Biological Opinion National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Ketchikan Port Facility Recapitalization Project, Ketchikan, Alaska

This opinion considers the effects of a proposed action by the NOAA OMAO to recapitalize their Ketchikan port facility to provide critical management and operational and logistical support to the NOAA research vessel (R/V) Fairweather and intermittently to other NOAA and non-NOAA vessels. Additionally, the project would meet the congressional mandate of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 to develop NOAA marine infrastructure in select U.S. communities.

The action may affect the threatened Mexico Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of humpback whale. Critical habitat was designated for the Mexico DPS of humpback whale (86 FR 21082, April 21, 2021), but there is no critical habitat in Southeast Alaska.

This biological opinion is based on information provided in the October 2021 IHA application and BA (AECOM 2021); updated project proposals; email and telephone conversations among NMFS AKR, the NOAA OMAO consultant team, the USACE, and NMFS OPR; and other sources of information. A complete record of this consultation is on file at NMFS’s Juneau, Alaska office.