[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 7, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 48201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19034]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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, Public Law 95-541.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
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 September 6, 2013. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Division of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrian Dahood, ACA Permit Officer, at 
the above address or [email protected] or (703) 292-7149.

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.

Application Details

Permit Application: 2014-005

1. Applicant: Brent Stewart.

Applicant Address

    Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, 2595 Ingraham Street, San Diego, 
California, 92109.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Harmful Interference/Take. This application is to allow for the un-
intentional and unexpected brief, minor disturbance to Antarctic birds 
and marine mammals at breeding, molting, and terrestrial, fast-ice, and 
sea-ice haul-out sites at various sub-Antarctic (within geographic 
coverage area of the Antarctic Treaty) and Antarctic locations during 
observational research to document several aspects of acoustic and non-
acoustic behavior and ecology.
    Research would be conducted using remote-controlled aerial 
platforms (i.e., quad-copters and hex-copters) equipped with small 
high-resolution cameras to document distribution, dispersion, habitat 
use, and abundance of seals and seabirds whenever conditions permit. 
These aerial sorties will be launched at least 50 to 100m from any 
wildlife should not be detectable visually or acoustically by wildlife 
during their operation. Flight altitudes would be 100 m or higher. 
Photographs and audio recordings also would be collected on the ground. 
No Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPA) would be entered in 
pursuit of this research.
    Research locations would be accessed from tour ships as part of 
their pre-scheduled landings and is therefore focused on visitor sites.

Location

    Western Antarctic Peninsula region visitor sites.

Dates

    Dates permit valid: October 1, 2013 to October 1, 2018.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Division of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-19034 Filed 8-6-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P