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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 108 / Tuesday, June 8, 2021 / Notices equal or less take than that authorized in the initial IHA.
Detailed Description of the Activity A detailed description of the HRG
activities for which take is proposed here may be found in the Federal Register notices of the proposed IHA 85
FR 7952, February 12, 2020, issued IHA
85 FR 26940, May 06, 2020, and reissued IHA 85 FR 42357, July 14, 2020 for the initial authorization. As described above, Vineyard Wind is not able to complete the survey activities analyzed in the initial IHA by the date the IHA is set to expire June 20, 2021.
As such, the surveys Vineyard Wind proposes to conduct under this Renewal would be a continuation of the surveys as described in the initial IHA. The location and nature of the activities, including the types of equipment planned for use, are identical to those described in the previous notices.
Because part of the work has already been completed, the duration of the surveys conducted under the Renewal IHA will occur over less time than that described for the initial IHA 181 days versus 365 days; however, Vineyard Wind will continue to operate 24 hours per day to complete the work. Vineyard Wind proposes to continue its activities on June 21, 2021, after the initial IHA
expires on June 20, 2021. The proposed Renewal would be effective for a period of one year from the date of issuance.
Description of Marine Mammals A description of the marine mammals in the area of the activities for which authorization of take is proposed here, including information on abundance, status, distribution, and hearing, may be found in the notices of the proposed and final IHAs for the initial authorization 85 FR 7952, February 12, 2020; 85 FR
26940, May 06, 2020. NMFS has reviewed the monitoring data from the initial IHA, recent draft Stock Assessment Reports, information on relevant Unusual Mortality Events, and other scientific literature, and determined that neither this nor any other new information affects which species or stocks have the potential to
be affected or the pertinent information in the Description of the Marine Mammals in the Area of Specified Activities contained in the supporting documents for the initial IHA.
The draft 2020 Stock Assessment Report SAR, available online at: https
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/
marine-mammal-protection/draftmarine-mammal-stock-assessmentreports states that estimated abundance has increased for the Western North Atlantic stock of common dolphins, from 172,825 CV = 0.21 to 172,974 CV
= 0.21, and decreased for the following marine mammal stocks: The Gulf of Maine stock of humpback whales from 1,396 CV = 0 to 1,393 CV = 0.15, the Western North Atlantic stock of fin whales from 7,418 CV = 0.25 to 6,802
CV = 0.24, and the Canadian East coast stock of minke whales from 24,202 CV = 0.3 to 21,968 CV=0.31.
Abundance estimates for the Western North Atlantic stock of North Atlantic right whales have also been updated, and state that right whale abundance has decreased from 428 to 368 95% CI
356378 individuals Pace 2021.
Roberts et al. 2020 provided updated monthly densities of North Atlantic right whales in the area of proposed activities since the time of the initial IHA. These updated data for North Atlantic right whale densities incorporate additional sighting data and include increased spatial resolution. We reviewed the updated model documentation and recalculated the North Atlantic right whale density estimates following the same methods outlined in the proposed and final IHAs for the initial authorization 85 FR 7952, February 12, 2020; 85 FR 26940, May 06, 2020. The new model results state that the mean annual North Atlantic right whale densities have slightly increased in the activity area.
NMFS has preliminarily determined that neither the updated abundance and density information presented above nor any other new information affects which species or stocks have the potential to be affected or the pertinent information in the Description of the Marine Mammals in the Area of Specified
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Activities contained in the supporting documents for the initial IHA.
Potential Effects on Marine Mammals and Their Habitat A description of the potential effects of the specified activity on marine mammals and their habitat for the activities for which take is proposed here may be found in the notices of the proposed and final IHAs for the initial authorization 85 FR 7952, February 12, 2020; 85 FR 26940, May 06, 2020.
NMFS has reviewed the monitoring data from the initial IHA, recent draft Stock Assessment Reports, Technical Reports e.g., Pace 2021, information on relevant Unusual Mortality Events, and other scientific literature and data e.g., Roberts et al. 2020 and determined that neither this nor any other new information affects our initial analysis of impacts on marine mammals and their habitat.
Estimated Take A detailed description of the methods and inputs used to estimate take for the specified activity are found in the notices of the proposed and final IHAs for the initial authorization 85 FR 7952, February 12, 2020; 85 FR 26940, May 06, 2020. The acoustic source types, as well as source levels applicable to this authorization remain unchanged from the initial IHA. Similarly, the stocks taken, methods of take, and type of take i.e., Level B harassment only remain unchanged from the initial IHA.
In the initial authorization for the HRG survey activities, the potential for take was estimated using the following parameters: 1 Maximum number of survey days that could occur over a 12month period; 2 maximum distance each vessel could travel per 24-hour period in each of the identified survey areas; 3 maximum ensonified area zone of influence ZOI; and 4
maximum marine mammal densities for any given season that a survey could occur. The calculated radial distances to the Level B harassment threshold 160
decibel dB root mean square rms from a survey vessel are included in Table 1.

TABLE 1MODELED RADIAL DISTANCES FROM HRG SURVEY EQUIPMENT TO ISOPLETHS CORRESPONDING TO LEVEL A
HARASSMENT AND LEVEL B HARASSMENT THRESHOLDS

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HRG Survey Equipment
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