[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 150 (Monday, August 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43664-43665]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15178]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978; Public Law 95-541

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Applications Received under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 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 September 5, 2007. 
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

[[Page 43665]]

designate Antarctic Specially Protected Areas.
    The applications received are as follows:
    Permit Application No.: 2008-007.
    1. Applicant: Sam Feola, Director, Raytheon Polar Services Company, 
7400 S. Tucson Way, Centennial, CO 80112.
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Enter an Antarctic 
Specially Protected Area (ASPA). The applicant plans to enter the Cape 
Hallett (ASPA 106), Cape Royds (ASPA 121), Barwick and Balham Valleys 
(ASPA 123), Cape Crozer (ASPA 124), Northwest White Island (ASPA 137), 
and, Linnaeus Terrace (ASPA 138) to: Gather up-to-date information on 
site status and on any installations or facilities; verify that the 
values being protected are being maintained; verify that the management 
measures in place are sufficient to provide protection; and recommend 
any management measures that may be necessary to maintain the values 
being protected. Article 6.3 of Annex V to the Madrid Protocol requires 
``A review of a (ASPA) Management Plan shall be initiated at least 
every five years.'' Updating of the ASPA management plan is the 
responsibility of the country that originally proposed the site, as in 
this case, the United States.
    Location: Cape Hallett (ASPA 106), Cape Royds (ASPA 121), Barwick 
and Balham Valleys (ASPA 123), Cape Crozer (ASPA 124), Northwest White 
Island (ASPA 137), and, Linnaeus Terrace (ASPA 138).
    Dates: October 1, 2007 to August 31, 2010.
    Permit Application No.: 2008-008.
    2. Applicant: Rennie S. Holt, Director, U.S. AMLR Program, 
Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92038.
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take and enter an Antarctic 
Specially Protected Area (ASPA). The applicant proposes to enter Cape 
Shirreff (ASPA 149) to collect blood samples from 30 adult Gentoo and 
Chinstrap penguins each. In addition, time depth recorders (TDRs) and 
satellite tags (PTT) will be attached to the penguins to study the 
foraging ecology and diets of the penguins. The applicant also plans to 
collect DNA samples from 50 Antarctic Fur seals flippers. These samples 
will be used to estimate probability of full sib-half sib for 
successive matings of individual females and will provide information 
on female choice and degree of site fidelity in breeding. Finally, the 
applicant would like to annually salvage up to 3 adult females and five 
pups of Antarctic Fur seals due to accidental mortality. Also the 
applicant would like to annually salvage up to 2 Leopard seals of any 
age class due to accidental mortality. Salvage animals will be used for 
study back at the home institution.
    Location: Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island (ASPA 149).
    Dates: November 1, 2007 to April 30, 2011.
    Permit Application No.: 2008-009.
    3. Applicant: Sam Feola, Director, Raytheon Polar Services Company, 
7400 S. Tucson Way, Centennial, CO 80112.
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Enter an Antarctic 
Specially Protected Areas. The applicant proposes to enter the Byers 
Peninsula, Livingston Island Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 126 
to establish, resupply, transport personnel, and tear down a temporary 
scientific field camp. Paleontological field work will be conducted at 
the site under separate permit. Access to the site will be via zodiac 
from the scientific vessel, ARSV Laurence M. Gould.
    Location: Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island (ASPA 126).
    Dates: 20 November 2007 to December 31, 2008.
    Permit Application No.: 2008-010.
    4. Applicant: David Caron, Department of Biological Sciences, 
University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF 301, Los 
Angeles, CA 90089.
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Introduce non-indigenous 
species into Antarctica. The applicant proposes to bring genetically 
engineered E. coli cells for the creation of gene clone libraries. The 
cells are provided as part of the cloning kits to be used in 
experiments onboard the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer. At no time will cells 
be released into the environment and any remnants of cells and 
equipment that comes in contact with the cells are disposed 
appropriately as Biohazard.
    Location: Ross Sea, Antarctica.
    Dates: December 1, 2007 to March 14, 2008.
    Permit Application No.: 2008-011.
    5. Applicant: Sam Feola, Director, Raytheon Polar Services Company, 
7400 S. Tucson Way, Centennial, CO 80112.
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Introduce non-indigenous 
species into Antarctica. The applicant proposes to import commercially 
available bacterial host cell, Escherichia coli, for experimental use 
at the McMurdo Station Crary Lab. The experimental purpose is to 
generate clones of genes and gene fragments. Unused bacterial clones 
will be destroyed by autoclaving the liquid culture or agar plates. All 
laboratory plastic and glass ware used in the cloning and culturing 
process will be autoclaved.
    Location: McMurdo Station, Crary Science and Engineering 
Laboratory.
    Dates: October 1, 2007 to April 1, 2010.
    Permit Application No.: 2008-012.
    6. Applicant: Arthur L. DeVries, Department of Animal Biology, 
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801.
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Enter and Antarctic 
Specially Protected Area. The applicant proposes to collect 
Notothenioid fishes by light Otter trawls or fish traps. Fishing will 
be done in the Eastern Dallmann Bay (ASPA 153) and Western Bransfield 
Strait (ASPA 152) areas. Tissues and blood collections are needed for 
quantification of the amount of antifreeze glycoprotein that is 
circulated in their circulatory space. Spleen and liver tissues are 
also needed for isolating genomic DNS and messenger RNA to investigate 
the size and organization of the antifreeze glycoprotein genome, and to 
determine in what tissues the antifreeze glycoprotein is expressed.
    Location: Eastern Dallmann Bay (ASPA 153) and Western Bransfield 
Strait (ASPA 152), Antarctic Peninsula.
    Dates: June 15, 2008 to October 15, 2008.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
 [FR Doc. E7-15178 Filed 8-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P