[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9810-9811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4611]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 021904A]


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 a 1-year letter of authorization (LOA) has been issued to the 30th 
Space Wing, U.S. Air Force to harass seals and sea lions incidental to 
rocket and missile launches on Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), 
California. The LOA was issued on February 25, 2004.

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 Monica DeAngelis, NMFS, (562) 980-
4023.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 February 06, 2004 (69 FR 5720), and remain 
in effect until February 06, 2009.
    Issuance of this letter of authorization is based on a finding, 
made in the final rulemaking, that the total takings will have no more 
than a negligible impact on the seal and sea lion populations off

[[Page 9811]]

the Vandenberg coast and on the Northern Channel Islands.

    Dated: February 25, 2004.
Laurie K. Allen,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 04-4611 Filed 3-1-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S