Request for an Incidental Harassment Authorization Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act for the Statter Harbor Improvements Project Phase III B City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska Docks and Harbors Revised September 2019 Submitted to: National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3226 Prepared by: PND Engineers, Inc. Designated non-Federal Representative 9360 Glacier Highway, Suite 100 Juneau, Alaska 99801 (907) 586-2093 Incidental Harassment Authorization Request CBJ D&H Statter Harbor Improvements Project Phase III B TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................... iv 1 Description of the Activity......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Project Purpose and Need ................................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Project Description ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Past and Future Phases ................................................................................................................................. 4 Work Included in this Application .............................................................................................................. 4 2 Dates, Duration, and Region of Activity ................................................................................................................. 6 2.1 Dates ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Duration ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Region of Activity............................................................................................................................................... 6 3 Species and Number of Marine Mammals .............................................................................................................. 8 4 Affected Species Status and Distribution .............................................................................................................. 10 4.1 Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) ..................................................................................................... 10 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Reproduction and Breeding ....................................................................................................................... 11 Foraging ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Hearing Ability ............................................................................................................................................. 12 4.2 Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) ............................................................................................................... 12 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 12 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Reproduction and Breeding ....................................................................................................................... 13 Foraging ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 Hearing Ability ............................................................................................................................................. 14 Steller Sea Lion Critical Habitat ................................................................................................................. 14 4.3 Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) .............................................................................................................................. 15 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 15 Reproduction and Breeding ....................................................................................................................... 15 Diving and Foraging .................................................................................................................................... 15 Hearing Ability ............................................................................................................................................. 16 4.4 Dall’s Porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) ................................................................................................................... 16 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 16 Reproduction and Breeding ....................................................................................................................... 16 Foraging ......................................................................................................................................................... 16 Hearing Ability ............................................................................................................................................. 16 4.5 Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) ............................................................................................................... 17 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 17 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 17 Reproduction and Breeding ....................................................................................................................... 17 Foraging ......................................................................................................................................................... 17 Hearing Ability ............................................................................................................................................. 17 4.6 Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) ............................................................................................................................ 17 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 17 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 18 Reproduction and Breeding ....................................................................................................................... 18 Page | i Incidental Harassment Authorization Request CBJ D&H Statter Harbor Improvements Project Phase III B Foraging ......................................................................................................................................................... 18 4.8 California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) .................................................................................................... 19 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 19 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 19 Reproduction and Breeding ....................................................................................................................... 19 Foraging ......................................................................................................................................................... 19 Hearing Ability ............................................................................................................................................. 19 5 Type of Incidental Take Authorization Requested .............................................................................................. 21 5.1 Method of Incidental Taking .........................................................................................................................