[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73322-73323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25792]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2020-0018]


Alaska Outer Continental Shelf, Cook Inlet Planning Area, Oil and 
Gas Lease Sale 258

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: BOEM announces the availability of the Record of Decision 
(ROD) for the Cook Inlet Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas 
Lease Sale 258. This ROD identifies the selected alternative for Lease 
Sale 258, which is analyzed in the Alaska OCS: Cook Inlet Planning Area 
Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258 in the Cook Inlet, Alaska; Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) (OCS/EIS EA BOEM 2022-061). The 
ROD and associated information are available on BOEM's website at 
https://www.boem.gov/ak258.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon Randall, Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, Alaska Regional Office, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, 
Anchorage, Alaska 99503, 907-334-5235.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BOEM is required to hold Lease Sale 258 on 
or before December 31, 2022, pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 
2022 (IRA, Pub. L. 117-169), signed into law on August 16, 2022. The 
Cook Inlet Lease Sale Area is located offshore of the State of Alaska 
in the northern portion of the Federal waters of Cook Inlet and is 
comprised of 224 OCS blocks. BOEM evaluated five alternatives and 
several sub-alternatives in the Lease Sale 258 FEIS. While BOEM has no 
discretion in whether to hold Lease Sale 258, BOEM issued the Lease 
Sale 258 FEIS and is issuing the ROD in accordance with its normal 
leasing process to the fullest extent practicable.
    After careful consideration, the Department of the Interior (DOI) 
has selected the Preferred Alternative in the Lease Sale 258 FEIS. The 
Preferred Alternative combines the two critical habitat exclusion 
alternatives and three mitigation alternatives: Alternative 3A (Beluga 
Whale Critical Habitat Exclusion), Alternative 3C (Beluga Whale 
Nearshore Feeding Areas Mitigation), Alternative 4A (Northern Sea Otter 
Critical Habitat Exclusion), Alternative 4B (Northern Sea Otter 
Critical Habitat Mitigation), and Alternative 5 (Gillnet Fishery 
Mitigation).
    The Preferred Alternative will offer for lease 193 unleased OCS 
blocks (approximately 387,771 hectares (ha) or 958,202 acres). The 
Preferred Alternative excludes the 17 OCS blocks wholly or partially 
overlapping beluga whale and northern sea otter critical habitats. The 
Preferred Alternative also applies additional mitigation measures to 
reduce potential impacts to beluga whales and their critical habitat 
and feeding areas, sea otters and their critical habitat, and the 
gillnet fishery. Each of these mitigations will be implemented through 
lease stipulations to applicable leases. The selection of the Preferred 
Alternative includes the following exclusions and mitigation measures, 
described as alternatives in the FEIS:

Beluga Whale Critical Habitat Exclusion (Alternative 3A)

    This exclusion applies to the 10 OCS blocks that overlap with the 
``Area 2'' beluga whale critical habitat at the northern tip of the 
proposed sale area analyzed in the Lease Sale 258 FEIS. These OCS 
blocks will not be offered for lease and represent approximately 0.85 
percent of the total area of the beluga whale critical habitat.

Beluga Whale Nearshore Feeding Areas Mitigation (Alternative 3C)

    This mitigation measure creates temporal restrictions for on-lease 
seismic survey activities within the Lease Sale Area. On all 193 OCS 
blocks being offered for lease, no on-lease marine seismic surveys will 
be conducted between November 1 and April 1, when beluga whales are 
most likely to be present and distributed across the Lease Sale Area. 
The Protection of Beluga Whales Stipulation will be included on all 
leases issued as a result of Lease Sale 258.
    Additionally, for blocks located within 10 miles of major 
anadromous streams, lessees will not conduct on-lease marine seismic 
surveys between July 1 and September 30, when beluga whales are 
migrating to and from their summer feeding areas. The Protection of 
Beluga Whale Nearshore Feeding Areas Stipulation will be included on 
any leases issued for blocks located within 10 miles of major 
anadromous streams.

Northern Sea Otter Critical Habitat Exclusion (Alternative 4A)

    This exclusion applies to the 7 OCS blocks that overlap with the 
northern sea otter southwest Alaska distinct population segment (SW 
DPS) critical habitat within the proposed sale area analyzed in the 
Lease Sale 258 FEIS. These OCS blocks will not be offered for lease.

Northern Sea Otter Critical Habitat Mitigation (Alternative 4B)

    This mitigation measure prohibits lessees from discharging drilling 
fluids and cuttings and conducting seafloor disturbing activities 
(including anchoring and placement of bottom-founded structures) within 
1,000 meters of areas designated as northern sea otter critical 
habitat. The Protection of Northern Sea Otter SW DPS Critical Habitat 
Stipulation will be included on any leases issued on the 7 OCS blocks 
within 1,000 meters of northern sea otter critical habitat.

Gillnet Fishery Mitigation (Alternative 5)

    This mitigation measure applies to the 97 OCS blocks (whole or 
partial) located north of Anchor Point within the Lease Sale Area to 
reduce the potential for conflicts with the drift gillnet fishery. 
Lessees are prohibited from conducting on-lease seismic surveys during 
the drift gillnetting season as designated by the Alaska Department of 
Fish and Game (ADF&G) (approximately mid-June to mid-August). In 
addition, lessees are advised that the Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishery 
typically operates on Mondays and Thursdays during the drift 
gillnetting season as designated by the ADF&G. Lessees are required to 
notify the United Cook Inlet Drift Association (UCIDA) of any temporary 
or permanent structures planned during the drift gillnetting season. 
Lessees are encouraged to coordinate with the UCIDA to avoid conflicts. 
The Protection of Gillnet Fishery Stipulation will be included on any 
leases issued for these blocks.
    Each of these Alternatives will be implemented through exclusions 
or lease stipulations, which would apply to all or some of the OCS 
blocks offered for lease. For each of the lease stipulations described 
above, lessees

[[Page 73323]]

may request a variance at the time of filing an ancillary activities 
notice, an exploration plan, or a development and production plan with 
BOEM's Regional Supervisor for Leasing and Plans. Such requests must 
identify alternative methods for providing commensurate protection and 
analyze the effectiveness of those methods.
    There are currently 14 active OCS oil and gas leases in the Cook 
Inlet Planning Area. The Lease Sale Area (Area ID) encompasses 
approximately 442,500 ha or 1.09 million acres, of which approximately 
387,771 ha or 958,202 acres will be offered for lease. The unleased OCS 
blocks within Cook Inlet that BOEM will offer for lease are listed in 
the document entitled ``List of Blocks Available for Leasing,'' which 
is included in the Final Notice of Sale package for Lease Sale 258. The 
estimated resource potential of the area to be leased is 192.3 million 
barrels of oil and 301.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas.
    BOEM's Alaska Regional Office developed the Preferred Alternative 
after considering public comments on the Draft EIS. BOEM also 
considered the oil and gas resource potential in the Cook Inlet area 
and the likelihood of industry to develop those resources in the 
context of social, economic, and environmental values, impacts, and 
concerns.
    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (National Environmental Policy 
Act) and 40 CFR parts 1505 and 1506.

Amanda Lefton,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2022-25792 Filed 11-28-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P