[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 111 (Thursday, June 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33703-33704]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14333]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA484


Endangered Species; Permit No. 16439

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 New York State Department of 
Environmental Conservation, 21 South Putt Corners Rd., New Paltz, NY 
12561 [Responsible Party: Kathryn Hattala] has applied in due form to 
take shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) for purposes of 
scientific research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before July 11, 2011.

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. 16439 from the list of available applications.
    These documents are available 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, 55 Great Republic Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930; phone (978) 281-9328; fax (978) 281-9394.
    Written comments on this application should be submitted to the 
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division.
     By e-mail to [email protected] (include the File 
No. in the subject line)
     By facsimile to (301) 713-0376, or
     At the address listed above.
    Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a 
written request to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 
Division at the address listed above. The request should set forth the 
specific reasons why a hearing on this application would be 
appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Malcolm Mohead or Colette Cairns, 
(301) 713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the

[[Page 33704]]

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 proposes a five-year scientific research permit 
characterizing the habitat use, population abundance, reproduction, 
juvenile recruitment, age and growth, temporal and spatial 
distribution, diet selectivity, and contaminant load of shortnose 
sturgeon captured from the Hudson River Estuary from New York Harbor to 
Troy Dam. Anchored and drift gill nets and trawl nets would be used to 
capture up to 240 and 2,340 shortnose sturgeon in year one through 
three and year four and five, respectively. Other research activities 
would include: measuring, weighing; tagging unmarked individuals with 
passive integrated transponder tags, and dart tags; and genetic tissue 
sampling. A first subset of fish would be anesthetized and tagged with 
acoustic transmitters; a second subset would have fin rays sampled for 
ageing; and a third subset of fish would be gastrically lavaged for 
diet analysis, as well as have blood samples taken for contaminant 
testing. A total of nine unintended mortalities are requested over the 
life of the permit.

    Dated: June 3, 2011.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-14333 Filed 6-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P