[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53732-53733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21155]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC010


Marine Mammals; File No. 14325

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 Alaska Department of Fish and 
Game (ADF&G), Division of Wildlife Conservation, Juneau, AK, (Principal 
Investigator: Michael Rehberg), has applied for an amendment to 
Scientific Research Permit No. 14325-02 for taking Steller sea lions 
(Eumetopias jubatus) in Alaska.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before September 30, 2013.

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 home 
page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File No. 14325 
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)427-8401; fax (301)713-0376; and
    Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone 
(907)586-7221; fax (907)586-7249.
    Written comments on this application 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, Conservation and Education 
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: Tammy Adams or Amy Sloan, (301)427-
8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 14325-02 
is requested 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 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), 
the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 222-226), and the Fur Seal 
Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    Permit No. 14325, issued on August 17, 2009 (74 FR 44822), 
authorizes taking of marine mammals during continuation of a long-term 
research program investigating various hypotheses for the decline or 
lack of recovery of Steller sea lions in Alaska.

[[Page 53733]]

The permit includes takes for: Incidental disturbance during aerial 
surveys; disturbance of animals on rookeries and haulouts during brand 
resighting surveys, and incidental to scat collection; capture for 
instrument attachment, branding, capture method development, 
physiological research, and sample collection; permanent marking of 
pups for long-term demographic and distribution studies; capture of 
older animals for physiological assessment; and attachment of 
scientific instruments to investigate foraging ecology, diving behavior 
and habitat use. The permit also authorizes unintentional mortality of 
Steller sea lions, and incidental harassment of harbor seals (Phoca 
vitulina richardsi), northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus), and 
California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). The permit was amended 
(to version no. 14325-01) on November 16, 2011, to change the identity 
of the Principal Investigator from Dr. Lorrie Rea to Michael Rehberg.
    The permit was amended on July 12, 2012 (77 FR 38587), to include: 
manual restraint of pups in the eastern Distinct Population Segment 
(eDPS) and western DPS (wDPS); capture of adult Steller sea lions using 
remotely delivered immobilization agents; adding jugular blood draw/
catheter location for sampling and Evans Blue injection; adding the 
intraperitoneal cavity to allowable deuterium injection sites; 
modifying time of year and number of takes for the Alsek/Akwe aerial 
surveys; and adding aerial surveys at Cape Newenham haulout and in the 
northern Bering Sea.
    The permit holder requests an amendment to the permit to include: 
additional aerial surveys in the eDPS and wDPS; use of unmanned 
aircraft system to collect brand, entanglement, and population data; 
additional takes for non-target species (harbor seals, northern fur 
seals, and California sea lions) to accommodate the requested aerial 
and unmanned aircraft surveys.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that 
the activities proposed are consistent with the Preferred Alternative 
in the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Steller 
Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal Research (NMFS 2007), and that issuance 
of the permit would not have a significant adverse impact on the human 
environment.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

     Dated: August 26, 2013.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-21155 Filed 8-29-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P