Arctic policy of Barack Obama

The originally proposed two-way route, optimized to minimize the risk of vessel collisions. This route takes vessel traffic through Northern Right Whale Critical Habitat. The reasoning for passing through the whale habitat was that adjusting the route to avoid the habitat would increase route by 31 nautical miles, which the Coast Guard believes most vessels would not follow. Citing a longer route that avoids this critical habitat area would likely lead to less predictability traffic patterns with a higher degree of collision risk that could adversely affect the critical habitat area.[12]

Not adopted[10]

Public comments that identified this area as being of particularly high concern, due to the presence of Fairway Rock. The Coast Guard stated: "The Area to be Avoided is intended to prevent disruption of subsistence activities, minimize pollution risk, and also alert mariners in the event a navigational error puts a ship in closer proximity than would otherwise occur had the vessel remained within the two-way route...It serves as a migration corridor for every species that migrates between the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. It is also a vitally important area for subsistence hunting, particularly bowhead whales, beluga whales and walrus, and ice seals."[13]

Public comments that identified this area as being of particularly high concern, in particular from Kawarek, Inc., due to the presence of King Island. Concerns included not just the use of Kink Island as a subsistence harvesting area, but also the historic heritage of King Island itself. This area to be avoided is intended to prevent disruption of subsistence activities, minimize pollution risk, and alert mariners of shallow waters.[14]

Public comments that identified this area as being of particularly high concern, due to the presence of Saint Lawrence Island. Residents of Gambell and Savoonga noted the eastern tip of St. Lawrence Island was vitally important to subsistence activities. Review of vessel traffic patterns revealed a number of ships passing relatively close to the island through waters where hydrographic survey confidence is low, thus, the area to be avoided is intended to prevent disruption of subsistence activities, minimize pollution risk, and alert mariners of shallow waters. The Coast Guard also stated: "The large portion of the Area to be Avoided to the south of Saint Lawrence Island is intended as an additional protection for the endangered Spectacled Eider. Nearly the entire population of this species congregates in this area each winter, putting the species at unusually high risk in the event of a widespread release of oil following a marine casualty."[15]

"The Area to be Avoided around Nunivak Island is intended to prevent disruption of subsistence activities, minimize pollution risk, and alert mariners to shoal waters in close proximity to the proposed two-way route where the consequences of a grounding could be particularly severe. The Coast Guard received several public comments that identified this area as being of particularly high concern."[16]