[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 225 (Friday, November 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55804-55805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25340]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Marine Mammals and Endangered Species

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of applications for permit amendments.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the permit holders listed below 
have applied for an amendment to their Scientific Research Permits.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before December 26, 2017.

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 the File No. 
from the list of available applications.
    These documents are also available 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.
    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 and Conservation Division at the 
address listed above. The request should set forth the specific reasons 
why a hearing on the application(s) would be appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shasta McClenahan or Amy Hapeman, 
(301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendments to the permits listed 
below are 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.), and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and 
exporting of endangered

[[Page 55805]]

and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).
    Notices were published in the Federal Register on the dates listed 
below that a permit had been issued to the below-named permit holders. 
To locate the Federal Register notice that announced our receipt of the 
application, notice of issuance, and a complete description of the 
research, go to www.regulations.gov and search on the permit number 
provided in the table below.

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      File No.                   RIN                  Permit holder           Federal Register notice of issuance             Permit issuance date
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14450...............  0648-XS35                 NMFS Southeast Fisheries  79 FR 13042; March 7, 2014.................  March 4, 2014.
                                                 Science Center
                                                 (Responsible Party:
                                                 Bonnie Ponwith, Ph.D.),
                                                 75 Virginia Beach
                                                 Drive, Miami, FL 33149.
14856...............  0648-XB157                Bruce R. Mate, Ph.D.,     78 FR 3346; January 21, 2014...............  February 25, 2014.
                                                 Hatfield Marine Science
                                                 Center, Oregon State
                                                 University, Newport, OR
                                                 97365.
16239...............  0648-XC268                Dan Engelhaupt, Ph.D.,    78 FR 60852; October 2, 2013...............  September 11, 2013.
                                                 HDR, 5700 Lake Wright
                                                 Drive, Norfolk, VA
                                                 23502.
17312...............  0648-XC268                Scripps Institution of    78 FR 60852; October 2, 2013...............  September 11, 2013.
                                                 Oceanography,
                                                 (Responsible Party:
                                                 John Hildebrand,
                                                 Ph.D.), University of
                                                 California, 8635
                                                 Discovery Way, La
                                                 Jolla, CA 92093.
18636...............  0648-XE075                Iain Kerr, D.H.L., Ocean  81 FR 13342; March 14, 2016................  February 17, 2016.
                                                 Alliance, 32 Horton
                                                 Street, Gloucester, MA
                                                 01930.
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    The permit holders are requesting amendments to their respective 
permits to authorize take of the Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whale 
(Balaenoptera edeni) due to NMFS' proposed rule to list this subspecies 
as endangered under the ESA (81 FR 88639). Combined, the permits 
currently authorize the following research activities for the species: 
manned and unmanned aerial surveys and vessel-based surveys for passive 
acoustic recordings, above and underwater photography and videography, 
photo-identification, behavioral observations, biological sampling 
(feces, sloughed skin, exhaled air, and skin and blubber biopsy), 
tracking, and tagging (suction-cup, dart/barb, and implantable). The 
permit holders seek to amend their permits to add dedicated takes for 
the Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whale using these methods should NMFS list 
the species under the ESA. Details of specific methods and take numbers 
are available in each application for amendment. The amended permits 
would be valid through the respective permit's current expiration date.
    If the proposed ESA listing becomes final, the Permits and 
Conservation Division proposes to conditionally authorize the take of 
Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whales so that no more than the entire 
population (currently estimated at 33 whales) may be taken annually by 
methods that may result in Level A harassment (mainly biopsy and 
tagging) across all permits combined. Authorized takes may be re-
authorized and reallocated among permits on an annual or other 
specified basis after evaluating the status of the species, management 
needs, researchers' plans, and reported takes by permit holders during 
the prior year.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that 
an environmental assessment (EA) is the appropriate level of analysis 
for these actions. A batched EA is being prepared to examine whether 
significant environmental impacts could result from issuance of the 
proposed scientific research permit amendments.
    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: November 17, 2017.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-25340 Filed 11-22-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P