[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 132 (Monday, July 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 39665]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16920]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XR52


Marine Mammals; File No. 14534

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

ACTION:  Notice; issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NOAA Office of Science and 
Technology, Silver Spring, MD (Responsible Party: Ned Cyr, Director) 
has been issued a permit to conduct research on marine mammals in the 
North Pacific Ocean.

ADDRESSES:  The permit 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
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax (562)980-4018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Tammy Adams or Carrie Hubard, 
(301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 11, 2009, notice was published 
in the Federal Register (74 FR 46745) that a request for a permit to 
conduct research on a variety of marine mammals had been submitted by 
the above-named applicant. The requested permit has been issued under 
the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended 
(16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the regulations governing the taking and 
importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216), 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 parts 222-226).
    The permit allows research on a variety of marine mammals, and 
involves studies of sound production, diving, responses to sound, and 
other behavior. The research is focused in the waters within the U.S. 
Navy's Southern California Range Complex, and primarily near the 
vicinity of San Clemente Island. The experimental design involves 
temporarily attaching individual recording tags to measure 
vocalization, behavior, and physiological parameters as well as sound 
exposure. Behavior will be measured before, during, and after carefully 
controlled exposures of sound in conventional playback experiments. The 
permit is valid for five years from the date of issuance.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an environmental assessment (EA) was prepared 
analyzing the effects of the permitted activities on the human 
environment. Based on the analyses in the EA, NMFS determined that 
issuance of the permit would not significantly impact the quality of 
the human environment and that preparation of an environmental impact 
statement was not required. That determination is documented in a 
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), signed on June 29, 2010.
    As required by the ESA, issuance of this permit 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.

    Dated: July 6, 2010.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-16920 Filed 7-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S