[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45701-45703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-21795]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541)

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permit applications received under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish 
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated 
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published 
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title 45 Part 670 
of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of 
permit applications received.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to these permit applications by September 26, 
2001. Permit applications may be inspected by interested parties at the 
Permit Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nadene G. Kennedy at the above address 
or (703) 292-7405.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 94-541), has 
developed regulations that implement the ``Agreed Measures for the 
Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora'' for all United States 
citizens. The Agreed Measures, developed by the Antarctic Treaty 
Consultative Parties, recommended establishment of a permit system for 
various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and 
certain geographic areas requiring special protection. The regulations 
establish such a permit system to designate Specially Protected Areas 
and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
    The applications received are as follows:

1. Applicant; Permit Application No. 2002-007
    Rennie S. Holt, Director, U.S. AMLR Program, Southwest Fisheries 
Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 8604 La Jolla Shores 
Drive, La Jolla, CA 92038

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Take, Import into the U.S.A., and Enter Specially Antarctic 
Protected Area. The applicant proposes to conduct ship-supported and 
land-based penniped studies in the region of the Antarctic Peninsula as 
a continuation of studies conducted from 1996-2001. Continuing studies 
encompassing census surveys, attendance, diving, foraging, diet, age 
determination, pathology, and long term monitoring (censusing/tagging) 
of Antarctic fur seals, Elephant, Crabeater, Leopard, Weddell, and Ross 
seals will be conducted at the AMLR Program campsite at Cape Shirreff, 
Livingston Island (Antarctic Specially Protected Area #149), including 
the San Telmo Islands. A compete census of the seal population will be 
conducted as well as tagging of up to 600 new fur seal pups. 
Attendance, diving and foraging studies will require instrumentation 
(TDR's) of up to 60 fur sales. Enema, scat and milk collection will be 
used to study the diet behavior of fur seals throughout the austral 
summer. Blood and other tissue samples will be collected to initiate 
pathology studies since prior sample collection detected the presence 
of Brucellis within the fur seal population.
    The application also proposes to continue seabird research 
conducted in the past. The studies will include censuses and banding of 
all sea birds. A subset of chinstrap and Gentoo penguins will be 
captured, and weighed. A subset of adult penguins will have blood and 
stomach samples collected, where as others will have instruments 
temporarily attached to collect diving/foraging information in an 
attempt to examine the population dynamics of these species. All 
collected samples will be returned to the Southwest Fisheries Science 
Center for processing and analysis.
    In addition the applicant proposes to salvage bones and carcasses 
of dead seals and other cetacean species found on shore for importation 
to the U.S. These materials will be stored at the Southwest Fisheries 
Science Center for educational and research to purposes.

Location: Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island (ASPA #149) and the 
Antarctic Peninsula region

Dates: November 15, 2001 to April 15, 2006

2. Applicant; Permit Application No. 2002-008
    Vickie Usher Russell, CNN Producer, 132 Geneva Street, Decatur, GA 
30030

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. The applicant will be 
filming a TV documentary for CNN showcasing the exciting scientific 
research and remarkable and demanding working conditions scientists and 
support personnel endure in Antarctica. The team proposes to film 
research conducted in the field and therefore proposes to enter Cape 
Royds penguin rookery (ASPA #121) to film scientists working with the 
penguins. In addition the documentary team proposes to focus some 
attention on the early Antarctic explorers and proposes to film as many 
of the Ross Island historic huts as possible. Therefore they plan to 
enter

[[Page 45702]]

and film at Shackleton's Hut a Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds (ASPA #156), 
Scott's Terra Nova Hut, Cape Evans (ASPA #154), and Scott's Discovery 
Hut, Hut Point, Ross Island (ASPA #157). The documentary hopes to bring 
the excitement and mystery of Antarctica to viewers who might never 
have a chance to view it themselves.

Location:
    Cape Royds penguin rookery (ASPA #121)
    Scott's Terra Nova Hut, Cape Evans, Ross Island (ASPA #154)
    Shackleton Hut at Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, Ross Island (ASPA #156)
    Scott's Discovery Hut, Hut Point, Ross Island (ASPA #157).

Dates: December 1, 2001 to February 28, 2002.

3. Applicant; Permit Application No. 2002-009
    Terry J. Wilson, Department of Geological Sciences, Ohio State 
University, 155 S. Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area. The applicant proposes to 
study the structure of volcanoes and volcanic cinder cones in Northern 
Victoria Land. Part of the study area falls within Antarctic Specially 
Protect Area #159, the Summit of Mt. Melbourne, which the applicant 
proposes to enter. The study requires aerial observation and 
photography of all volcanic vents and cones within the area. Overflight 
of the site will be by helicopter at an elevation equal to or greater 
than ~1500 meters. Two short-duration landings are needed for ground 
observations to confirm mapping of the volcanic structures. The landing 
sites will be selected on glacial ice in-filling the caldera thereby 
avoiding any sensitive areas. All work in the area will be completed 
within one day.
Location: Summit of Mt Melbourne--ASPA #159

Dates: November 1, 2001 to January 10, 2002

4. Applicant; Permit Application No. 2002-010
    Terry J. Wilson, Department of Geological Sciences, Ohio State 
University, 155 S. Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area. The applicant proposes to 
enter Cape Crozier, Antarctic Specially Protected Area #124, for the 
purpose of collecting samples from volcanic vents for age dating. The 
volcanic cones to be sampled lie partially within the ASPA at the Knoll 
near the southwest corner of the site, and Post Office Hill at the apex 
of the boundary of the northern portion of the ASPA. Access to the site 
will be via helicopter landing at the site designated by the Management 
Plan. The applicant proposes to be in the site for only a couple hours.
Location: Cape Crozier, Ross Island--ASPA #124

