[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 101 (Friday, May 24, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24102-24103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10905]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG990
Draft Cook Inlet & Kodiak Marine Mammal Disaster Response
Guidelines
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: NMFS, in an effort to increase preparedness for wildlife
response under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, has drafted guidelines
for marine mammal response in disaster situations in Cook Inlet and
Kodiak, Alaska entitled ``Cook Inlet & Kodiak Marine Mammal Disaster
Response Guidelines'' (Guidelines). NMFS invites the public to comment
on and/or provide additional information for NMFS to consider in
finalizing the guidelines.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 24, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2019-0038, by any one of the following methods;
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2019-0038, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments;
Mail: Submit written comments to Sadie Wright, attention
Ellen Sebastian, National Marine Fisheries Service, Protected Resources
Division, Alaska Region, 709 West 9th Street, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau,
AK 99802.
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), confidential business information,
or otherwise sensitive 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).
Electronic copies of the draft Guidelines and associated Appendices
may be obtained from http://www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS Alaska
Region website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/marine-life-distress/alaska-marine-mammal-stranding-network.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sadie Wright, (907) 586-7630 or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Marine mammal oil spill response and
preparedness in the Cook Inlet and Kodiak region of Alaska presents
many challenges including remote conditions; lack of infrastructure,
equipment, and trained personnel; and large populations of marine
mammals that may be impacted. Additionally, marine mammals are
important subsistence and cultural resources for Alaska Native coastal
communities, and response efforts must be cooperative with and
sensitive to local communities. NMFS developed the Guidelines through
stakeholder engagement to develop regionally specific and culturally
sensitive response strategies during disasters that impact marine
mammals.
NMFS sought input on communication and response protocols for
carcass collection, de-oiling, tissue sampling, necropsies, and
subsistence food issues through meetings with local leaders and
responders in Kenai, Seward, Ninilchik, Seldovia, Port Graham, Homer,
Anchorage, Nanwalek, Kodiak, Ouzinkie, Port Lions, Larsen Bay, and
teleconferences and email correspondence with outlying communities.
These stakeholder meetings resulted in three key recommendations for
the Guidelines:
(1) Include a communication structure that is locally based and
efficient;
(2) prioritize response to address impacts to fish and associated
public health and economy; and
(3) address the lack of infrastructure, equipment, and trained
personnel for response efforts.
These recommendations are addressed by the Guidelines in the
following ways:
(1) The local marine mammal stranding agreement holder or
community-appointed organization(s) is the local lead, and
communication protocols outline cooperative approaches between
stakeholders;
(2) All response protocols are congruent with food safety testing,
and the Alaska state public health representative is part of the
communication loop; and
(3) Caches of equipment should be developed and stored in hub
communities with smaller caches in outlying villages, to include
modular and adaptive infrastructure for response activities.
Finally, the Guidelines provide decision-making tools regarding
Cook Inlet beluga whale deterrence that will be useful to NMFS
protocols, and to other responders to gain a better understanding of
potential concerns in deterring this endangered population.
The draft Guidelines focus on marine mammal species under NMFS
jurisdiction that occur in Cook Inlet and within the Kodiak
archipelago. Different approaches may be appropriate for sea otters,
which are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Any response
to marine mammals per these Guidelines should occur in coordination
with NMFS through the Incident Command Structure, if put in place for
an oil spill or other major incident. The draft Guidelines also focus
primarily on marine mammal response during oil spills, but include
considerations for response in a non-spill disaster situation such as a
natural disaster (response typically under the Stafford Act) or a
marine mammal Unusual Mortality Event.
Comments are invited on any aspect of the draft Guidelines. We are
particularly interested in maintaining an efficient communication
strategy for marine mammal disaster response in the Cook Inlet and
Kodiak region, and seek suggestions to ensure the final
[[Page 24103]]
Guidelines provide that framework. In addition, NMFS appreciates
specific suggestions on how to improve the clarity of the draft
Guidelines.
Dated: May 21, 2019.
Catherine Marzin,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-10905 Filed 5-23-19; 8:45 am]
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