[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 203 (Friday, October 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61959-61960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17583]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 101306E]


Endangered Species; File No. 1557

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for modification

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Molly Lutcavage, Department of 
Zoology, 177 A Spaulding Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 
03824-2617, has requested a modification to scientific research Permit 
No. 1557.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before November 20, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The modification request 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
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727)824-5312; fax (727)824-5309.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this request 
should be submitted to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 
Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources,

[[Page 61960]]

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 also be submitted by facsimile at (301)427-2521, 
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and 
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period.
    Comments 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. 1557.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Opay or Kate Swails, (301)713-
2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject modification to Permit No. 1557, 
issued on June 21, 2006 (71 FR 36520) 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. 1557 authorizes the permit holder to investigate 
leatherback sea turtle regional behavior and movements in near-shore 
waters off the northeastern United States and to identify their 
dispersal in relation to oceanographic conditions and fishing 
activities. The research will also help establish baseline health 
assessments, genetic identities, sex ratios, and stable isotope 
composition of leatherback sea turtle tissues and prey. Researchers are 
authorized to conduct research on up to 12 leatherback sea turtles 
annually that have been disentangled from fishing gear by the stranding 
network or that researchers have captured using a breakaway hoop net. 
Turtles are measured, weighed, photographed and video taped, flipper 
and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagged, blood sampled, cloacal 
swabbed, nasal swabbed, skin sampled, tagged with electronic 
instruments (e.g., satellite transmitters), and released. The research 
permit was issued for 5 years. The permit holder currently conducts 
research in waters off Cape Cod, Buzzard's Bay, Nantucket Sound, 
Vineyard Sound, and Atlantic waters off Monomoy Island and requests 
authorization also work in the area between Cape Canaveral, Florida to 
Savannah, Georgia. The permit holder currently conducts research June 
to October and requests
    authorization to conduct research during February and March as 
well. No increase in take numbers is requested and all other aspects of 
the research would remain the same.

    Dated: October 16, 2006.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-17583 Filed 10-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S