Application for Incidental Harassment Authorization for Harbor Activities Related to Delta IV/EELV 1. Delta IV/EELV Activities Affecting Marine Mammals

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1998
• Subjects: Breakwater; Flat Rocks; Pacific; The Breakwater; harbor seal
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.227.8370; http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/permits/ula_iha_application2011.pdf

An Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) 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. These activities are in support of Delta IV/EELV launch activity from Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) at VAFB (Figure 1-1). All activities covered by the IHA 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. Vandenberg AFB