[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 228 (Monday, November 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62559-62560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28543]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XT14


Endangered Species; File No. 1556

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

ACTION:  Notice; issuance of permit modification.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, USA (CNMI), Division of Fish and Wildlife, [Sylvan 
Igisomar, responsible official] P.O. Box 10007, Saipan, Mariana Islands 
96950 has been issued a modification to scientific research Permit No. 
1556-01.

ADDRESSES:  The modification and related documents are available for 
review 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) 713-0376; and
    Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, 
Honolulu, HI

[[Page 62560]]

96814-4700; phone (808) 944-2200; fax (808) 973-2941.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 2, 2009, notice was published 
in the Federal Register (74 FR 45421) that a modification of Permit No. 
1556 had been requested by the above-named organization. The requested 
modification has been granted 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).
    Permit No. 1556-01 authorizes the permit holder to perform sea 
turtle surveys in the waters of the Northern Mariana Islands, USA. The 
project consists of shoreline/cliff line assessments, in-water tow dive 
assessments, and the hand capture of sea turtles. Turtles are handled, 
measured, photographed, carapace painted, tissue-sampled, flipper 
tagged, passive integrated transponder tagged, and released. A subset 
of the turtles are satellite tagged. The applicant captures up to 100 
green and 40 hawksbill sea turtles annually. The permit is issued for 
five years.
    The modification authorizes the permit holder to change the field 
season from April-October to year round and add shell etching and oral 
examination to their list of procedures.
    Issuance of this modification, 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 or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: November 24, 2009.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-28543 Filed 11-27-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S