[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 22517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11186]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XP15


Endangered Species; File No. 1596-02

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

ACTION:  Notice; receipt of application for modification

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science 
Center (SWFSC), 3333 N. Torry Pines Ct., La Jolla, CA 92037, has 
requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 1596-01.

DATES:  Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before June 12, 2009.

ADDRESSES:  The modification request 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; 
andSouthwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018.
    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 modification 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. 1596-02.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject modification to Permit No. 1596-
01, issued on August 21, 2008, is requested under the authority of the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and 
the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 222-226).
    Permit No. 1596-01 authorizes the permit holder to capture, 
measure, weigh, blood and tissue sample, photograph, flipper and PIT 
tag, satellite tag, and attach a VHF/TDR/sonic tag/video system to 
leatherback sea turtles during research activities conducted off the 
western coast of the continental United States. The permit holder 
requests authorization to annually fat biopsy and ultrasound up to 38 
leatherback sea turtles as part of a health and nutritional assessment 
of this species. The permit holder also requests authority to close 
approach and attach VHR/TDR/sonic tag/GPS/video camera units by suction 
cup on up to 20 leatherback sea turtles annually, and to later capture 
the same animals to remove the unit and then sample, tag, and attach 
another VHR/TDR/sonic tag/GPS/video camera unit to the animals before 
release. Additionally, the permit holder requests authorization to 
annually attach a VHR/TDR/sonic tag/GPS unit and tissue sample 20 
leatherback sea turtles using a biopsy pole. The permit currently 
authorizes researchers to attach the unit or tissue sample 20 animals, 
not both. The number of leatherback sea turtles captured would not 
increase under the modification, but the mix of activities conducted on 
each animal would. The research would continue to occur in waters off 
the coast of the western United States through February 1, 2012.

    Dated: May 5, 2009.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-11186 Filed 5-12-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S