[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 40 (Monday, March 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9596-9597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4515]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 021804A]


Endangered Species; Permit File No. 1260

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

ACTION:  Receipt of application for modification.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that the NMFS, Southeast Region, 9721 
Executive Center Drive, North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33702-2449, has 
requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 1260.

DATES:  Written comments or requests for a public hearing must be 
received on or before March 31, 2004.

ADDRESSES:  The modification request and related documents are 
available for review upon written request or by appointment in the 
following offices:
    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; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. 
Petersburg, FL 33702-2432; phone (727)570-5301; fax (727)570-5320.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing must be submitted 
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 
modification request would be appropriate.
    Comments may be submitted by facsimile to (301)713-0376, provided 
the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and 
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period. They 
may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for providing e-
mail comments is [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: File No. 1260 
Modification.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Patrick Opay, (301)713-1401 or Ruth 
Johnson, (301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject modification request to Permit 
No. 1260, issued on June 29, 2001 (66 FR 34621) is requested under the 
authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.) and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and 
exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 222-226).
    Permit No. 1260 authorizes the permit holder to take loggerhead 
(Caretta caretta), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Kemp's ridley 
(Lepidochelys kempii), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), green 
(Chelonia mydas) and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea

[[Page 9597]]

turtles for scientific research. The permit holder requests 
authorization to increase the number of sea turtles that can be sampled 
after they are incidentally captured during separately authorized 
trawl, bottom longline and pelagic longline resource assessment 
cruises. The permit holder proposes to take an additional 14 loggerhead 
and six Kemp's ridley sea turtles and also requests authorization to 
take nine leatherback, six green and six hawksbill sea turtles during 
the cruises. The applicant proposes to handle, flipper tag, measure and 
release all turtles associated with these cruises. None of the 
activities authorized under this modification are expected to result in 
mortality. The research will be conducted in waters of the Atlantic 
Ocean and Gulf of Mexico during the remainder of the permit which 
expires June 30, 2006.

    Dated: February 20, 2004.
Carrie W. Hubard,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-4515 Filed 2-27-04; 8:45 am]
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