Cook Inlet & Kodiak Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines and Appendices

The Cook Inlet and Kodiak Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines build upon the National Guidelines,. They incorporate information from the National Contingency Plan, National Response Framework, State of Alaska Emergency Operations Plan and expand upon the Alaska Regional Contingency Plan Annex G, Wildlife Protection Guidelines. In particular, the guidelines address disaster response activities specific to NOAA Fisheries-trust species of cetaceans and pinnipeds in the Cook Inlet and Kodiak regions of Alaska. They also provide regionally-specific communication and response strategies within a flexible and practicable framework to accommodate the myriad scenarios that may be encountered during a disaster response in these regions. Data collection protocols were developed to be congruent with the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process.

The NOAA Fisheries Alaska Response Standards, along with regional disaster response guidelines, are intended to provide the framework needed for effective marine mammal disaster preparedness and response efforts in Alaska. Relatively less preparation has occurred to respond to marine mammals affected by non-oil spill related disasters in Alaska, although much of the organization and protocols in place for spill events are equally applicable to non-spill incidents. Efforts at the national and state level have defined key principles, roles and structures enabling a unified and effective response.

• Cook Inlet & Kodiak Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines 
• Appendices (PDF, 205 pages)