[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 248 (Friday, December 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 73766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-25249]



[[Page 73766]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE63


Endangered Species and Marine Mammals; File No. 10014

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the New Jersey Department of 
Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Division of Science, Research and 
Technology, P.O. Box 409, Trenton, NJ 08625-0409 has been issued a 
permit to take marine mammals and sea turtles for purposes of 
scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    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)281-9300; fax (978)281-9394.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 16, 2007, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (72 FR 38825) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take sea turtle and marine mammals species had been 
submitted by the above-named organization. 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), 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).
    The permit authorizes the permit holder to conduct research to 
elucidate the distribution and abundance of baleen whales, odontocete 
whales, pinnipeds, and sea turtles. Research will include take by 
survey approach during shipboard and aircraft transect surveys. The 
study area includes U.S. waters offshore of New Jersey out to a 
distance of 20 nautical miles. The permit is issued for five years.
    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 such endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: December 20, 2007.
Patrick Opay,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-25249 Filed 12-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S