Feds Okay 'Harassing' Sea Otters for Alaskan Bridge Building Project
Published Date: 3/25/2026
Notice
Summary
The Alaska Department of Transportation wants permission to do pile driving and marine construction in Angoon, Alaska, which might bother up to 34 northern sea otters but won’t hurt them. The Fish and Wildlife Service is considering this request for May 2026 to April 2027 and wants your thoughts by April 24, 2026. This plan helps protect sea otters while allowing important local construction to move forward safely.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Up to 34 Sea Otters May Be Disturbed
If you rely on sea otters for subsistence in Angoon, Alaska, the Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to authorize the Alaska Department of Transportation to incidentally harass (nonlethally disturb) up to 34 northern sea otters during pile driving and marine construction from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027. The FWS proposes that this level of disturbance would be small and would not have an "unmitigable adverse impact" on the availability of sea otters for subsistence use by Alaska Native communities.
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