[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25425-25426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10223]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XB154


Marine Mammals; File No. 16388

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 Mark 
Baumgartner, Ph.D., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MS33 
Biology Department, Woods Hole, MA 02543, to conduct research on 
humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), fin whales (Balaenoptera 
physalus), blue whales (B. musculus), sei whales (B. borealis), bowhead 
whales (Balaena mysticetus), North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena 
glacialis), North Pacific right whales (E. japonica), and Eastern North 
Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus).

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following offices: See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carrie Hubard or Amy Hapeman, (301) 
427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 29, 2012, notice was published in the 
Federal Register (77 FR 31585) that a request for a permit to conduct 
research on baleen whales 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.), 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 parts 222-226).
    Permit No. 16388 authorizes research on the diving behavior and 
foraging ecology of baleen whales in the northwest Atlantic from Maine 
to Florida; Canadian waters of the Gulf of Maine, Labrador Sea, Davis 
Strait, Baffin Bay, and Hudson Bay; waters off the U.S. North Pacific 
(California to Washington); and the Arctic Ocean including Bering, 
Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Species to be targeted are humpback, fin, 
blue, sei, bowhead, North Atlantic right and North Pacific right, and 
Eastern North Pacific gray whales. Activities include vessel surveys 
for passive acoustic recording, dermal and suction cup tagging, 
behavioral observations, photo-id, and tracking. The permit is valid 
until April 30, 2018.
    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.). 
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 April 15, 2013.
    As required by the ESA, issuance of this permit was based on a 
finding that such permit: (1) Was applied for in good faith; (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered

[[Page 25426]]

species; and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.
    Documents may be reviewed in the following locations:

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;
Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, 
Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone (206) 526-6150; fax (206) 526-6426;
Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone (907) 
586-7221; fax (907) 586-7249;
Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, 
CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018;
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.

    Dated: April 25, 2013.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-10223 Filed 4-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P