[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 12, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 40560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-19334]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 218

[Docket No. 0906101030-91038-01]
RIN 0648-AX88


Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Navy Training Activities 
Conducted within the Northwest Training Range Complex

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

ACTION:  Notice; proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY:  On July 13, 2009, the NMFS published its proposed regulations 
to govern the take marine mammals incidental to training activities 
conducted within the U.S. Navy's Northwest Training Range Complex 
(NWTRC) for the period of February 2010 through February 2015. The 
Federal Register notice indicated written comments were due by August 
12, 2009, allowing 30 days for public input. In response to a request 
from a public interest organization, NMFS is extending the public 
comment period by 7 days, to August 19, 2009.

DATES: The public comment period for this action has been extended from 
August 12 to August 19, 2009. Written comments and information must be 
received no later than August 19, 2009.

ADDRESSES:  You may submit comments, identified by 0648-AX88, by any 
one of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov
     Hand delivery or mailing of paper, disk, or CD-ROM 
comments should be addressed to Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, 
Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910-3225.
    Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record 
and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without 
change. All Personal Identifying Information (e.g., name, address, 
etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required 
fields if you wish to remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or 
Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Jolie Harrison, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, 301-713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 3, 2009, NMFS received a request 
from Friends of the Earth, a non-profit environmental advocacy 
organization, requesting a 30-day extension of the comment period on 
the NWTRC proposed rule. NMFS has considered this request along with 
the critical military readiness training needs of the Navy and the need 
for timely MMPA compliance and will provide an additional seven days 
for public comment. Further postponement of the MMPA authorization 
process and the establishment of the necessary protective measures 
would risk a delay in the Navy's critical military readiness training.
    Moreover, the public has had numerous opportunities to comment on 
the Navy's proposed action and potential environmental consequences 
through the National Environmental Policy Act process [Northwest 
Training Range Complex Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas 
Environmental Impact Statement, December 2008 (DEIS)]. The activities 
and potential environmental effects described in NMFS' NWTRC proposed 
rule are similar to, if not identical to, those considered in the 
Navy's DEIS. In particular, the public comment period for the DEIS was 
extended twice, providing a total of 105 days for public review, and 
several public meetings were added.
    Background information concerning the proposed regulations can be 
found in the July 13, 2009 Federal Register notice (74 FR 33828), and 
is not repeated here. For additional information regarding the proposed 
regulations and the Navy's associated Environmental Impact Statement, 
please visit NMFS' website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental.htm#applications

    Dated: August 6, 2009.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Division of Permits, Conservation, and Education, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-19334 Filed 8-11-09; 8:45 am]
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