[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14656-14657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5749]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 020905A]


Endangered Species; File No. 1449

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Christine A. Tomichek, 
Kleinschmidt Associates, Kleinschmidt Building, 35 Pratt Street, Essex, 
Connecticut, 06426, has been issued a permit to take shortnose sturgeon 
(Acipenser brevirostrum) for purposes of scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following office(s):
    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) 427-2521; and
    Northeast Region, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-
2298; phone (978) 281-9200; fax (978) 281-9371.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Jefferies or Amy Sloan, 
(301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 18, 2004, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (69 FR 51267) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take shortnose sturgeon had been submitted by the 
above-named individual. The requested permit has been issued under the 
authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the regulations governing the taking, 
importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 
parts 222-226).
    Ms. Tomichek is authorized to conduct three projects. In the first 
project, 30 captively bred juvenile sturgeon will be externally radio 
tagged, released into the canal, tracked and recaptured after exiting 
the canal. In the second project, 50 adult sturgeon will be captured 
annually for four years via trawls and gillnets, measured, weighed, a 
subset of 20 PIT tagged and externally radio tagged, released and 
tracked. In the third project, 200 eggs and larvae will be captured via 
D-nets and preserved to evaluate spawning behavior. This permit is 
authorized for five years.

[[Page 14657]]

    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an environmental assessment was prepared 
analyzing the effects of the permitted activities. After a Finding of 
No Significant Impact, the determination was made that it was not 
necessary to prepare an environmental impact statement.
    Issuance of this permit, as required by the ESA, was based on a 
finding that such permit (1) was applied for in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of the endangered species which is the 
subject of this permit, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and 
policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: March14, 2005.
Steve L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-5749 Filed 3-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S