[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 80 (Thursday, April 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 20491]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10209]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 041702A]


Marine Mammals; Permits 781-1666 and 782-1645-01

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

ACTION: Receipt of Application No. 781-1666 and receipt of application 
to amend Permit No. 782-1645.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following actions regarding 
permits for takes of marine mammal species for the purposes of 
scientific research: NMFS has received a permit application from NMFS, 
Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E, Seattle, WA 
98112-2097 (Dr. Cynthia Tynan, Principal Investigator) (Application No. 
781-1666), and NMFS has received an application for a permit amendment 
from NMFS, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way, 
N.E., BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (Dr. Robert DeLong, Principal 
Investigator) (Permit No. 782-1645).

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments on the new application or 
amendment request must be received on or before May 28, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the new application or amendment request 
should be sent to the appropriate office as indicated below. Comments 
may also be sent via fax to the number indicated for the application or 
amendment request. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-
mail or the internet. The application and related documents are 
available for review upon written request or by appointment in the 
following office(s):
    For permits 781-1666, 782-1645-01: Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 
Sand Point Way NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone 
(206)526-6150; fax (206)526-6426;
    For permit 781-1666: Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., 
Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax 
(562)980-4018; and
    Documents may also be reviewed by appointment in the 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)713-0376.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on these 
applications should be mailed 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 particular request would be appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Johnson or Carrie Hubard, (301) 
713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit and permit amendment are 
requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 
1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Regulations 
Governing the Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216), 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.), the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting 
of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-227), and the 
Fur Seal Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    For Application No. 781-1666, the applicant requests permission to 
conduct shipboard line-transect surveys of marine mammals in U.S. 
waters of the North Pacific. The applicant proposes to take various 
species of cetaceans and five species of pinnipeds via harassment 
during photo-identification from small boats or larger research 
vessels, line-transect surveys from ships, and collection of prey near 
cetaceans. Cetacean prey will be collected via dip nets and towed 
zooplankton nets. The goal of this research is to provide temporal 
(seasonal) and spatial (mesoscale and fine-scale) variability in 
euphasiid and forage fish occurrence patterns necessary to identify the 
important bio-physcial linkages between top-predator distributions and 
the density and availability of their prey. Line-transect data will 
also provide updated abundance estimates.
    For amendment to permit 782-1645-00: The permit authorizes the 
Holder to take up to 15 harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) annually 
(not to exceed 75 over a 5-year period) in the waters of Oregon and 
Washington, attach radio-telemetry devices to monitor the movements of 
tagged animals relative to current stock boundaries, and to collect 
blubber biopsies to determine organochlorine contaminant burdens.
    The Holder now proposes to capture up to 10 Dall's porpoise 
(Phocoenoides dalli) annually in Oregon and Washington, attach radio-
telemetry devices and biopsy sample to investigate three hypotheses: 
(1) duration of tag attachment is associated with tag attachment 
configuration; (2) differences exist between sex and age classes of 
Dall's porpoise in the timing or extent of seasonal migrations from 
inland WA waters; and (3) Dall's porpoise primarily occupy and utilize 
deeper regions of transboundary waters.
    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 activities proposed are 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 and amendment 
request to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific 
Advisors.

    Dated: April 19, 2002.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-10209 Filed 4-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S