Federal Register, Volume 74 Issue 117 (Friday, June 19, 2009)

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 117 (Friday, June 19, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29179-29180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14476]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XP86


Marine Mammals; File No.1032-1917

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Robert A. Garrott, Ph.D, Ecology 
Department, Montana State University, 310 Lewis Hall, Bozeman, MT, 
59717, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit 
No.1032-1917.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before July 20, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the 
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species 
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/, and then selecting File 
No. 1032-1917-01 from the list of available applications.
    These documents are also available upon written request or by 
appointment in the following office(s):
    Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 
20910; phone (301) 713-2289; fax (301) 427-2521; and
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this request 
should be submitted to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 
Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals 
requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons why a 
hearing on this amendment request would be appropriate.
    Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301) 427-2521, 
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and 
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period.
    Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for 
providing e-mail comments is [email protected]. Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail

[[Page 29180]]

comment the following document identifier: File No. 1032-1917-01.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Swails or Tammy Adams, (301) 713-
2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 1032-
1917 is requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection 
Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations 
governing the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    Permit No. 1032-1917, issued on September 4, 2007 (72 FR 51621), 
authorizes the permit holder to continue long-term studies of the 
Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) population in the Erebus Bay, 
McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea, and White Island areas of Antarctica. Up to 
325 adults and 800 pups may be captured annually. Animals may be 
weighed, tissued sampled, flipper tagged, and released. Annually up to 
2000 Weddell, 50 crabeater (Lobodon carcinophagus), and 50 leopard 
(Hydrurga leptonyx) seals may be incidentally disturbed as a result of 
the research activities. The permit authorizes up to 4 (2 adults and 2 
pups) Weddell seal research-related mortalities annually. The permit 
holder is requesting the permit be amended to include authorization for 
use of a small temperature logging tag on pups. The additional tag 
would be used to measure the amount of time pups spend in the water. 
This information would be used as part of the mass dynamics studies.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that 
the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: June 16, 2009.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-14476 Filed 6-18-09; 8:45 am]
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