[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 228 (Friday, November 27, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 74147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30149]



[[Page 74147]]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Modification Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Modification Request Received and Permit 
Issued under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of requests to modify permits issued to conduct activities 
regulated and permits issued 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 a requested permit modification and permit 
issued.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, 
Division of Polar Programs, Rm. 755, National Science Foundation, 4201 
Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. Or by email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Foundation issued a permit (ACA 2014-
003) to Jennifer Burns on July 18, 2013. The issued permit allows the 
applicant to study the interaction of Weddell seal condition and the 
timing of molting and reproduction via capture, restraint, and sedation 
of adult female seals to conduct health assessments and attach tags.
    A recent modification to this permit, dated December 2, 2014, 
permitted several handling modifications for animals.
    Now the applicant proposes a permit modification to attach 2 new 
types of tags, to conduct nasal swabs, and to keep on some of the tags 
over winter to collect more data. Both new proposed tags are less than 
100g. The seals are already sedated for other permitted procedures, and 
these new tag attachments and procedures would not increase handling 
time, since they can be simultaneously conducted during ultrasounds.
    The Environmental Officer has reviewed the modification request and 
has determined that the amendment is not a material change to the 
permit, and it will have a less than a minor or transitory impact.
November 20, 2015 to February 28, 2017.

    The permit modification was issued on November 20, 2015.
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Division of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2015-30149 Filed 11-25-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P