Incidental Take Authorization: U.S. Navy Transit Protection Program Pier and Support Facilities Project at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor, Washington

NOAA Fisheries is proposing to modify the incidental harassment authorizations that were issued to the United States Navy on September 25, 2020 for the Transit Protection Program construction, due to an elevated harbor seal take rate at the nearby Naval Base Kitsap Bangor Service Pier Project that was unanticipated during the initial analysis for these TPP IHAs. NOAA Fisheries is proposing to modify the TPP project IHAs to increase authorized take by Level A harassment of harbor seal in the Year 1 IHA, and add Level A harassment take of harbor seal to the Year 2 IHA. NOAA Fisheries is also proposing to revise the shutdown mitigation provisions for harbor seals in the modified IHAs, and adjust the effective dates of both IHAs to accommodate the Navy’s plans to delay the project. The monitoring and reporting measures remain the same as prescribed in the initial IHAs, and no additional take was requested for other species.

NOAA Fisheries has issued two IHAs to the U.S. Navy to incidentally harass, by Level A and Level B harassment only, marine mammals during construction activities associated with the Transit Protection Program Pier and Support Facilities Project at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor in Silverdale, Washington over two years.