[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 28 (Monday, February 11, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 7715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2489]



[[Page 7715]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD61


Marine Mammals; File No. 10080

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr. Kathryn A. Ono, Department of 
Biological Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, has 
requested a major amendment to Permit No. 10080 for research on marine 
mammals.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before March 12, 2008.

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, 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.
    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. 10080.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The amendment is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended 
(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations governing the 
taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    Permit No. 10080, issued on December 18, 2007 (72 FR 72996) and 
valid through December 31, 2012, authorizes research to examine 
expanding populations of the Western North Atlantic stocks of harbor 
seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) in 
the Gulf of Maine. In addition to capture and sampling activities, the 
permit authorizes harassment of up to 1000 gray seals annually 
incidental to boat approaches to seals on haul outs. In consideration 
of the increasing size of this population, the applicant has requested 
an increase in the number of seals that may be harassed by this 
activity: up to 2000 annually.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NMFS has initially determined that issuance 
of the proposed permit is consistent with a category of activities 
identified in NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 that do not individually 
or cumulatively have the potential to pose significant impacts on the 
quality of the human environment and are therefore exempted from 
further environmental review and requirements to prepare environmental 
review documents.
    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: February 5, 2008.
Tammy C Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-2489 Filed 2-8-08; 8:45 am]
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