Cook Inlet Beluga Whales
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Recovery Plan for Cook Inlet Beluga Whales
Cook Inlet beluga whales.Photo: Chris Garner, U.S. Army, Ft. Richardson.
In October 2008, NMFS listed the Cook Inlet beluga whales as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Section 4(f) of the ESA requires NMFS to develop and implement a recovery plan for the conservation and survival of the Cook Inlet belugas, unless such a plan will not promote the conservation of the species.
The Recovery Plan must include:
- a description of site-specific management actions that may be necessary to achieve the plan’s goal for the conservation and survival of the Cook Inlet belugas
- objective, measurable criteria which, when met, would result in a determination that the Cook Inlet belugas may be removed from the ESA
- estimates of the time required and the cost to carry out those measures needed to achieve the plan’s goal and to achieve intermediate steps toward that goal
In 2010, NMFS convened a Recovery Team to aide in the development of a draft Recovery Plan for Cook Inlet beluga whales. The Recovery Team was composed of two voluntary advisory groups: a Science Panel and a Stakeholder Panel. The first meeting of the Recovery Team was in March 2010. In March 2013, the Recovery Team provided NMFS with a first draft of the Recovery Plan, and NMFS disbanded the Recovery Team. Prior to final approval of a Recovery Plan for the Cook Inlet beluga whales, NMFS will publish a draft version for public review and comment. NMFS anticipates the draft Recovery Plan will be available for public review and comment later this year.
Recovery Plan
MEMBERS
- Recovery Team Members
- Terms of Reference for the Cook Inlet beluga whale Recovery Team
MEETINGS
February 27-28, 2013
- Joint Meeting of Both Panels, Feb 27-28 - Final Recovery Team Meeting
- Agenda
- Meeting Summary
- Thank You Letter to Recovery Team, March 2013
Meeting Materials
April 10-13, 2012
- Science Panel, April 11-13
- Stakeholder Panel, April 10
- Joint Meeting of Both Panels, April 10
- Meeting Summary
- Invited Speaker Presentations
- Cook Inlet Beluga Recovery Under the MMPA and the ESA - Brad Smith
- Cook Inlet Beluga Research - Rod Hobbs
- Cook Inlet Beluga Stranding Database - Jennifer Dushane
- Overview of Noise and Impacts to Marine Mammals - Manuel Castellote
- Cook Inlet Seismic Survey and Marine Mammal Monitoring - Sheyna Wisdom
- Upper Cook Inlet Fisheries - Bill Bechtol
January 11-13, 2012
- Science Panel, Jan 11-13
November 7-10, 2011
- Science Panel, Nov 7- 9
- Stakeholder Panel, Nov 10
April 11-14, 2011 - Canceled
January 14, 2011
- Stakeholder Panel
- Agenda
- Meeting Summary
- Invited Speaker Presentations
December 8-10, 2010
- Science Panel
September 30, 2010
- Stakeholder Panel
- Agenda
- Summary
- Invited Speaker Presentations
- Stranded Belugas in Cook Inlet, Kathy Burek, DVM
- Alaska Stranding Network, Carrie Goertz, MS, DVM
March 30-April 1, 2010
- March 30: Joint Meeting of the Science and Stakeholder Panels
- March 30: Stakeholder Panel
- March 31-April 1: Science Panel
GUIDANCE AND PLANNING
- Interim Endangered and Threatened Species Recovery Planning Guidance, 2007
- Appendices, 1994
- 75 FR 4528, January 28, 2010. Notice of intent to prepare a recovery plan for the Cook Inlet beluga whale. All comments and information must be received by 5 p.m. Alaska time, March 29, 2010.
- Recovery Outline for Cook Inlet beluga whales, February 2010
RELATED INFORMATION
- 2008 Conservation Plan for Cook Inlet belugas, October 2008
- ESA listing for Cook Inlet beluga whales, October 2008
- ESA Section 7 Interagency Consultation Guidance
- More Information about Cook Inlet Beluga Whales
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