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This website describes the process used to develop Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) to protect sensitive coastal environments in the Cook Inlet Subarea. The Cook Inlet Subarea encompasses the boundaries of the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the Municipality of Anchorage, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, including adjacent shorelines
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.
The Cook Inlet Subarea includes the following geographic response zones:
This map identifies the Cook Inlet Geographic Response Zones.
GRS have currently been developed, or are being developed, for Northern Cook Inlet, Central Cook Inlet, Southwestern Cook Inlet, Southeastern Cook Inlet, Kachemak Bay, and the Seward Zone.
Download a larger, printable copy of this map (164 KB pdf).
The Cook Inlet GRS Site Selection Process
The first step in the GRS site selection process is to identify candidate sites. Within each of the subzones in Cook Inlet, candidate sites have been or will be identified based on a set of site selection criteria.
If funding permits, GRS may eventually be developed for all candidate sites. However, most GRS projects are carried out in phases, where a smaller group of sites (usually around 20) are selected for initial GRS development. GRS sites are selected on the basis of three major 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 additional sites may be selected by the workgroup based on this input. Once GRS site selection is finalized, the workgroup will then develop draft strategies for each site.
In Cook Inlet, the workgroups for each sub zone consider potential GRS locations based on the following criteria of environmental sensitivity, which are set forth in the Cook Inlet Subarea Plan:
- Threatened and Endangered Species/Habitats
- Marshes
- 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 and/or Fall Concentration Areas
- Eagle Nest Sites
- Large Anadromous Fish Streams
- Intertidal Salmon Spawning Areas
- Hatcheries
- 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
The Cook Inlet GRS
The final Cook Inlet GRS documents will consist of the following parts:
- Table of Contents (18KB pdf)
- Part 1. Introduction (223KB pdf) including:
- Purpose and Scope,
- How to Use the Document,
- Who to Contact for Input,
- How the Document was Developed,
- How Sites were Selected;
- Part 2. General Protection/Collection Tactics (758KB pdf) including:
- A vessel classification system,
- Detailed descriptions and drawings of tactics that may be used to protect sensitive areas in the Seward Zone;
- Part 3. Site-specific Geographic Response Strategies including:
- Index Map
- Site Descriptions,
- Reference Maps
- Overall Site Photo,
- Shoreline Description and Information,
- Sensitive Resource Description (by seasons),
- Scope of Plan,
- Site-Specific Logistical Information; and
- Part 4. References (16KB pdf)
You can learn more about Geographic Response Strategies by reading our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Cook Inlet Regional Citizens' Advisory Council, Kenai Fjords National Park, the Kenai Peninsula Borough, and Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council have provided funding for this project.
Don't forget to bookmark our "What's New" page to keep track of the latest additions to this site.
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