[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 121 (Thursday, June 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36934-36935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15719]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-IA-2011-N127; 96300-1671-0000-P5]


Endangered Species; Marine Mammals; Receipt of Applications for 
Permit

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications for permit.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to 
comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities 
with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. With some exceptions, 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act 
(MMPA) prohibits activities with listed species unless a Federal permit 
is issued that allows such activities. Both laws require that we invite 
public comment before issuing these permits.

DATES: We must receive comments or requests for documents on or before 
July 25, 2011. We must receive requests for marine mammal permit public 
hearings, in writing, at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section by 
July 25, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Brenda Tapia, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA 
22203; fax (703) 358-2280; or e-mail [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Tapia, (703) 358-2104 
(telephone); (703) 358-2280 (fax); [email protected] (e-mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Comment Procedures

A. How Do I Request Copies of Applications or Comment on Submitted 
Applications?

    Send your request for copies of applications or comments and 
materials concerning any of the applications to the contact listed 
under ADDRESSES. Please include the Federal Register notice publication 
date, the PRT-number, and the name of the applicant in your request or 
submission. We will not consider requests or comments sent to an e-mail 
or address not listed under ADDRESSES. If you provide an e-mail address 
in your request for copies of applications, we will attempt to respond 
to your request electronically.
    Please make your requests or comments as specific as possible. 
Please confine your comments to issues for which we seek comments in 
this notice, and explain the basis for your comments. Include 
sufficient information with your comments to allow us to authenticate 
any scientific or commercial data you include.
    The comments and recommendations that will be most useful and 
likely to influence agency decisions are: (1) Those supported by 
quantitative information or studies; and (2) Those that include 
citations to, and analyses of, the applicable laws and regulations. We 
will not consider or include in our administrative record comments we 
receive after the close of the comment period (see DATES) or comments 
delivered to an address other than those listed above (see ADDRESSES).

B. May I review comments submitted by others?

    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the address listed under ADDRESSES. 
The public may review documents and other information applicants have 
sent in support of the application unless our allowing viewing would 
violate the Privacy Act or Freedom of Information Act. Before including 
your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your 
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

II. Background

    To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected 
species, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, section 10(a)(1)(A), as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and our regulations in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR Part 17, the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and our 
regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR Part 18 
require that we invite public comment before final action on these 
permit applications. Under the MMPA, you may request a hearing on any 
MMPA application received. If you request a hearing, give specific 
reasons why a hearing would be appropriate. The holding of such a 
hearing is at the discretion of the Service Director.

III. Permit Applications

A. Endangered Species

Applicant: Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, MO; PRT--42831A
    The applicant requests a permit to import biological samples of 
Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mediculus), Galapagos hawk (Buteo 
galapagoensis) and medium tree finch (Camarhynchus pauper) for disease 
and health evaluation for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of 
the species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Feld Entertainment Inc., Vienna, VA; PRT-37444A
    The applicant requests a permit to import for the purpose of 
enhancement of the species through conservation education, one African 
leopard (Panthera pardus), one Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris 
altaica), and 6 tigers (Panthera tigris). The captive-born animals are 
being imported from Schweiberdingen, Germany in cooperation with 
Alexander Lacey.
Multiple Applicants
    The following applicants each request a permit to import the sport-
hunted

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trophy of one male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from 
a captive herd maintained under the management program of the Republic 
of South Africa, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the 
species.
Applicant: Michael DeRouen, Beaumont, TX; PRT-37076A
Applicant: Leonard Smith, N. Myrtle Beach, SC; PRT-45363A

B. Endangered Marine Mammals and Marine Mammals

Applicant: Tom Smith, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT; PRT-225854
    The applicant requests an amendment to the permit to authorize 
harassment of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) by adjusting the video 
camera equipment and conducting aerial surveys using FLIR (forward 
looking infrared) and ground-truth surveys with snowmobiles near dens 
for the purpose of scientific research. This notification covers 
activities to be conducted by the applicant over the remainder of the 
5-year period of the permit.
Applicant: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 
Anchorage, AK; PRT-039386
    The applicant requests an amendment and renewal of the permit to 
take up to 6000 walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) annually by biopsy darting 
and up to 50 walrus annually for tagging; to collect unlimited number 
of specimens from dead animals; to conduct aerial surveys; and to 
import unlimited number of biological specimens for the purpose of 
scientific research. This notification covers activities to be 
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
    Concurrent with publishing this notice in the Federal Register, we 
are forwarding copies of the above applications to the Marine Mammal 
Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisors for their review.

Brenda Tapia,
Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch of Permits, Division of 
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2011-15719 Filed 6-22-11; 8:45 am]
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