[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 110 (Monday, June 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 34421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14422]


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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, Pub. L. 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 this permit application by July 9, 2003. This 
application 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. 95-541), as amended 
by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has 
developed regulations for the 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 Antarctic Specially 
Protected Areas.
    The applications received are as follows:
    1. Applicant--
Peter Doran, Earth and Environmental Sciences (MC 186), University of 
Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Take and Import Into the United States. Last season, as part of the 
McMurdo Dry Valley Long Term Ecological Research project, the applicant 
collected sediment cores from the lakes in the Taylor Valley to 
determine the paleoenvironment and legacy in the current ecosystem. 
Data from the lake water suggest that while most of the lakes have 
retained their ice covers for thousands of years, the East Lobe of Lake 
Bonney may have only formed a perennial ice cover in the 200 years. All 
the Taylor Valley lakes have dead seal and penguin remains on their ice 
surfaces. They remain on the surface because they are too big for the 
sun to melt them significantly into the ice. Therefore, establishing 
the time since these animals died will determine the minimum age of the 
lake ice covers. The applicant proposes to collect samples (1-5 gm) of 
bone or soft tissue from the most decayed penguin and seal carcasses on 
the lake surfaces. These samples will be returned to the United States 
for further study. It has been established that a carbon reservoir 
correction of [tilde] 1200 years should yield reasonable radiocarbon 
ages for these animals.

Location

    Lake Bonney, Taylor Valley.

Dates

    November 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 03-14422 Filed 6-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M