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BOEMNonrulemakingBOEM-2020-0018

Cook inlet Planning Area, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Alaska Region (AK), Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258

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Dec 22, 2025
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closed 1688d ago
Defenders of Wildlife filings
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Defenders of Wildlife filed 1 comment on this docket between Oct 14, 2020 and Oct 14, 2020. 18 other organizations filed here. The comment window closed 1688d ago.

What Defenders of Wildlife filed (1)

Oct 14, 2020· Comment from Defenders of Wildlife· BOEM-2020-0018-0029

Dear Dr. Kendall, We, all 13,496 caring individuals are writing to urge the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to defer leasing additional areas in Cook Inlet to the oil industry. Cook Inlet is home to two endangered species: Cook Inlet belugas and the Southwestern Alaska stock of northern sea otters. There are only 279 Cook Inlet belugas left, a population which is geographically and genetically distinct from all other beluga populations. Belugas have long been a cultural icon and ecosystem sentinel. The population is currently declining at a rate of 2.3% annually. The Recovery Plan established under the Endangered Species Act identifies a variety of threats to the belugas' recovery, specifically including the oil and gas development. Cook Inlet belugas are already significantly impacted by industrial activities throughout their range, and background noise levels in Cook Inlet already exceed the Level B harassment level that the National Marine Fisheries Service has identified for belugas. Yet proposals for further industrialization of the whales' critical habitat, like this lease sale, regularly proceed despite their cumulative impact on the species and its ability to recover. Also, sea otters at the eastern reach of the Southwestern AK population range have fared better than animals farther west, making the habitat at issue in this proposal potentially very important for refugia and for recovery efforts for this population. There is no identified need for the lease sale, and further drilling in sensitive fish and wildlife habitat promises to bring more harm than good. Increased CO2 emissions, oil spills and other toxic pollution, noise pollution, fishery conflicts, and furthering our dependence on new fossil fuel infrastructure will all negatively impact Alaskans and Americans. As is true in many other areas of the country and the world, the negative impacts of offshore oil and gas development outweigh the benefits. BOEM should heed this balance and select the No Action alternative.

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Abstract

Consistent with the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 2021 Cook Inlet Lease Sale 258 in the Cook Inlet Planning Area. The EIS will focus on the potential effects of leasing, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas in the proposed lease sale area. In addition to the no action alternative (i.e., not holding the lease sale), other alternatives will be considered.

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Co-filers (18)

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Cook inlet Planning Area, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Alaska Region (AK), Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258 (BOEM) — Defenders of Wildlife | OpenPolis