[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 136 (Friday, July 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34725-34726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17087]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

RIN 0648-XF79


Marine Mammals and Endangered Species; National Marine Fisheries 
Service File No. 932-1905; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service File No. MA-
009526

AGENCIES: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce; Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the NMFS Marine Mammal Health and 
Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP), Silver Spring, MD (Dr. Teri 
Rowles, Principal Investigator), has been issued a permit to conduct 
enhancement and research activities on marine mammals.

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) 713-0376; and
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Management Authority, 
4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA 22203 (1-800-358-
2104).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan or Kristy Beard, NMFS Office 
of Protected Resources, (301) 713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject 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.); the regulations governing the taking 
and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR parts 18 and 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 parts 17 and 222-226); and 
the Fur Seal Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    Permit No. 932-1905/MA-009526 authorizes the MMHSRP to: (1) Carry 
out response, rescue, rehabilitation, and release of threatened and 
endangered marine mammals under NMFS jurisdiction [Cetacea and 
Pinnipedia (excluding walrus)] under sections 109(h) and 112(c) and 
Title IV of the MMPA; and carry out such activities as enhancement 
under section 10 the ESA; (2) Conduct health-related scientific 
research studies on marine mammals and marine mammal parts under NMFS 
jurisdiction under section 104 of the MMPA and section 10 of the ESA; 
(3) Conduct Level B harassment on marine mammals under NMFS and U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) jurisdiction [West Indian manatee 
(Trichechus manatus), walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), polar bear (Ursus 
maritimus), and sea otters (Enhydra lutris)] incidental to all MMHSRP 
activities in the United States; (4) Collect, salvage, receive, 
possess, transfer, import, export, analyze, and curate marine mammal 
specimens under NMFS jurisdiction for purposes delineated in numbers 
(1) and (2) above; and (5) Salvage (from dead stranded animals), 
receive, possess, transfer, import, export, analyze, and curate marine 
mammal specimens under USFWS jurisdiction [including dugong and 
manatees (Sirenia), walrus, polar bear, marine otter (Lontra felina), 
sea otter] for purposes consistent with Title IV of the MMPA and 
section 10 of the ESA. The permit has been issued for a 5-year period.
    The NMFS MMHSRP has prepared a Final Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement (FPEIS) in compliance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321et seq.), which covers the entirety 
of the MMHSRP program's activities, including those covered by the 
issued permit. The FPEIS was published on March 6, 2009 (74 FR 9817). 
The ROD was signed on April 21, 2009. The FPEIS is available on the 
following web site: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm.
    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 species; and (3) is 
consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the 
ESA.


[[Page 34726]]


    Dated: July 10, 2009.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
    Dated: July 10, 2009.
Timothy J. Van Norman,
Chief, Branch of Permits, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E9-17087 Filed 7-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S