[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 18, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49118-49119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-20142]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of permit applications received.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act in the Code of Federal
Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications
received.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments,
or views with respect to this permit application by October 18, 2019.
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit
Office, address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Office of
Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address, 703-292-8030, or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541, 45 CFR 670),
as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of
1996, has developed regulations for the establishment of a permit
system for various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain
animals and certain geographic areas a requiring special protection.
The regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic
Specially Protected Areas.
Application Details
Permit Application: 2020-005
1. Applicant: Grant Ballard, Point Blue Conservation Science, 3820
Cypress Dr #11, Petaluma, CA 94954.
Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Harmful Interference,
Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs). The applicant
proposes to enter ASPAs at Cape Royds, ASPA 121, and Cape Crozier, ASPA
124, to conduct surveys of the Adelie penguin colonies via remotely
piloted aircraft systems (RPAS). The areas would be accessed by
helicopters and the ASPAs would be entered on foot. In order to survey
the large colonies in a timely manner, the applicant proposes to employ
multiple, self- and collectively-aware remotely piloted aircraft
simultaneously. The RPAS will be piloted by a trained, experienced, and
certified operator and the operations will also involve additional
visual observers. Test flights of the system will be conducted prior to
Antarctic deployment and in Antarctica in an area in which there is
minimal risk to wildlife or sensitive environments. For the surveys,
the RPAS launch site would be at least 20 meters away from nesting
birds and the RPAS would be operated at altitudes of 30-80 meters above
ground level to help ensure minimal disturbance. Surveys at Cape
Crozier have the potential to disturb south polar skuas nesting near
the penguin colony. Images obtained from the surveys would be used to
estimate the number of nesting adults and chicks, as well as nesting
density.
Location: ASPA 121, Cape Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 124, Cape
Crozier, Ross Island.
Dates of Permitted Activities: November 10, 2019--September 30,
2020.
Permit Application: 2020-007
2. Applicant: Peter West, National Science Foundation, Office of Polar
Programs, 2415 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria VA 22314.
Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Enter Antarctic Specially
Protected Areas (ASPAs). The National Science Foundation, as U.S.
taxpayer supported government agency, routinely selects members of the
U.S. news media to visit Antarctica and report on the science the
foundation facilitates there. The newsgathering process requires
journalists to visit specific sites and to speak with the researchers
conducting science there. Any interviews, photographs or video gathered
during visits to ASPAs would be used to inform the general public about
the importance of the science conducted on the continent. Visits to the
ASPAs listed in this application would take place in conjunction with
valid scientific activities, for the express purposes of gathering
images, footage, or information on scientific research, general scenic
locations, and interviews with scientists working in the field.
Journalists visiting Antarctica will be accompanied at all times by an
NSF staff ``escort''. The escort will be a person who has years of
experience working with field parties, with scientists and with
journalists. The escort is cognizant of--and will follow the
requirements contained in--the ASPA management plans and the Antarctic
Conservation Act. They will ensure that every effort is made to
practice ``low impact'' documentary procedures with regard to the
natural environment as well as to adhere to all USAP operations and
procedures.
Location: ASPA 121, Cape Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 122, Arrival
Heights, Hut Point Peninsula, Ross Island; ASPA 124, Cape Crozier, Ross
Island; ASPA 131, Canada Glacier, Lake Fryxell, Taylor Valley, Victoria
Land; ASPA 155, Cape Evans, Ross Island; ASPA 157, Backdoor Bay, Cape
Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 158 Hut Point, Ross Island; ASPA 172, Lower
Taylor Glacier and Blood
[[Page 49119]]
Falls, Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Victoria Land.
Dates of Permitted Activities: October 31--December 31, 2019.
Permit Application: 2020-008
3. Applicant: Robert Sanders, Department of Biology, Temple University,
1900 N 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122.
Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Introduce Non-indigenous
Species into Antarctica. The applicant would use cultures of the
bacteria as a food source during a study of Antarctic mixotrophic
phytoplankton aboard the research vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer. The
bacterial culture is a non-pathogenic marine species (Photobacterium
angustum) obtained from American Type Culture Collection. This
bacterial species would be used as it has been shown to have the
ability to incorporate a thymidine substitute that can be used to
identify which phytoplankton have ingested the bacteria. The feeding
experiments would be conducted in sealed plastic containers kept
isolated from the environment. At the conclusion of the experiments,
any sample or culture remaining, including filtered seawater, would be
destroyed by autoclaving on the ship. Supplies and equipment would be
sterilized at the end of each experiment by autoclaving or using
ethanol. The applicant and permit agents are experienced in using
sterile techniques and in maintaining safe practices with microbial
cultures.
Location: West Antarctic Peninsula region.
Dates of Permitted Activities: November 1-December 28, 2019.
Erika N. Davis,
Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2019-20142 Filed 9-17-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P