Draft Bristol Bay critical habitat plan out

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is seeking comments on a draft management plan for five Bristol Bay critical habitat areas on the north side of the Alaska Peninsula. The state Legislature established the areas in 1972 around major river estuaries at Egegik, Pilot Point, Cinder River, Port Heiden and Port Moller, to protect habitat critical to fish and wildlife, particularly waterfowl and shorebirds.

These areas lie in state land over parts of the North Aleutian basin, a potential future target for oil and gas exploration. The deepest part of the basin lies offshore Port Moller.

Fish and Game says that it has developed its draft management plan to document management goals for the critical habitat areas; establish policies for determining which activities would be viewed as compatible with habitat protection in the areas; and to address issues such as access and resource use in the designated habitat land.

The plan includes proposed regulations to be applied to the critical habitat areas, although Fish and Game says that it will conduct a separate regulatory review once it has finalized the management plan.The draft plan can be viewed on the Fish and Game Web site at www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=refuge.bristol_bay_plan.

Comments on the plan are due by April 1.

—Alan Bailey