Application for Incidental Harassment Authorization for Harbor Activities Related to Delta IVIEELV 1. Delta IVIEELV Activities Affecting Marine Mammals

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: The Delta Mariner was specially designed to transport the oversized De; Breakwater; Flat Rocks; Pacific; The Breakwater; harbor seal
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.184.674; http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/permits/ula_iha.pdf

An Incidental Harassment Authorization (MA) is requested to allow the unavoidable incidental takes of marine mammals resulting from Delta Mariner operations, cargo unloading activities, Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) harbor maintenance dredging and kelp habitat mitigation. These activities are in support of Delta W ELV launch activity from Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) at VAFB (Figure 1-1). All activities covered by the MA will take place in or near the VAFB harbor. Marine mammals that are typically present in the area are the Pacific harbor seal and, less frequently, the California sea lion. Harbor seals haul out on the rocks outside the harbor breakwater, approximately 200 yards from the dock. Typically the seals only use this haul-out area when tides are +1 foot Mean Sea Level (MSL) or lower. At higher tides, the flat rocks where the seals prefer to haul out are awash or submerged. Sea lions were observed to be hauling out on the breakwater during wharf construction that took place in June-July 2002. This is not a common occurrence, and may have been due to fish schooling in the area. (ENSR, 2002a) Figure 1- 1 Vandenberg AFB, California. The Delta IVIEELV launch vehicle is comprised of a common booster core (CBC), an upper stage, and a payload fairing. The size of the CBC requires it to be transported to the launch site by a specially designed vessel, the Delta Mariner. The Delta Mariner will dock at the harbor on south Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). To allow safe operation of the Delta Mariner within the harbor, maintenance dredging is required on a periodic basis. All activities discussed in this request have been discussed in the documents required for NEPA compliance: Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Evolved Expendable Launch