Marine Mammals; Incidental Take During Specified Activities; Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization for Southcentral Alaska Stock of Northern Sea Otters at the Cruise Ship Passenger Dock and Terminal Facility in Seward, AK; Draft EA

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, from Turnagain Marine Construction (applicant), propose to authorize nonlethal, incidental take by harassment of small numbers of Southcentral Alaska stock northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) for a period of up to 1 year from the date of issuance. The applicant has requested this authorization for take by harassment that may result from activities associated with pile-driving and marine construction activities on the northern shore of Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska. We estimate that this project may result in, and propose to authorize, the nonlethal incidental take by harassment of up to 347 individual northern sea otters from the Southcentral Alaska stock. Neither the applicant nor the FWS anticipate any lethal take, and the FWS does not propose to authorize any lethal take. We invite comments on the proposed incidental harassment authorization and the accompanying draft environmental assessment from the public, and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.