[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 53507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18770]


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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 September 30, 2022. 
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: Andrew Titmus, ACA Permit Officer, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower 
Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-292-4479; 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 as 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 2021-004) to Grant Ballard on September 23, 2020. The 
issued permit allows the applicant to engage in take, harmful 
interference, enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs), and 
import samples into the USA in association with research on the role of 
environmental factors on foraging, diet, growth, and survival of Adelie 
penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). Research activities include installing 
weighbridges, resighting banded birds, and following birds through 
incubation and chick-rearing until late January. The applicant and 
agents attach logging and tracking devices on breeding adults and 
collect fecal samples from adults and chicks during the brooding and 
guarding stage, then attach long-term GPS-Argos tags and geolocating 
dive recorders on adult penguins. To survey the large colonies at Cape 
Royds and Cape Crozier in a timely manner, the applicant and agents 
employ multiple, self- and collectively-aware remotely piloted aircraft 
(RPAS) simultaneously. Now the applicant proposes a modification to the 
permit to collect blood samples (1-2 drops each) from penguins already 
undergoing other handling, sampling, or instrumentation. The applicant 
proposes to take up to 220 blood samples from fledglings, 120 blood 
samples from chicks, and 130 blood samples from adult Adelie penguins 
per year. The applicant proposes to take up to an additional 30 feather 
samples from fledglings, and 20 feather samples from adults per year 
over feather samples already permitted. The applicant proposes to take 
up to an additional 240 opportunistic or cloacal swab fecal samples per 
year. Additionally, the applicant proposes to tag up to 60 chicks per 
year with small T-bar anchor tags which will be removed at the end of 
the rearing season. The applicant also proposes to disturb up to 1000 
penguins by surrounding a penguin subcolony with a plastic fence for 
the continuation of a long term weighbridge study to evaluate foraging 
trip duration, adult condition, and food delivery.
    Location: ASPA 121, Cape Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 124, Cape 
Crozier, Ross Island; ASPA 105, Beaufort Island; Cape Bird (outside 
ASPA boundary).
    Dates: November 1, 2022 to February 15, 2025.

Erika N. Davis,
Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2022-18770 Filed 8-30-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P