Draft Study Plan Vol 1 (PDF) - Alaska Power and Telephone Company

DRAFT DOCUMENT
The Chilkoot Valley’s proximity to Glacier Bay could mean the Kittlitz murrelet
utilize the general area for nesting; although perhaps more the Chilkat River Valley,
which is larger, than the Chilkoot. There are also many north facing slopes near glaciers
in northern Southeast Alaska, of which Connelly Lakes is a small sample. The Project
could temporarily disturb potential Kittlitz’s murrelet nesting during the construction
phase in the Connelly Lake basin; see Figure 15 below that shows the north facing cliffs
at the lake, which are just at timberline. However, the area between the Project and
Glacier Bay (which they are thought to use) has plentiful alpine habitat, glaciers, and
cliffs or slopes facing north and the potential impact at Connelly Lake will be short term
related to noise and activity. If the Kittlitz’s murrelet uses the north facing cliffs at
Connelly Lake, the Project construction activity could temporarily displace them.
The USF&WS advised GLH to review potential project impacts to the Kittlitz’s
murrelet, a Candidate species under the Endangered Species Act. The species is closely
associated with glacially-influenced marine habitats, and has been observed in marine
environments in the region. Six opportunistic observations have been recorded by
USF&WS between the late 1980s and March 2012. 19 Of these observations, all were on
or flying above the water in a marine environment. USF&WS surveys in Lynn Canal in
1994 and Berner’s Bay in 2000-2001 did not identify any Kittlitz’s murrelet individuals.
Nesting may also occur on unvegetated glacial moraines, grassy ledges of island
sea cliffs, and barren ground on coasts (Ehrlich et al. 1988).” 20
Figure 15: Stereoscopic View of Connelly Lake; North Facing Cliffs at bottom of
photo
19 Michelle L. Kissling, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USF&WS) – “Kittlitz’s Murrelets in Lynn Canal.”
May 2012.
20 Polk Inlet Timber Sale Final Environmental Impact Statement, Vol.. III, Appendix J - Biological
Assessment and Biological Evaluation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Tongass
National Forest, R10-MB-292c, April, 1995.
Draft Study Plan – June 2012 p. 30 Connelly Lake Hydroelectric Project