Dates: November 25, 2001 to February 10, 2001

5. Applicant; Permit Application No. 2002-011
    Robert A. Blanchette, Department of Plant Pathology, University of 
Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108-6030

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area and Import into the U.S.A. 
The applicant is working on a cooperative project with the Antarctic 
Heritage Trust (AHT) to help preserve the historic huts and artifacts 
in the Ross Sea region. Over the past 9-10 decades significant 
deterioration has occurred within the huts and on many historic 
artifacts. To prevent further degradation and to develop successful 
control strategies, the applicant proposes to enter the historic huts 
at Cape Evans (ASPA #154), Cape Royds (ASPA #156), Hut Point (ASPA 
#157), and Cape Adare (ASPA #158) to conduct basic scientific 
investigations to better understand the deterioration taking place in 
this polar environment. Areas of deterioration will be sampled in and 
around the huts, as well as assessing the damage from mold growth on 
hut interiors, and historical chemical and fuel spills. Wood and soil 
samples will be collected and returned to the U.S. for further 
analysis. The applicant proposes to salvage bones or feathers that may 
be contained in the soil samples.

Location:
    Historic huts and environs at Cape Evans (ASPA #154), Cape Royds 
(ASPA #156), Hut Point (ASPA #157), and Cape Adare (ASPA #158--McMurdo 
Sound, Ross Island and Ross Sea vicinity.

Dates: December 1, 2001 to March 1, 2003

6. Applicant; Permit Application No. 2002-012
    Thomas W. Yelvington, President, Raytheon Polar Services Company, 
61 Inverness Drive East, Suite 300, Englewood, CO 80112

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area. Hallett Station was 
jointly operated and occupied by the U.S. and New Zealand from 1957 to 
1973, primarily for the study of geophysics and later for biological 
studies of the Adelie penguin population. Last season an Environmental 
Site Assessment was conducted indicating a need for a multi-year 
remediation program to bring closure of Hallett Station into full 
compliance with the Protocol on the Environmental Protection to the 
Antarctic Treaty. In a joint effort with the New Zealand program, 
participants will camp in the vicinity of old Hallett Station while 
conducting the remediation program. The initial phase will involve 
fencing off areas of petroleum contaminated surface water and soil 
which have been identified as posing the greatest threat to the penguin 
population at Cape Hallett. During this multi-year remediation project, 
the applicant proposes to enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area #106 
for the purposes of collecting glacial ice for making water for the 
nearby camp. Entry into the Protected Area will be kept to a minimum.

Location: Cape Hallett, Victoria Land--ASPA #106

Dates: October 1, 2001 to April 15, 2006

7. Applicant; Permit Application No. 2002-013
    John T. Lisle, Lockheed Martin, NASA Road One, Mail Stop C23, 
Houston, TX 77058

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Import Non-Indigenous Species into Antarctica. The applicant 
proposes to introduce into Antarctica the two samples each of the 
following commercial bacterial cultures: E. coli, Staphylococcus 
aureus, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Acinetobacter calcoacetius, Enterococcus 
aerogenes, and Clostridium perfingens. These bacterial cultures will be 
used as quality controls when performing assays. The assays include 
isolation and enumeration of fecal coliform, fecal enteroccocci, and 
fecal associated Clostridium perfringens. The applicant will also 
perform standard plasmid transfer experiments using several of the 
bacterial cultures. The control cultures are necessary, as the 
conditions under which the experiments are performed are extremely cold 
and a method to ensure the assays are performing correctly under 
Antarctic conditions is critical for data to be considered valid. All 
plasmid transfer experiments will be conducted within a contained 
system in the laboratory at McMurdo Station. All cultures and samples 
will be bleached and autoclaved before disposing of the material into 
the biohazard waste stream

[[Page 45703]]

at McMurdo Station for removal/retrograde from the continent.

Location: McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Dates: October 1, 2001 to November 30, 2001

8. Applicant; Permit Application No. 2002-014
    Robert Semper, Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco, CA 
94123

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. The applicant proposes 
to enter several Antarctic Specially Protected Areas for the purpose of 
filming scientific research in the field and document the historic huts 
in the Ross Island vicinity. The applicant proposes to enter the Cape 
Royds penguin rookery (ASPA 121) to film researchers working with 
Adelie penguins. In addition, the applicant proposes to enter and film 
the historic huts and environs at Cape Evans (ASPA 154), Cape Royds 
(ASPA 156), and Discovery Hut at Hut Point (ASPA #157). The film 
project is an effort to create a different approach to telling the 
story of basic scientific research and the infrastructure it takes to 
support it to a vast audience of museum and online visitors. Viewers, 
by means of a webcast, will have the opportunity to metaphorically look 
over the shoulder of scientists as they work in the field or 
laboratory. In addition, filming the huts will add the element of 
history and adventure for those who are not normally interested in 
scientific activities.

Location:
    Cape Royds penguin rookery, Ross Island--ASPA #121
    Scott's Terra Nova Hut, Cape Evans, Ross Island--ASPA #154
    Shackleton's Hut at Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, Ross Island--ASPA 
#156
    Scott's Discovery Hut, Hut Point, Ross Island--ASPA #157

Dates: November 1, 2001 to January 31, 2002

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 01-21795 Filed 8-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M