[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 53 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13256-13257]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6084]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XV28


Endangered Species; File No. 14176

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 the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service (USFWS), Maryland Fishery Resources Office, 177 
Admiral Cochrane Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401 (Michael Mangold, 
Responsible Party), has applied in due form for a permit to take 
shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) for purposes of scientific 
research.

DATES:  Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before April 19, 2010.

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. 14176 from the list of available applications. The application 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
     Northeast Region, NMFS, Protected Resources Division, 55 
Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; phone (978) 281-9328; fax 
(978) 281-9394.

[[Page 13257]]

    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. 14176.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Malcolm Mohead 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 applicant is seeking a five year permit to assess biological 
and life history information on shortnose sturgeon in the Potomac 
River. Primary objectives of the study would be: (1) capturing and 
tracking acoustically tagged sturgeon to determine seasonal movements, 
habitat selection, spawning success and spawning periodicity; and (2) 
characterizing the genetics of Potomac River shortnose sturgeon. To 
accomplish these goals, up to 30 fish annually would be non-lethally 
sampled with gill nets, measured, weighed, PIT and Floy tagged, and 
tissue sampled. Of these, up to 10 adult shortnose sturgeon each year 
would be acoustically tagged five internally and five externally and 
released. Additionally, researchers propose to use D-nets to collect up 
to 20 shortnose sturgeon in early life stages annually to estimate 
spawning success and periodicity.

    Dated: March 15, 2010.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-6084 Filed 3-18-10; 8:45 am]
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