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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 51 / Thursday, March 18, 2021 / Notices
While the Level A harassment zones for down-the-hole drilling increase for this proposed IHA as discussed above, we do not propose to increase the Level A harassment takes for any species.
HPMS is planning to implement activity-specific shutdown zones that are larger than in the 2020 IHA for down-the-hole drilling for all hearing groups except high-frequency cetaceans Table 3. The revised down-the-hole drilling shutdown zones for lowand mid-frequency cetaceans and otariids are smaller than the largest Level A
shutdown zones for those groups in the 2020 IHA, which did not necessitate any Level A takes in the 2020 IHA.
Shutdown zones are expected to be successful in mitigating take for all of these species. Therefore, there is no need to revise or add Level A takes for any of these species in this IHA. The preliminary monitoring report shows no Level A or Level B harassment take of harbor porpoises through the completion of half of the project.
Therefore, we believe that the previously authorized daily rate of Level
IHA. Thus we propose that 8 animals in a group 3 groups each day 9 days of in water work = 216 Level B
harassment takes be authorized. As discussed in the 2020 IHA NMFS has determined that for management purposes the proportion of Western Distinct Population Segment DPS
Steller sea lions in that area will be calculated based on Hastings et al.
2020. As such, NMFS expects that 2.2
percent of Steller sea lions in the project area will be from the ESA-listed Western DPS, with the remaining 97.8
percent expected to be from the Eastern DPS. Therefore, of the 216 Level B
harassment takes requested, 5 takes are expected to be of Steller sea lions from the ESA-listed Western DPS western stock and 211 are expected to be of Steller sea lions from the Eastern DPS
eastern stock.
Based on the above discussion therefore, the only changes to the take for this proposed IHA Table 2 are to increase the proposed daily rate of take by Level B harassment for increased occurrence of Stellers sea lions.

A harassment takes is adequate to complete the project. The preliminary monitoring report shows 1 Level B
harassment take and no Level A
harassment takes of harbor seals phocid through the completion of half of the project. We have also proposed doubling the size of the shutdown zone for harbor seals. Therefore, we believe that the previously authorized daily rate of Level A harassment takes is adequate to complete the project.
As discussed above, the 2020 IHA was not effective during the spring/summer run of herring upon which Stellers sea lions are known to congregate near to feed on. To account for this potential for HPMS construction activity to affect more Steller sea lions we are proposing to increase the estimate that two groups of eight Steller sea lions may occur within the Level B harassment zone on each of the days of in-water construction used in the 2020 IHA to three groups of eight Steller sea lions may occur within the Level B
harassment zone on each of the days of in-water construction for this proposed
TABLE 2ESTIMATED TAKE BY LEVEL A AND LEVEL B HARASSMENT, BY SPECIES AND STOCK
Level A
harassment take
Common name
Stock
Gray Whale
Minke Whale
Humpback Whale
Killer Whale

Eastern North Pacific
Alaska
Central North Pacific
Eastern North Pacific Alaska Resident
Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea Transient.
Eastern North Pacific Northern Resident.
West Coast Transient.
Southeast Alaska
Eastern U.S.
Western U.S.
Sitka/Chatham Strait

Harbor Porpoise
Steller Sea Lion a
Harbor Seal
a Eastern
Level B
harassment take
Total take
0 0
0 0

3
2 72
16

3
2 72
16

4
0

45
211
5 252

49
211
5 256

4

U.S. and Western U.S. stocks correspond to the Eastern DPS and Western DPS, respectively.

TABLE 3SHUTDOWN ZONES BY MARINE MAMMAL HEARING GROUP, PILE SIZE, AND METHOD
Shutdown zone m Activity LF
cetaceans
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES

30-inch Vibratory Pile Driving/Removal
48-inch Vibratory Pile Driving
Down-the-hole Drilling 2020 IHA
Down-the-hole Drilling this IHA
48-inch Impact Pile Driving and 30-inch impact pile driving, as necessary

Description of Proposed Mitigation, Monitoring and Reporting Measures The proposed mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures included as requirements in this authorization are
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Phocids
Otariids
50
50
300
750

10
10
10
30

50
50
200
200

25
25
100
200

10
10
25
30

825

50

100

100

50

identical to those included in the Federal Register notice announcing the issuance of the 2020 IHA, except for the changes to the shutdown zones for down-the-hole drilling for low and midfrequency cetaceans and pinnipeds
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cetaceans
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discussed above. Because the estimated take, and total authorized take, has not increased, the discussion of the least practicable adverse impact included in in the Federal Register notice announcing the issuance of the 2020

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