[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 130 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 39905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-16944]





[[Page 39905]]



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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION




Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 

Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541)



AGENCY: National Science Foundation.



ACTION: Notice of Permit Applications Received under the Antarctic 

Conservation Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95-541.



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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish 

notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated 

under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published 

regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title 45 Part 670 

of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of 

permit applications received.



DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 

or views with respect to this permit application by August 8, 2011. 

This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 

Office, address below.



ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 

Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 

Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nadene G. Kennedy at the above address 

or (703) 292-7405.



SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 

by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541), as amended 

by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has 

developed regulations for the establishment of a permit system for 

various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and 

certain geographic areas a requiring special protection. The 

regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic 

Specially Protected Areas.

    The applications received are as follows:



1. Applicant: Permit Application No. 2012-004, James G. Bockheim, 

University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1525 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 

53706-1299.



    Activity for Which Permit Is Requested: Enter an Antarctic 

Specially Protected Area. The applicant plans to enter ASPA 134--Cierva 

Point and Offshore islands, Danco Coast, Antarctica, to install 

boreholes and a soil climate station as part of an international 

(Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and 

the USA) project examining the effects of climate warming on seasonal 

thawing, permafrost occurrence and properties, and soil properties 

along a latitudinal gradient on the western Antarctic Peninsula. A 15 

meter borehole will be installed with a string of digital temperature 

sensors placed at various depths along the string. In addition, 10 

shallow boreholes will be installed at various elevations and on 

different geomorphic surfaces for monitoring active-layer (seasonal 

thaw layer) dynamics. Once the project is complete, the shallow 

boreholes will be backfilled with the soil removed upon drilling, and 

the deep borehole will be filled with concrete.

    Location: ASPA 134--Cierva Point and Offshore islands, Danco Coast.

    Dates: March 1, 2012 to April 1, 2014.



Nadene G. Kennedy,

Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.

[FR Doc. 2011-16944 Filed 7-6-11; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555-01-P