[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 63286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26348]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA756


Marine Mammals; File No. 15537

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 a permit has been issued to 
Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS), P.O. Box 207, Gulfport, MS 
39502 (Dr. Moby Solangi, Responsible Party) to obtain stranded, 
releasable California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) from the 
National Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program for the purposes of 
public display.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/review.htm or 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) 427-8401; fax (301) 713-0376; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Skidmore or Amy Sloan, (301) 
427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 20, 2010, notice was published in the 
Federal Register (75 FR 28239) that a request for a permit to acquire 
releasable California sea lions for public display 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.) and the regulations governing the 
taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    This permit authorizes the acquisition of releasable stranded 
California sea lions (two males and six females) from west coast 
stranding facilities for public display purposes. The receiving 
facility, IMMS: (1) Is open to the public on a regularly scheduled 
basis with access that is not limited or restricted other than by 
charging for an admission fee; (2) offers an educational program that 
is consistent with professionally recognized standards of informal 
education in aquaria and zoos, including the Association of Zoos and 
Aquariums; and (3) holds an Exhibitor's License, number 65-C-0540, 
issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare 
Act (7 U.S.C. 2131-59). The permit is valid through October 5, 2016.
    An environmental assessment (EA) was prepared analyzing the effects 
of the permitted activities on the human environment in compliance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) 
and made available for public comment on April 11, 2011 (76 FR 19976). 
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 September 28, 2011.

    Dated: October 5, 2011.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-26348 Filed 10-11-11; 8:45 am]
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