unemployment levels increased in the region. In short, upper Cook Inlet 

 experienced an intense but temporary boom in development drilling and 

 construction activity. 



Coastal and marine ecosystems will be degraded by acute and chronic 

 oil spills and onshore development and operation activities. Fish and 

 wildlife will primarily be affected by: (1) pollution, (2) habitat 

 destruction, and (3) increased sport fishing and hunting pressures. 



BLM estimates that 71,600 barrels of crude oil will be spilled 

 during the height of oil production activity in the lower Cook Inlet and 

 along the transport route (Table 7). Oil spill trajectory analysis 

 shows that large amounts of oil will reach coastal and onshore habitats. 

 A worst case scenario would be a large oil spill reaching the shoreline 

 during the growing season in one day. Damage would be especially 

 significant in the Bluff Point area, the south eastern margins of the 

 Kenai Peninsula, Chinitna Bay to Tuxedni Bay, and Kachemak Bay. 



Sea otters, fur seals and sea lions will be quite susceptible to oil 

 pollution and human disturbance impacts. The installation of offshore 

 platforms, pipelines, and the noise associated with supporting aircraft 

 and vessel traffic may cause abandonment of traditional fur seal, sea lion 

 or sea otter breeding grounds. A major spill during pupping season 

 could eliminate large numbers of sea lions and harbor seals. In addition, 

 local populations of commercially valuable otters, mink, muskrat and 

 beaver will be vulnerable to oil pollution because they use aquatic 

 systems for foraging, transportation, and refuge. 



Sea otters will be the most vulnerable marine mammal in lower Cook 

 Inlet to impacts resulting from OCS development. According to Dame's 



40 



