[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 94 (Friday, May 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27925-27926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11700]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XU02


Endangered and Threatened Species; Draft Recovery Plan for the 
Cook Inlet Beluga Whale

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the 
availability of the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) 
Draft Recovery Plan for public review. NMFS is soliciting review and 
comment from the public and all interested parties on the draft Plan, 
and will consider all substantive comments received during the review 
period before submitting the Plan for final approval.

DATES: Comments on the draft Plan must be received by close of business 
on July 14, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2015-0053 by either of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
    1. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2015-0053,
    2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon and complete the required 
fields,
    3. Enter or attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Jon Kurland, Assistant 
Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service, Alaska Regional Office, Protected Resources 
Division, P.O. Box 21668, 709 W. 9th St., Rm. 420, Juneau, Alaska 
99802-1668.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive or protected information submitted 
voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept 
anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to 
remain anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mandy Migura (907-271-1332), email 
[email protected] or Therese Conant (301-427-8456), email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Recovery plans describe actions beneficial to the conservation and 
recovery of species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(ESA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Section 4(f)(1) of the ESA 
requires that recovery plans incorporate: (1) Objective, measurable 
criteria which, when met, would result in a determination that the 
species is no longer threatened or endangered; (2) site-specific 
management actions necessary to achieve the Plan's goals; and (3) 
estimates of the time required and costs to implement recovery actions. 
The ESA requires the development of recovery plans for each listed 
species unless such a plan would not promote its recovery.
    NMFS began conducting comprehensive and systematic aerial surveys 
of the Cook Inlet beluga whale population in 1993. These surveys 
documented a decline in abundance from 653 whales in 1994 to 347 whales 
in 1998, a decline of nearly 50 percent. This rapid decline was 
associated with a substantial, unregulated subsistence hunt. Subsequent 
cooperative efforts between NMFS and Alaska Native subsistence users 
dramatically reduced subsistence hunts beginning in 1999. If 
subsistence harvest was the only factor limiting population growth, 
this reduction in hunting should have allowed the Cook Inlet beluga 
whale population to begin recovering at a rate of 2 to 6 percent per 
year; however, survey data indicated that the population was not 
recovering upon removal of hunting pressure. This lack of population 
growth led NMFS to reevaluate the status of Cook Inlet beluga whales. 
In October 2008, NMFS listed the Cook Inlet beluga whale

[[Page 27926]]

distinct population segment (DPS) as endangered under the ESA (73 FR 
62919, October 22, 2008). The most recent (2014) abundance survey 
indicates a population of 340 Cook Inlet beluga whales that has 
declined 0.4 percent per year over the past ten years.
    The Cook Inlet belugas are the most reproductively and 
demographically isolated of all the Alaskan belugas, and are unique in 
Alaska because their habitat, a semi-enclosed tidal estuary in 
southcentral Alaska, is in close proximity to most of Alaska's human 
population. The distribution of Cook Inlet belugas has changed 
significantly since the 1970s; in recent years the summer range has 
contracted to the upper reaches of Cook Inlet near Anchorage. This 
range contraction was coincident with the decline in population size.
    Ten potential threat types are identified and assessed in this 
draft recovery plan, based on current knowledge of threat factors. 
Assessments were made based on the information and data gaps presented 
in the plan's background section. Climate change, while considered a 
potential threat to Cook Inlet beluga recovery, is not addressed as a 
separate threat, but rather is discussed with respect to how it may 
affect each of the listed threats. The ten identified threats were 
ranked in order of their relative concern (high, medium, low) to the 
Cook Inlet beluga population.
    Due to an incomplete understanding of the threats facing Cook Inlet 
beluga whales, NMFS is unable to identify with certainty the actions 
that will most immediately encourage recovery. Until we know which 
threats are limiting recovery, the strategy of this recovery plan is to 
focus on threats identified as medium or high concern. This should 
focus efforts and resources on actions that are more likely to benefit 
Cook Inlet beluga whale recovery.
    Under section 4(f)(1) of the ESA, recovery plans must contain 
objective, measurable criteria which, when met, would result in a 
determination that the species be delisted. This recovery plan contains 
both demographic and threats-based criteria for down- and delisting. 
The threat-based recovery criteria are designed to evaluate the five 
ESA section 4(a)(1) factors described in the ESA listing determination 
of the Cook Inlet belugas. The draft recovery plan proposes that Cook 
Inlet beluga whales may be reclassified from endangered to threatened 
(i.e., downlisted) when all of the following have been met: (1) The 
abundance estimate for the Cook Inlet beluga whale DPS is greater than 
or equal to 520 individuals and there is 95 percent or greater 
probability that the 25-year population abundance trend (representative 
of one full generation) is positive; and (2) the 15 downlisting 
threats-based criteria are satisfied. The draft recovery plan proposes 
that the population will be considered for delisting when all of the 
following are met: (1) The abundance estimate for the Cook Inlet beluga 
whale DPS is greater than or equal to 780 individuals and there is 95 
percent or greater probability that the 25-year population abundance 
trend (representative of one full generation) is positive; and (2) the 
15 downlisting and 6 delisting threats-based criteria are satisfied.
    When determining recovery actions, we aimed to improve 
understanding of whether a particular threat is limiting recovery and 
to eliminate or mitigate that threat, or to improve our understanding 
of, and ability to manage, that threat. The actions in this recovery 
plan include research, management, monitoring, and outreach efforts, 
since a comprehensive approach to Cook Inlet beluga whale recovery is 
likely to have greater success than focusing on any one type of action. 
There are also actions targeted at incorporating new information and 
conducting regular reassessments, making this recovery plan an adaptive 
management plan.
    The total time and cost to recovery are very difficult to predict 
with the current information, and the total cost to recovery will be 
largely dependent upon the number of recovery actions requiring 
implementation. Since that cannot be determined prior to implementation 
of portions of this plan, the total cost presented assumes 
implementation of all recovery actions. As recovery progresses and we 
better understand the relationship between discrete threats and 
population dynamics, it may become apparent that there are some threats 
that need not be addressed to achieve recovery. However, we expect that 
recovery may take at least two generations (50 years).
    If every identified recovery action is implemented, and if recovery 
implementation lasts for 50 years (two generations), then the estimated 
cost of implementing this entire recovery program would be 
approximately $78.3 million. Any projections of total costs over the 
full recovery period are likely to be imprecise, and the cost estimates 
do not imply that funding will necessarily be available for all Cook 
Inlet beluga whale recovery tasks.
    NMFS requests and will consider all substantive comments and 
information presented during the public comment period as we finalize 
this Plan. NMFS concludes that the Draft Recovery Plan meets the 
requirements of the ESA.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: May 11, 2015.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-11700 Filed 5-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P