Incidental Take Authorization: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' Tongass Narrows Project (2023)

NOAA Fisheries has received a request from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities for the re-issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization with the only change being effective dates. The initial IHA authorized take of 11 species of marine mammals, by Level A and Level B harassment, incidental to construction associated with the Ferry Berth construction Ketchikan, Alaska. The project has been delayed and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. NOAA Fisheries is, therefore, issuing a second identical IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.

NOAA Fisheries has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to incidentally harass marine mammals during construction activities associated with ferry berth construction in Tongass Narrows in Ketchikan, Alaska.