[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 138 (Thursday, July 18, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34371-34372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15304]


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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; issuance of permits and permit modifications.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that permits or permit amendments have 
been issued to the following entities under the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as 
applicable.

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Markin (Permit No. 21858-01), 
Jennifer Skidmore (Permit No. 20610-01), and Sara Young (Permit Nos. 
22289, 22293, and 22298); at (301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notices were published in the Federal 
Register on the dates listed below that requests for a permit or permit 
amendment had been submitted by the below-named applicants. To locate 
the Federal Register notice that announced our receipt of the 
application and a complete description of the research, go to 
www.federalregister.gov and search on the permit number provided in the 
table below.

[[Page 34372]]



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                                                                      Previous Federal     Permit or amendment
     Permit No.               RIN                  Applicant           Register notice        issuance date
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20610-01...........  0648-XF801             David Portnoy, Ph.D.,    84 FR 24103; May    June 27, 2019
                                             Texas A&M University,    24, 2019.
                                             Corpus Christi, TX
                                             78412.
21858-01...........  0648-XG332             NMFS Greater Atlantic    84 FR 20618; May    June 25, 2019.
                                             Regional Fisheries       10, 2019.
                                             Office, 55 Great
                                             Republic Drive,
                                             Gloucester MA 01930
                                             (Responsible Party:
                                             Julie Crocker).
22289..............  0648-XG913             Alaska Fisheries         84 FR 15597; April  June 21, 2019.
                                             Science Center's         16, 2019.
                                             Marine Mammal
                                             Laboratory (MML), 7600
                                             Sand Point Way NE,
                                             Seattle, WA 98115-0070
                                             (Responsible Party:
                                             John Bengtson).
22293..............  0648-XG913             Alaska Sea Life Center   84 FR 15597; April  June 21, 2019.
                                             (ASLC), P.O. Box 1329,   16, 2019.
                                             301 Railway Avenue,
                                             Seward, AK 99664
                                             (Responsible Party:
                                             Tara Reimer).
22298..............  0648-XG913             Alaska Department of     84 FR 15597; April  June 21, 2019.
                                             Fish and Game (ADF&G),   16, 2019.
                                             P.O. Box 25526,
                                             Juneau, AK 99802-5526
                                             (Responsible Party:
                                             Michael Rehberg).
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    For Permit Nos. 20610-01 and 21585-01, 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 activities proposed are 
categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental 
assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS).
    For Permit Nos. 22289, 22293, and 22298, a determination was made 
that the activities authorized are consistent with the Preferred 
Alternative in the Final Programmatic EIS for Steller Sea Lion and 
Northern Fur Seal Research (NMFS 2007). A supplemental EA (NMFS 2014) 
was prepared for the addition of unmanned aerial surveys to the suite 
of Steller sea lion research activities analyzed under the EIS and 
concluded that issuance of the permits would not have a significant 
adverse impact on the human environment. An environmental review memo 
was prepared to summarize these findings.
    As required by the ESA, as applicable, issuance of these permit was 
based on a finding that such permits: (1) Were applied for in good 
faith; (2) will not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered 
species; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in Section 2 of the ESA.
    Authority: The requested permits have been issued under 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 (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), as applicable.

    Dated: July 15, 2019.
Julia Marie Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-15304 Filed 7-17-19; 8:45 am]
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