[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 231 (Monday, December 1, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72774-72775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28467]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XK23


Marine Mammals; File No. 10028

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan 
Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355 (Dr. Lisa Mazzaro, Principal Investigator) 
has been issued a permit to obtain stranded, releasable pinnipeds (up 
to eight otariids and 20 phocids) from the National Marine Mammal 
Stranding Response Program for the purposes of public display.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review

[[Page 72775]]

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.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 17, 2007, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (72 FR 46212) that a request for a public display 
permit to obtain releasable rehabilitated pinnipeds (a maximum of eight 
otariids and 20 phocids) had been submitted by the above-named 
organization. Up to six females and two males of each of the following 
species are requested to be obtained from cooperating rehabilitation 
centers for the purposes of public display at Mystic Aquarium: 
California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), harbor seal (Phoca 
vitulina), gray seal (Halichoerus grypus), harp seal (Phoca 
groenlandica) and hooded seal (Cystophora cristata). The requested 
permit has been issued 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).
    The NOAA environmental review procedure provides that public 
display permits are generally categorically excluded from the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) 
requirements to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) or 
environmental impact statement (EIS). However, because of the public 
interest and comments on this application during the public comment 
period, NMFS determined that an EA was warranted. An EA was prepared on 
the issuance of the proposed permit, resulting in a finding of no 
significant impact.

    Dated: November 24, 2008.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-28467 Filed 11-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S