[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 117 (Friday, June 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35410-35411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15134]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA369


Marine Mammals; File No. 14326

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a major amendment to Permit No. 
14326 has been issued to NMFS National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 
Seattle, WA.

ADDRESSES: The permit amendment 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 Alaska Region, 
NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone (907) 586-7221; fax 
(907) 586-7249.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 18, 2011, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (76 FR 21703) that a request for an amendment to 
Permit No. 14326 to conduct research on Steller sea lions (Eumetopias 
jubatus) in the North Pacific Ocean, including rookeries and haulouts 
in CA, OR, WA, and AK, had

[[Page 35411]]

been submitted by the above-named applicant. The requested permit 
amendment 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 amendment grants authorization for the following in AK: (1) 
Double the number of non-pup sea lions surveyed to accommodate one 
winter aerial survey of the Aleutian Islands per year; (2) shift some 
resight effort from the non-breeding season (August-May) to the 
breeding season (June-July) with increased potential disturbance for 
June-July and for August-May; (3) visit additional sites to supplement 
aerial surveys if logistics prevent aircraft access to sites with 
increased potential disturbance; (4) permanently mark (hot-brand) 
additional pups annually at rookeries in the Aleutian Islands (west of 
170[deg] W) in 2011 and 2013; and (5) for a subset of pups handled for 
permanent marking, add collection of blubber biopsies for fatty acid 
and toxicology analyses; collection of fecal loops for determination of 
parasites, disease, and hormone concentrations; collection of milk by 
stomach lavage; pulling a vibrissae; and external ultrasound. The 
amendment also includes authorization for the following in CA, OR, and 
WA: (1) Increase the number of aerial surveys flown per year from 4 to 
12; (2) increase the number of vessel surveys that may occur at any one 
site per year (depending on funding, staffing, vessel availability, 
weather) from 12 to 24; and (3) increase the number of ground surveys 
that may occur at any one site per year (depending on funding, 
staffing, vessel availability, weather) from 5 to 24.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NMFS has determined that the activities 
proposed are consistent with the Preferred Alternative in the Final 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Steller Sea Lion and 
Northern Fur Seal Research (NMFS 2007), and that issuance of the permit 
would not have a significant adverse impact on the human environment.
    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: June 13, 2011.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-15134 Filed 6-16-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P