DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648–XG874
Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specific Activities; Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Pile Driving and Removal Activities During Construction of a Cruise Ship Berth, Hoonah, Alaska
Correction
In notice document 2019–08848 beginning on page 18495 in the issue of Wednesday, May 1, 2019, make the following corrections:
1. On page 18511, Table 5 should read as follows:
Table 5—NMFS Technical Guidance (2018) User Spreadsheet Input To Calculate PTS Isopleths for Vibratory Pile Driving
User Spreadsheet Input—vibratory pile driving/anchoring and socketing spreadsheet tab A.1 Vibratory pile driving used
24-in piles
(permanent)
30-in piles
(temporary install)
30-in piles
(temporary removal)
30-in piles
(permanent)
36-in piles
(permanent)
42-in piles
(permanent)
8-in
anchoring
33-in
anchoring
24-in and
30-in
socketing
Source Level (RMS SPL)
161.9
161.9
161.9
161.9
168.2
168.2
166.2
166.2
166.2
Weighting Factor Adjustment (kHz)
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
Number of piles within 24-hr period
4
6
6
2
2
2
1
2
2
Duration to drive a single pile (min)
10
20
10
30
30
60
60
240
60
Propagation (xLogR)
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
Distance of source level measurement (meters) *
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
2. On page 18515, Table 9 should read as follows:
Table 9—Proposed Take Estimates as a Percentage of Stock Abundance
Species
Stock
(N
EST
)
Level A
harassment
Level B
harassment
Percent of stock
Minke Whale
N/A
0
9
N/A.
Humpback Whale
Hawaii DPS (9,487)
a
0
406
4.3.
Mexico DPS (606)
a
27
(Total 433.)
4.5.
Gray Whale
Eastern North Pacific (26,960)
0
3
Less than 1 percent.
Killer Whale
Alaska Resident (2,347)
0
469
19.9
b
Northern Resident (261)
52
19.9
b
West Coast Transient (243)
49
(Total 570.)
20.2.
b
Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
North Pacific (26,880)
0
164
Less than 1 percent.
Dall's Porpoise
Alaska (83,400)
c
0
1,038
1.2.
Harbor Porpoise
NA
32
1,932
NA.
Harbor Seal
Glacier Bay/Icy Strait (7,210)
16
156
2.16.
Steller Sea Lion
Eastern U.S. (41,638)
15
520
1.25
Western U.S. (53,303)
1
(Total 16.)
39
(Total 559.)
Less than 1 percent.
a
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.
2018 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.
b
Take estimates are weighted based on calculated percentages of population for each distinct stock, assuming animals present would follow same probability of presence in project area.
c
Jefferson
et al.
2019 presents the first abundance estimates for Dall's porpoise in the waters of Southeast Alaska with highest abundance recorded in spring (N=5,381, CV= 25.4%), lower numbers in summer (N=2,680, CV=19.6%), and lowest in fall (N=1,637, CV=23.3%). However, NMFS currently recognizes a single stock of Dall's porpoise in Alaskan waters and an estimate of 83,400 Dall's porpoises is used by NMFS for the entire stock (Muto
et al.,
2018).