[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51188-51189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18348]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE315


Endangered Species; File Nos. 19331 and 19642

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permits.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Harold Brundage (File No. 19331), 
Environmental Research and Consulting, Inc., 126 Bancroft Rd; Kennett 
Square, PA 19348, and Jason Kahn (File No. 19642), NOAA Fisheries, 1315 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, have been issued permits to 
take shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) and Atlantic sturgeon 
(Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) for purposes of conducting scientific 
research.

ADDRESSES: The permits 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.

[[Page 51189]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Malcolm Mohead or Erin Markin, (301) 
427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 27, 2015, notice was published 
in the Federal Register (80 FR 74085) that requests for scientific 
research permits to take shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon had 
been submitted by the above-named individuals. The requested permits 
have been issued under the authority of 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).
    File No. 19331: The applicant's objectives are to characterize 
Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon habitat use in the lower Delaware River 
(between rkm 0 to rkm 245), studying their relative abundance, 
recruitment, temporal-spatial distributions, and reproduction. The 
permit would be valid for five years from the date of issuance.
    File No. 19642: The applicant will be authorized to determine and 
quantify new populations of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon in the 
York, Rappahannock, Potomac, and Susquehanna Rivers, and other 
Chesapeake Bay tributaries of Virginia and Maryland. Additionally, 
researchers will monitor sturgeon spawning activity, movement, and 
habitat use through telemetry and side-scan sonar technology. 
Additionally, researchers will sample Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon 
captured under other ESA incidental take permits or incidental take 
statements of other actions to track their coastal wide movements of 
these species. The permit would be valid for five years from the date 
of issuance.
    Issuance of these permits, as required by the ESA, is based on a 
finding that such permits (1) are applied for in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: July 28, 2016.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-18348 Filed 8-2-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P