[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 194 (Monday, October 7, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 53477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21772]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Modification Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permit modification request.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of requests to modify permits issued to conduct activities 
regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. This is the 
required notice of a requested permit modification.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to this permit application by November 6, 2019. 
Permit applications 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), 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.
    Description of Permit Modification Requested: The Foundation issued 
a permit (ACA 2019-001) to Ron Naveen, Oceanites Inc., on August 7, 
2018. The issued permit allows the permit holder and agents to engage 
in take and harmful interference, as well as to enter Antarctic 
Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs), to continue data collections 
activities conducted to support the Antarctic Site Inventory. Visitor 
site surveys may include censusing penguin and seabird colonies 
throughout the Antarctic Peninsula. There is the potential for slight 
disturbance of the birds during surveying and censusing. This permit 
addresses the potential for infrequent, minimal take or harmful 
interference of the several penguin and other seabird species. While 
conducting visitor site surveys and censuses, the permit holder and 
agents may enter a number of ASPAs in the Antarctic Peninsula region. 
Now the permit holder proposes a modification to his permit to collect 
samples from adult gentoo penguins (Pygoselis papua) for genetic 
analysis in order to study range expansion, colonization of new areas, 
and gene flow. A research team member with significant bird handling 
experience would conduct and oversee activities that include capturing 
the penguins by hand or handheld net, temporary restraint, plucking of 
five feathers, and sampling blood from the foot or flipper. Penguins 
will only be captured as they return from foraging trips at sea to 
ensure that an adult penguin remains on or near the nest. The permit 
holder also proposes to opportunistically salvage muscle tissue samples 
from penguin chicks found dead. Feather, blood, and tissue samples 
would be transported to laboratories in the UK and USA for analysis.
    Location: Antarctic Penisula region
    Dates of Permitted Activities: December 1, 2019-August 31, 2023.

Erika N. Davis,
Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2019-21772 Filed 10-4-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P