[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 169 (Friday, August 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50330-50331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17320]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 081403A]


Marine Mammals; File No. 782-1708

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for amendment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS National Marine Mammal 
Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Bldg. 4, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 
(Principal Investigator: Dr. John Bengtson), has requested a major 
amendment to scientific research Permit No. 782-1708.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before October 1, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The amendment 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,

[[Page 50331]]

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
phone (301)713-2289; fax (301)427-2521; and
    Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone 
(907)586-7221; fax (907)586-7249.
    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, 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 amendment 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. 782-1708.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 782-1708 
is requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 
1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations 
governing the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    Permit No. 782-1708 , issued on August 28, 2003 (68 FR 53967), 
authorizes the permit holder to capture and harass northern fur seals 
(Callorhinus ursinus) of the eastern Pacific stock in Alaska during 
scientific research for: monitoring the status and trends of the 
population; evaluating the condition of animals from each cohort 
(health and strength of year-class); monitoring the seals' diet; and 
documenting the movement patterns, foraging behavior, and essential 
foraging habitat of various age and sex classes of fur seals. Seals may 
be captured, tagged, sampled and harassed during annual censuses. The 
information collected under this permit is related to assessing the 
recovery of this depleted species and for evaluating management 
actions. The permit holder now requests authorization to perform 
additional sampling procedures on animals already authorized for 
capture. The proposed amendment would not result in an increase in the 
number of northern fur seals captured and sampled, but would add the 
following procedures related to a vital rate study or identification of 
location of prey consumption events: flipper tagging all pups captured; 
extraction of a single tooth, under anesthesia, from all non-pups 
captured; and use of a stomach temperature telemeter/recorder on non-
pups captured.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that 
the activities proposed are consistent with the Preferred Alternative 
in the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Steller 
Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal Research (NMFS 2007), and that issuance 
of the permit amendment would not have a significant adverse impact on 
the human environment.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: August 27, 2007.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-17320 Filed 8-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S