[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 198 (Monday, October 18, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 57639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22563]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG584


Request for Public Comment Regarding an Administrative Law 
Judge's Recommended Decision on a Proposed Waiver and Regulations 
Governing the Taking of Marine Mammals; Extension of Public Comment 
Period

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

ACTION: Notice; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the extension of the public comment period on 
the Administrative Law Judge's recommended decision on NMFS' proposal 
to issue a waiver and regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection 
Act to allow the Makah Indian Tribe to take a limited number of Eastern 
North Pacific gray whales for ceremonial and subsistence purposes. We 
announced a 20-day comment period to end on October 19, 2021. Today, we 
extend the public comment period on the recommended decision by 25 days 
to November 13, 2021. Comments previously submitted need not be 
resubmitted.

DATES: The deadline for the receipt of comments is extended from 
October 19, 2021 until November 13, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2019-0037, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NMFS-2019-0037, click the ``Comment 
Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your 
comments.
     Mail: Attn: Grace Ferrara, NMFS West Coast Region, 7600 
Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Include the identifier ``NOAA-
NMFS-2019-0037'' in the comments.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jaclyn Taylor, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910; tel: (301) 427-8402; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS has proposed to issue a waiver and 
regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow the Makah 
Indian Tribe to take a limited number of Eastern North Pacific gray 
whales for ceremonial and subsistence purposes. A hearing to consider 
the proposed waiver and regulations took place on November 14-21, 2019, 
in Seattle, Washington before Administrative Law Judge George J. 
Jordan. On September 23, 2021, Judge Jordan transmitted his recommended 
decision to NMFS along with the hearing transcript and other required 
documentation. On September 29, 2021, we announced a 20-day comment 
period on the recommended decision. During the comment period, we 
received requests to extend the public comment period. We considered 
the request and concluded that a 25-day extension should allow 
sufficient time for the public and the parties to submit comments. We 
are therefore extending the close of the public comment period from 
October 19, 2021 to November 13, 2021.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1371 et seq.

    Dated: October 12, 2021.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-22563 Filed 10-15-21; 8:45 am]
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