[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 42 (Friday, March 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 12815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5175]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA626


Marine Mammals; File No. 16160

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for permit amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that The Whale Museum (Responsible 
Party: Jenny Atkinson), P.O. Box 945, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 has 
requested a change in Principal Investigator to their pending permit 
application.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before April 2, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the 
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species 
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File 
No. 16160 from the list of available applications.
    These documents are also available 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) 713-2289; fax (301) 427-2521; and Northwest Region, NMFS, 
7600 Sand Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; 
phone (206) 526-6150; fax (206) 526-6426.
    Written comments on these applications should be submitted to the 
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, at the address listed above. 
Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 713-0376, or by 
email to [email protected]. Please include the File No. in the 
subject line of the email comment.
    Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a 
written request to the Chief, Permits and Conservation Division at the 
address listed above. The request should set forth the specific reasons 
why a hearing on this application would be appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joselyd Garcia-Reyes and Kristy Beard, 
(301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended 
(MMPA; 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 222-226).
    On November 3, 2011, a notice was published in the Federal Register 
(76 FR 68161) that a request for a permit to conduct research on marine 
mammals had been submitted by the above-named applicant. The Whale 
Museum proposes to monitor and record vessel activities around marine 
mammal species routinely encountered by commercial and recreational 
vessels in the inland waters of Washington State. This research would 
contribute to a long-term data set (Orca Master) that has provided 
critical information on characterizing annual vessel trends around 
Southern Resident killer whales and an evaluation of the effectiveness 
of federal, state and local marine wildlife guidelines and regulations 
through the Soundwatch program. Research methods would include close 
vessel approach for photo-identification, behavioral observation, and 
monitoring. The main focus species are killer whales (Orcinus orca) 
from the Southern Resident stock. Additionally, Pacific white-sided 
dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides 
dalli), harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), eastern gray whale 
(Eschrichtius robustus), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), non-
ESA listed killer whale, and minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) 
may be harassed.
    Under the pending permit application, The Whale Museum is 
requesting a change in Principal Investigator (PI) due to personnel 
changes within their organization. They request to have Eric Eisenhardt 
be designated as the new PI. No other changes to the permit application 
are requested.

    Dated: February 27, 2012.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-5175 Filed 3-1-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P