[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 5 (Monday, January 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1061-1062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-151]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA881


Endangered Species; File Nos. 16229 and 16548

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

ACTION: Issuance of permits.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the North Carolina Zoo, 4401 Zoo

[[Page 1062]]

Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27203 [David Jones, Responsible Party], and the 
Springfield Science Museum, 21 Edwards Street Springfield, MA 01103 
[David J. Stier, Responsible Party] have been issued permits to take 
shortnose sturgeon for purposes of enhancement.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
phone (301) 427-8401; fax (301) 713-0376;
    Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive Gloucester, MA 
01930; phone (978) 281-9328; fax (978) 281-9394; 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 and Colette Cairns, 
(301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 11, 2011 and August 19, 2011, 
notices were published in the Federal Register (76 FR 51945 and 76 FR 
40699) that requests for enhancement permits to take shortnose sturgeon 
had been submitted by the above-named organizations. The requested 
permits have been issued under the 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 parts 222-226).
    The North Carolina Zoo and the Springfield Science Museum have been 
issued permits to continue enhancement activities previously authorized 
under Permit Nos. 1545 and 1555, respectively. Activities include the 
continued maintenance, transport and educational display of captive-
bred, non-releaseable adult shortnose sturgeon. The permits do not 
authorize any takes from the wild, nor do they authorize any release of 
captive sturgeon into the wild. These permits are valid for a duration 
of 5 years.
    Issuance of the permits, as required by the ESA, was based on a 
finding that such permits (1) were applied for in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: January 3, 2012.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-151 Filed 1-6-12; 8:45 am]
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