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This website describes the process used to develop Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) to protect sensitive coastal environments in the Kodiak Subarea. The Kodiak Subarea is defined as that area south of the Cook Inlet Subarea beginning at approximately 58.45 ° North latitude, is east of the Alaska Peninsula, and includes Afognak Island, Kodiak Island, and the Trinity Islands. The Kodiak Subarea has been further divided into five zones, which are shown on the following map. Click on a zone in the index map to view a detailed map of that zone. Text links to the zones are listed below the map.
Northern Kodiak Zone
Western Kodiak Zone
Mainland Zone
Eastern and Southern Kodiak Zone
GRS are oil spill response plans tailored to protect a specific sensitive area from oil impacts following a spill. These response plans are map-based strategies that can save time during the critical first few hours of an oil spill response. They show responders where sensitive areas are located and where to place oil spill protection resources.
A workgroup has been formed to develop GRS for the Kodiak Subarea. Participants include Local, State and Federal agencies, spill response experts, oil spill contingency plan holders and the Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound Citizens advisory councils. In 2001, 21 GRS were developed for the Kodiak area. In 2006, an additional 44 GRS were completed in the Northern, Western, and Mainland Zones. Currently the workgroup is addressing sites in the Eastern and Southern Zone.
The workgroup has now selected 22 sites in the Eastern and Southern Zone for GRS development. The maps show the selected sites and the site selection matrix (31.3KB pdf) and site selection key (28.7KB pdf) summarize the resources at risk for each site. The site selection process involves a consideration of environmental sensitivity (ESI maps used in the development of the site selection matrix) risk of being impacted from a water borne spill; and feasibility of successfully protecting the site with existing technology. The Work Group has sought public input for the sites selected. Public involvement is essential to ensure that the sites selected and the strategies developed reflected the environmental protection priorities of local communities, stakeholders, and resource users. The workgroup welcomes public input to ensure that everyone with a stake in Kodiak is made aware of Geographic Response Strategies and their importance during an oil spill response. If you have local knowledge about Kodiak or if you would like more information about Geographic Response Strategies please contact: Mark Janes at Nuka Research and Planning at mark@nukaresearch.com or (907)299-3224.
The Kodiak Island GRS
The Kodiak Subarea Contingency Plan can be found at the following url:
http://www.dec.state.ak.us/spar/perp/plans/scp_ki.htm.
The current sites that have been selected for GRS development are listed
on the appropriate zone web page along with a link to the draft
GRS file in pdf format.
The final Kodiak GRS documents will consist of the following parts, in draft form at this date:
The Kodiak GRS Site Selection Process
The first step in the GRS site selection process is to identify candidate sites. Candidate sites are identified based on a set of three major site selection criteria.
- environmental sensitivity,
- risk of being impacted from a water borne spill; and
- feasibility of successfully protecting the site with existing technology.
Public comments are also considered during site selection and the sites selected by the workgroup will consider this input. Once GRS site selection is finalized, the workgroup will develop strategies for each site.
The potential GRS locations identified in the site selection matrix were selected based on the following criteria of environmental sensitivity, which are set forth in the Kodiak Subarea Plan:
- Threatened and Endangered Species/Habitats
- Marshes
- Eel grass beds
- Sheltered Tidal Flats
- Sheltered Rocky Shores
- Sea Otter Concentration Areas
- Harbor Seal Haulouts
- Sea Lion Rookeries and Haulouts
- Large Seabird Colonies
- Waterfowl and Shorebird Spring,Fall or Winter Concentration Areas
- Eagle Nest Sites
- Large Anadromous Fish Streams
- Intertidal Salmon Spawning Areas
- Hatcheries & Aquaculture sites
- Herring Spawning Areas
- Federal Wilderness Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and National Natural Landmarks
- State Refuges, Sanctuaries, and Critical Habitat Areas
- Cultural Resources/Archaeological Sites
- Intertidal Sites
- Subsistence Harvest Areas
- High Use Commercial Fishing Areas
- High Use Recreational Areas
Public involvement is essential to ensure that the sites selected and the strategies developed reflected the environmental protection priorities of local communities, stakeholders, and resource users. The workgroup welcomes public input to ensure that everyone with a stake in Kodiak is made aware of Geographic Response Strategies and their importance during an oil spill response.
You can learn more about Geographic Response Strategies by reading our Frequently Asked Questions.
For more information about Geographic Response Strategies or questions pertaining to this project, please contact: dec.spar.grs@alaska.gov
This page last updated: June 25, 2008 by Nuka Research & Planning Group, LLC
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