Marine Mammals; Letters of Authorization To Take Pacific Walrus and Polar Bears in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, in 2019 and 2020 and Northern Sea Otters in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 2019 and 2020

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of issuance.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued Letters of Authorization for the nonlethal take of polar bears and Pacific walruses incidental to oil and gas industry exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and the adjacent northern coast of Alaska as well as northern sea otters in Cook Inlet, Alaska, in 2019 and 2020. This notice announces a list of the Letters of Authorizations that were issued in calendar years 2019 and 2020. The Letters of Authorization stipulate conditions and methods that minimize impacts to polar bears, Pacific walruses, and northern sea otters from these activities.

ADDRESSES:

Document availability: You may view this notice as well as the Letters of Authorization at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2021-0002, or these documents may be requested as described under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charles Hamilton, Marine Mammal Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 341, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99503, by email at R7mmmRegulatory@fws.gov or by telephone at 1-800-362-5148. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On August 5, 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published in the Federal Register a final rule (81 FR 52276) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) during year-round oil and gas industry exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska. The rule established subpart J in part 18 of title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and is effective through August 5, 2021. The rule prescribed a process under which we issue Letters of Authorization (LOA) to applicants conducting activities as described under the provisions of the regulations.

Each LOA stipulates conditions or methods that are specific to the activity and location. Holders of the LOAs must use methods and conduct activities in a manner that minimizes to the greatest extent practicable adverse impacts on Pacific walruses and polar bears and their habitat, and on the availability of these marine mammals for subsistence purposes. Intentional take and lethal incidental take are prohibited under these regulations.

In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50 CFR part 18, subpart J, in 2019 and 2020 we issued LOAs to each of the companies in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska shown below in table 1.

On August 1, 2019, the Service published in the Federal Register a final rule (84 FR 37716) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) during year-round oil and gas industry exploration, development, production, and transportation activities in the Cook Inlet of Alaska. The rule established subpart K in part 18 of title 50 of the CFR and is effective through August 1, 2024. The rule prescribed a process under which we issue LOAs to applicants conducting activities as described under the provisions of the regulations.

Each LOA stipulates conditions or methods that are specific to the activity and location. Holders of the LOAs must use methods and conduct activities in a manner that minimizes to the greatest extent practicable adverse impacts on northern sea otters and their habitat, and on the availability of northern sea otters for subsistence purposes. Intentional take and lethal incidental take are prohibited under these regulations.

In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50 CFR part 18, subpart K, in 2019 and 2020 we issued LOAs to each of the following companies in the Cook Inlet of Alaska shown below in table 2.