[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 33476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-13919]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminisration

[I.D. 052803D]


Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals 
Incidental to Rocket Launches

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

ACTION: Notice of issuance of a letter of authorization.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as 
amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given 
that an authorization for June 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003 to 
take small numbers of seals and sea lions has been issued to the 30th 
Space Wing, U.S. Air Force.

ADDRESSES: The letter of authorization and supporting documentation are 
available for review during regular business hours in the following 
offices: Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910, and the Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean 
Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Skrupky, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, (301) 713-2322, or Christina Fahy, NMFS, (562) 980-
4023.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) directs 
NMFS to allow, on request, the incidental, but not intentional, taking 
of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a 
specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified 
geographical region if certain findings are made and regulations are 
issued. Under the MMPA, the term ``taking'' means to harass, hunt, 
capture, or kill or to attempt to harass, hunt, capture or kill marine 
mammals.
    Permission may be granted for periods up to 5 years if NMFS finds, 
after notification and opportunity for public comment, that the taking 
will have a negligible impact on the species or stock(s) of marine 
mammals and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the 
availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses. In 
addition, NMFS must prescribe regulations that include permissible 
methods of taking and other means effecting the least practicable 
adverse impact on the species and its habitat and on the availability 
of the species for subsistence uses, paying particular attention to 
rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar significance. The 
regulations must include requirements pertaining to the monitoring and 
reporting of such taking. Regulations governing the taking of seals and 
sea lions incidental to missile and rocket launches, aircraft flight 
test operations, and helicopter operations at Vandenberg Air Force 
Base, CA were published on March 1, 1999 (64 FR 9925), and remain in 
effect until December 31, 2003.
    Issuance of this letter of authorization is based on a finding that 
the total takings will have no more than a negligible impact on the 
seal and sea lion populations off the Vandenberg coast and on the 
Northern Channel Islands.

    Dated: May 28, 2003.
Laurie K. Allen,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service
[FR Doc. 03-13919 Filed 6-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S