[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59525-59526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27677]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XR86


Endangered Species; File No. 14510

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

ACTION:  Notice; receipt of application.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science 
Center, 3333 North Torrey Pines Court, La Jolla, CA 92037-1023, has 
applied in due form for a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas), 
loggerhead (Caretta caretta), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and 
leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles for scientific research.

DATES:  Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before December 18, 2009.

ADDRESSES:  The application and related documents are available for 
review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the 
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species 
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File 
No. 14510 from the list of available applications. These documents are 
also 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
    Southwest 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 
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)713-0376, 
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. 14510.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 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).
    The purpose of the proposed research project is to initiate a 
baseline study of the status of sea turtles in the San Gabriel River 
and Alamitos Bay in Long Beach, California. Researchers would also 
opportunistically take samples and potentially track sea turtles 
incidentally taken in coastal power plants off California and that 
strand live in the marine environment. The applicant would study 
abundance, size ranges, growth, sex ratio, health status, diving 
behavior, local movements, habitat use, migration routes, and 
contaminant levels. Researchers would track the movements of healthy 
turtles released off the coast of California to determine their 
movements locally and/or offshore. Researchers would annually capture, 
measure, weigh, photograph/video, flipper tag, passive integrated 
transponder tag (PIT), tissue biopsy, blood sample, scute scrape, 
lavage, ultrasound, oral swab, cloacal swab, inject tetracycline, and 
release up to 35 green, six loggerhead, and six olive ridley sea 
turtles during captures as part of the San Gabriel and Los Alamitos Bay 
California project. Fifteen of the 35 green sea turtles would have a 
sonic transmitter attached, five of the green sea turtles would have a 
satellite transmitter attached, five would have a sonic transmitter and 
camera attached, and five would have a sonic transmitter and time depth 
recorder attached. One of the loggerhead sea turtles and two of the 
olive ridley sea turtles would also have a satellite transmitter 
attached.

[[Page 59526]]

    Researchers would also annually measure, weigh, photograph/video, 
flipper tag, PIT tag, tissue biopsy, blood sample, scute scrape, 
lavage, ultrasound, oral swab, cloacal swab, inject tetracycline, 
transport, and release up to ten green, one olive ridley, and three 
loggerhead sea turtles taken in power plant entrainments. Three of the 
loggerheads, the one olive ridley, and one of the loggerhead sea 
turtles would also have a satellite transmitter attached. Researchers 
would also have authority to salvage, necropsy, and sample animals that 
die as a result of entrainment.
    Researches would also annually measure, weigh, photograph/video, 
flipper tag, PIT tag, tissue biopsy, blood sample, scute scrape, 
lavage, ultrasound, oral swab, cloacal swab, transport, and release up 
to four green, one olive ridley, one loggerhead, and two leatherback 
sea turtles that strand in the marine environment. One of the green, 
the olive ridley, and the loggerhead would have a satellite transmitter 
attached. The leatherbacks would have a camera attached. Researchers 
would also have authority to authority to salvage, necropsy, and sample 
animals that die as a result of stranding. The applicant requests a 
five year permit.

    Dated: November 12, 2009.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-27677 Filed 11-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S