[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]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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