization-alaskadepartment-transportation-ferry-berthimprovements.

Killer Whale Killer whales have been observed in all oceans and seas of the world, but the highest densities occur in colder and more productive waters found at high latitudes. Killer whales are found throughout the North Pacific and occur along the entire Alaska coast, in British Columbia and Washington inland waterways, and along the outer coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California NMFS 2018f.
The Alaska Resident stock occurs from Southeast Alaska to the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea. The Northern Resident stock occurs from Washington State through part of Southeast Alaska;
and the West Coast Transient stock occurs from California through Southeast Alaska Muto et al., 2018 and are thought to occur frequently in Southeast Alaska Straley 2017.
Transient killer whales hunt and feed primarily on marine mammals, while residents forage primarily on fish.
Transient killer whales feed primarily on harbor seals, Dalls porpoises, harbor porpoises, and sea lions. Resident killer whale populations in the eastern North Pacific feed mainly on salmonids, showing a strong preference for Chinook salmon NMFS 2016a.
No systematic studies of killer whales have been conducted in or around Port Chester. Dahlheim et al. 2009 observed transient killer whales within Lynn Canal, Icy Strait, Stephens Passage, Frederick Sound, and upper Chatham Strait. 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 as cited in the application. In nearby Tongass Narrows, NMFS estimated that one pod of 12 killer whales may be present each month, and two pods of 12 animals during May, June, and July based on killer whales generally just transiting through Tongass Narrows, and not lingering in the project area. Killer whales are observed on average about once every 2 weeks, and abundance increases between May and July as cited in Freitag 2017 in 85 FR 673. A
recent monitoring report for Tongass Narrows reported 10 individuals sighted and 10 Level B harassment takes of killer whales during May 2021 report available at https
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/

Pacific white-sided dolphins are a pelagic species. They are found throughout the temperate North Pacific Ocean, north of the coasts of Japan and Baja California, Mexico Muto et al., 2018. They are most common between the latitudes of 38 North and 47 North from California to Washington. The distribution and abundance of Pacific white-sided dolphins may be affected by large-scale oceanographic occurrences, such as El Nino, and by underwater acoustic deterrent devices NPS 2018a.
Scientific studies and data are lacking relative to the presence or abundance of Pacific white-sided dolphins in or near Nichols Passage. Although they generally prefer deeper and more offshore waters, anecdotal reports suggest that Pacific white-sided dolphins have previously been observed in Nichols Passage, although they have not been observed in Nichols Passage or nearby inter-island waterways for 15 to 20 years. When Pacific white-sided dolphins have been observed, sighting rates were highest in spring and decreased throughout summer and fall Dahlheim et al., 2009. Most observations of Pacific white-sided dolphins occur off the outer coast or in inland waterways near entrances to the open ocean. According to Muto et al.
2018, aerial surveys in 1997 sighted one group of 164 Pacific white-sided dolphins in Dixon entrance to the south of Metlakatla. Surveys in April and May from 1991 to 1993 identified Pacific white-sided dolphins in Revillagigedo Channel, Behm Canal, and Clarence Strait Dahlheim and Towell 1994.
These areas are contiguous with the open ocean waters of Dixon Entrance.
These observational data, combined with anecdotal information, indicate that there is a small potential for Pacific white-sided dolphins to occur in the Project area. In nearby Tongass Narrows, NMFS estimated that one group of 92
Pacific white-sided dolphin may occur over a period of 1 year 85 FR 673, based on the median between 20 and 164 Pacific-white sided dolphins Muto et al., 2018. A recent monitoring report for Tongass Narrows reported no sighting of Pacific white-sided dolphins in May 2021 report available at https
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/
incidental-take-authorization-alaskadepartment-transportation-ferry-berthimprovements.

PO 00000

Frm 00014

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
E:FRFM29JNN1.SGM

29JNN1