[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 144 (Thursday, July 26, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39014-39015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18671]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 071801E]


Endangered Species; Permits

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit 1316; Issuance of modification #1 to permit 
1299; and amendment #2 to permit 1133.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following actions regarding 
permits for takes of endangered and threatened species for the purposes 
of scientific research and/or enhancement under the Endangered Species 
Act (ESA): NMFS has issued permit 1316 to Dr. Jeff Schmid, of The 
Conservancy of Southwest Florida; NMFS has issued modification 
1 to permit #1299 to Dr. Raymond Carthy, of the Florida 
Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit; and NMFS has issued 
amendment 2 to permit #1133 to Dr. Andre Landry of Texas A&M 
University at Galveston.

ADDRESSES: The permits, applications and related documents are 
available for review in the indicated office, by appointment:
    Endangered Species Division, F/PR3, 1315 East West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910 (phone:301-713-1401, fax: 301-713-0376).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terri Jordan, Silver Spring, MD 
(phone: 301-713-1401, fax: 301-713-0376, e-mail: [email protected])

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority Issuance of permits and permit modifications, as 
required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) 
(ESA), is based on a finding that such permits/modifications: (1) 
are applied for in good faith; (2) would not operate to the 
disadvantage of the listed species which are the subject of the 
permits; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in section 2 of the ESA. Scientific research and/or 
enhancement permits are issued under Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. 
Authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set forth 
in the permits. Permits and modifications are issued in accordance 
with and are subject to the ESA and NMFS regulations governing 
listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222-226).

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following species are covered in this notice:

Sea turtles

    Threatened and endangered Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
    Endangered Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
    Endangered Kemp's ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
    Threatened Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)

Permits, Modified Permits and Amended Permits Issued

Permit #1316

    Notice was published on May 21, 2001 (66 FR 27940), that Dr. Jeff 
Schmid, Conservancy of Southwest Florida applied for a scientific 
research permit (1316). The goal of this research is to characterize 
the essential habitat associations of subadult Kemp's ridley turtles in 
the nearshore waters of the upper Ten Thousand Islands. The objectives 
are: (1) to monitor the movements of Kemp's ridley turtles via radio 
and sonic telemetry and to quantify their habitat utilization from the 
geographical position data, (2) to produce a geographic information 
system (GIS) database of benthic habitats and subsequently map the 
habitat types within the study area, and (3) to test for habitat 
preferences of Kemp's ridley turtles in this region by comparing the 
amount of time a turtle spends in a given habitat relative to the 
availability of all other habitat types. Permit 1316 authorizes the 
non-lethal take of 20 Kemp's ridley turtle. After capture, the turtles 
will be handled, measured, flipper and PIT tagged, have a radio/sonic 
transmitter attached and be released near the capture site. Permit 1316 
was issued on July 19, 2001, and expires July 31, 2006.

Permit #1299

    Dr. Raymond Carthy, of the Florida Cooperative Fish & Wildlife 
Research

[[Page 39015]]

Unit currently possesses a 3-year scientific research permit to non-
lethally take up to 100 loggerhead, 100 green, and 100 Kemp's ridley 
sea turtles annually from St. Joseph Bay, Florida. Under permit #1299, 
Dr. Carthy is authorized to examine the internesting movements and 
habitat usage of adult loggerhead turtles along the northwestern coast 
of Florida, while also examining species composition, population 
densities and habitat utilization in coastal bays in the same area. 
Activities currently authorized under permit #1299 are: capture of 
turtles in tended, straight-set, large-mesh tangle nets. After capture 
turtles are weighed, measured, photographed, and flipper and PIT 
tagged, have a tissue sample collected and be released.
    For modification #1, the permit holder is authorized to attach a 
time/depth recorder and a sonic/radio transmitter to a maximum of 3 
green or loggerhead turtles (in aggregate) over the life of the permit. 
Modification #1 to Permit 1198 was issued on July 17, 2001, and expires 
December 31, 2003.

Permit #1133

    Andre M. Landry currently possesses a 5-year scientific research 
permit to take listed sea turtles for the purpose of conducting studies 
on population status and recovery potential, habitat preference, 
movement and migration, foraging patterns, and impact of man's 
activities such as commercial and recreational fishing, dredging and 
habitat alteration/pollution. Dr. Landry is currently authorized to 
non-lethally take endangered green, Kemp's ridley and hawksbill and 
threatened loggerhead turtles annually from locations within the 
Western Gulf of Mexico, through the use of entanglement nets.
    Due to a recent incidental mortality associated with the research, 
NMFS has amended permit 1133 to add a special condition to reduce the 
likelihood of additional mortalities associated with research 
activities in the Gulf of Mexico. Amendment #2 to Permit 1133 was 
issued on July 19, 2001, authorizing the continued non-lethal take of 
100 green, 200 Kemp's ridley, 100 loggerhead and 20 hawksbill turtles 
annually. Permit 1133 expires January 31, 2003.

    Dated: July 20, 2001.
Donna Brewer,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-18671 Filed 7-25-01; 8:45 am]
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