[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 249 (Monday, December 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 74274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-25404]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE70


Marine Mammals; File No. 10091

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Alaska Department of Fish and 
Game, 1255 West 8\th\ Street, Juneau, AK, 99811 (Doug Larsen, 
Responsible Party), has applied in due form for a permit to collect, 
receive, and import marine mammal specimens for scientific research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before January 30, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The application 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
    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 
application should be mailed 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 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. 10091.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the regulations governing the taking and 
importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216), the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the regulations 
governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and 
threatened species (50 CFR 222-226), and the Fur Seal Act of 1966, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    The applicant proposes to collect, receive, possess, import, and 
export marine mammal biological specimens (hard and soft parts) from 
pinnipeds (excluding walrus) and cetaceans to obtain information on 
population status and distribution, stock structure, age distribution, 
mortality rates, productivity, feeding habits, and health that can be 
used for conservation and management purposes. Specimens would be taken 
from dead animals (beach-cast, subsistence-hunted, or dead incidental 
to fisheries) or from live animals handled by researchers under 
different research permits. No takes from live animals are requested 
under this permit. The applicant has requested an unlimited number of 
specimens from less than 1,000 pinnipeds and 500 cetaceans annually. 
The geographic location for the collection activities would include all 
coastal areas and open waters of Alaska, including the North Pacific 
Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea. 
Specimens may be imported and exported world-wide to various 
laboratories and museums for research and curation. The requested 
duration of the permit is five years.
    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 activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
    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: December 21, 2007.
Kate Swails,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-25404 Filed 12-28-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S