[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14132-14133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06955]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R7-ES-2019-N003; FF07CAMM00-FX-ES111607MRG01]


Marine Mammals; Letters of Authorization To Take Pacific Walrus 
and Polar Bears in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, Alaska, in 2018

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of issuance.

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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 (LOA) 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. This notice announces a list of the LOAs that were 
issued just prior to and during 2018. The LOAs stipulate conditions and 
methods that minimize impacts to polar bears and Pacific walruses from 
these activities. No LOAs were requested or issued in 2018 for the 
nonlethal take of polar bears and Pacific walruses incidental to oil 
and gas industry exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent 
western coast of Alaska.

ADDRESSES: The Letters of Authorization listed in this notice are 
available electronically at the following location: http://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/itr.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Christopher Putnam at the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management Office, 1011 East 
Tudor Road, MS 341, Anchorage, Alaska 99503; 800-362-5148 or 907-786-
3844.

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 (LOAs) to applicants conducting 
activities as described under the provisions of the regulations. This 
rule replaced a similar rule, published on August 3, 2011 (76 FR 
47010), which expired on August 3, 2016, and likewise prescribed a 
process under which we issued such LOAs.
    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 2018 we issued LOAs to each of the following 
companies in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska:

                                      Beaufort Sea Letters of Authorization
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Company                           Activity                      Project                LOA No.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Exploration................  Putu Exploration well.......           17-12
Peak Oilfield Service Company, LLC...  Support....................  Coastal transportation                 18-01
                                                                     services.
Armstrong Energy, LLC................  Exploration................  Pikka #2 exploration........           18-02
Oil Search Alaska, Inc...............  Exploration................  Transfer of Armstrong's LOA            18-02
                                                                     to Oil Search.
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC..................  Development................  Liberty geotech sampling....           18-03
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Development................  Seismic exploration and                18-04
                                                                     early development for GMT2
                                                                     in the National Petroleum
                                                                     Reserve--Alaska (NPR-A).
SAExploration, Inc...................  Exploration................  Yukon 3d seismic............           18-05
BEM Systems, Incorporated............  Remediation................  Oliktok remediation and                18-06
                                                                     coastal erosion study.
Petrotechnical Resources of Alaska...  Exploration................  Methane hydrate exploration            18-07
                                                                     on the North slope.
BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc.........  Remediation................  Demolition of the Liberty              18-08
                                                                     rig.
Chevron Environmental Management       Remediation................  Kalubik Creek...............           18-09
 Company.
Caelus Energy Alaska, LLC............  Development................  Nuna project................           18-10
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Exploration................  Harrison Bay................           18-11
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Development................  GMT-2 Development...........           18-12
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Exploration................  2018-2019 NPR-A Exploration            18-13
                                                                     & Appraisal Drilling
                                                                     Program.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Exploration................  NPR-A geotech and weather              18-14
                                                                     station near Harrison Bay.
SAExploration, Inc...................  Exploration................  Staines 3D seismic project..           18-15
BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc.........  Exploration................  Greater Prudhoe Bay 3D                 18-16
                                                                     Seismic Survey.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On June 12, 2013, we published in the Federal Register a final rule 
(78 FR 35364) establishing regulations that allowed us to authorize the 
nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar 
bears and Pacific walruses during year-round oil and gas industry 
exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent western coast of 
Alaska. The rule established 50 CFR part 18 subpart I and was effective 
until June 11, 2018. The process under which we issue LOAs to 
applicants and the requirements that the holders of the LOAs must 
follow is the same as described above for LOAs issued under 50 CFR part 
18, subpart J. We issued no LOAs under the subpart I regulations in 
2018 prior to their expiration on June 12, 2018.

    Authority: We issue this notice under the authority of the MMPA 
(16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.).


[[Page 14133]]


    Dated: February 13, 2019.
Karen P. Clark,
Acting Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 2019-06955 Filed 4-8-19; 8:45 am]
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