[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 168 (Friday, August 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51560-51561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20582]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD127


Marine Mammals; File No. 18002

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 
Alejandro Acevedo-Guti[eacute]rrez, Ph.D. of Western Washington 
University's Department of Biology, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 
98225, to conduct research on harbor seals (Phoca vitulina).

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Courtney Smith or Amy Sloan, (301)427-
8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 14, 2014 notice was published in 
the Federal Register (79 FR 8941) that a request for a permit to 
conduct research on the species identified above 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).
    Permit No. 18002 authorizes non-invasive research techniques 
including scat collection and a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) to 
determine the level of individual diet specializations (prey 
consumption) amongst harbor seals within the Salish Sea area of 
Washington State. Annually, researchers may take (incidentally harass) 
57,600

[[Page 51561]]

harbor seals during ground surveys for scat collection and 12,800 
harbor seals during aerial (sUAS) surveys for counts of seals at haul-
out sites. Additionally, the permit authorizes the unintentional 
mortality of 4 individuals during ground surveys over the life of the 
permit.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final determination has been made that the 
activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

    Dated: August 26, 2014.
Julia Harrison,
 Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-20582 Filed 8-28-14; 8:45 am]
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