Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the City of Ketchikan's Berth III Mooring Dolphins Project in Ketchikan, Alaska

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

Notice; proposed incidental harassment authorization; request for comments on proposed authorization and possible renewal.

NMFS has received a request from the City of Ketchikan (COK), Alaska, for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Berth III Mooring Dolphins Project in the Port of Ketchikan in the Tongass Narrows, Alaska. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS requests comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS also requests comments on a possible one-time, 1-year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances, and, if all requirements are met, as described in Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments before making any final decision on issuing the requested MMPA authorization, and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

Comments and information must be received no later than May 16, 2025.

Comments should be addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, and should be submitted via email to [email protected]. Electronic copies of the application and supporting documents, as well as a list of the references cited in this document, may be obtained online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/​national/​marine-mammal-protection/​incidental-take-authorizations-construction-activities. In case of problems accessing these documents, please call the contact listed below.

Instructions: NMFS is not responsible for comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period. Comments, including all attachments, must not exceed a 25-megabyte file size. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/​permit/​incidental-take-authorizations-under-marine-mammal-protection-act without change. All personal identifying information ( e.g., name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.