Are gray whales on the decline?
Will new, increased naval training off the California, Oregon and Washington coasts make matters worse for the beloved migratory giants?
And how about simultaneously increased training activities off Alaska?
Many locals made comments and were involved in the public process over the Northwest Training Range Complex, the offshore area where increased Navy training has been the subject of discussion for several years. The final plans went into effect this fall.
That plan covers the area from the Humboldt-Mendocino County line to the Canadian border. Although none of the increased training will happen this far south, Mendocino Coast activists were key in creating delays in that plan, which resulted in it being implemented after a similar plan in Alaska, which was started after the California to Washington plan was supposed to be final. Increased training in the Gulf of Alaska got under way this summer.
Based on criticism, the Navy made changes in the lower 48 region, such as removing the use of depleted uranium in weapons fired during the training exercises. The Navy is increasing its training and use of live weapons in that endeavor, off every coast, from the northern Atlantic to Hawaii.
But nowhere has protest been louder or discussion anything like that on the Mendocino Coast.
Now, the Navy will come to Fort Bragg on Thursday, Dec. 16 for an “information meeting” at Town Hall about the recently implemented NWRTC plan. Navy spokeswoman Sheila Murray confirmed a rumor that such a meeting was planned. Final details, such as the time of the meeting, were not available at press time.
Much of the opposition has come from the belief that the Navy”s activities may stress and even kill migratory gray whales, along with the dozens of other marine mammals that live in the area. While Navy documents claim the number of “takings” would be inconsequential to the species, those same documents about the NWTRC (totaling more than 2,000 pages online) also admit much still is unknown.
The discussion of just how much impact there will be on whales from sonar, weapons and explosives firing during training and general combat training activities has continued in Alaska. A lengthy filing by the National Marine Fisheries Service, discussing the impacts on whales and Navy mitigation measures, can be found in section 64525 of the Federal Register /Vol. 75, No. 201/Tuesday, October 19, 2010/Proposed Rules.
Gray whales migrate from the Gulf of Alaska to off the Mexican Coast every year, passing the Mendocino Coast twice on their journey. All of this comes at a time when many people are questioning the notion that the gray whale population has bounced back.
The California Gray Whale Coalition has petitioned the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service to list the California Gray Whale as depleted, which would prompt the agency to develop a conservation plan.
The petition is on file now at regulations.justia.com/
view/205804=
Comments on the petition submitted by the California GrayWhale Coalition must to be submitted by close of business Wednesday, Dec. 8.
