[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 86 (Thursday, May 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35847-35848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09479]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2024-0004; FXES111607MRG01-245-FF07CAMM00]


Marine Mammal Protection Act; Permit Applications and Issuances

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit applications; notice of issuance of 
permits.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite 
public comment on applications for permits to conduct certain 
activities involving marine mammals for which the Service has 
jurisdiction under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). In 
addition, we announce permits that we have issued recently in response 
to prior applications.

DATES: We must receive comments on the new permit applications by June 
3, 2024.

ADDRESSES: 
    Obtaining Documents:
     Application Materials: The applications, application 
supporting materials, and any comments and other materials that we 
receive are available for public inspection at https://www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2024-0004.
     Issued Permits: To access materials pertaining to the 
permits we have issued, see Permits Issued by the Service under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Submitting Comments on the Applications: You may submit comments 
containing written data or views concerning the taking or importation 
proposed in each application by one of the following methods:
     Internet: https://www.regulations.gov. Search for and 
submit comments on Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2024-0004.
     U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. 
FWS-R7-ES-2024-0004; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: 
PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    For more information, see Public Comment Procedures under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Hamilton, via email at 
[email protected] or by telephone at 907-786-3800 or 1-800-362-
5148. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of 
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals 
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in 
the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    With some exceptions, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as 
amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), prohibits the take and 
importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products absent Federal 
authorization. In carrying out our responsibilities under the MMPA, we, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), may authorize such 
activities via permits after receipt of an application and verification 
that MMPA statutory and regulatory requirements are met.
    Section 104(c) of the MMPA specifies the conditions for authorizing 
the taking or importation of a marine mammal for purposes of scientific 
research, public display, or enhancing the survival or recovery of a 
species or stock under the MMPA.
    This notice provides information about two aspects of the MMPA 
permitting process: application and issuance. At section II, we provide 
the public with notice of and the opportunity to comment on 
applications that we have received from entities or individuals to 
conduct certain activities with marine mammals for which the Service 
has jurisdiction under the MMPA. At section III, we announce recently 
issued MMPA permits to entities or individuals in response to prior 
applications.

II. Applications Available for Public Review

    To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected 
species, and in consideration of section 104(c) of the MMPA, we invite 
the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on 
the applications listed below before final action is taken. Concurrent 
with publishing this notice in the Federal Register, we are forwarding 
copies of these marine mammal applications to the Marine Mammal 
Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisors for their review.

A. Permit Applications Received

    We invite comments on the following applications:
Applicant: Matson's Laboratory, Manhattan, MT; Permit No. PER6413229
    The applicant requests a permit to import teeth from up to 200 
legally harvested Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from 
Canada. After analysis, Matson's Lab will provide information on animal 
ages to be used by governmental authorities in Canada to inform 
population abundance estimation and survival analyses, along with 
ensuring that legal harvest of walrus is sustainable and well managed. 
Once the laboratory analysis is complete, samples will be exported 
(returned) to Canada. This notification covers activities to be 
conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Jason Roehing/MeatEater Inc., Bozeman, MT, Permit No. 
5955318
    The applicant requests a permit to conduct commercial photography 
and filming of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in the 
wild. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant during the period March through May 2024.
Applicant: North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife, Utqiagvik, AK, 
Permit No. 0046206
    The applicant requests a reissuance of their scientific research 
permit to (1) collect tissue samples from dead polar bears (Ursus 
maritimus) and Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus); (2) conduct 
aerial surveys to detect carcasses of polar bears and Pacific walrus; 
and (3) conduct noninvasive sampling for eDNA. This notification covers 
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.

[[Page 35848]]

Applicant: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management 
Office, Anchorage, AK, Permit No. MA82088B-1
    The applicant requests an amendment to their scientific research 
permit to allow the take of polar bears (Ursus martimus) by 
disturbance. The research will be used to evaluate the distance at 
which wild polar bears on the Beaufort seashore respond to boat 
traffic. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: U.S. National Park Service, Juneau, AK, Permit No. 14762C
    The applicant requests a reissuance of their scientific research 
permit to (1) conduct aerial photographic surveys to estimate the 
spatial distribution and abundance of sea otters (Enhydra lutris 
kenyoni) and (2) conduct land-based foraging observations of sea otters 
in the Glacier Bay, Icy Strait, Cross Sound, outer coast of Glacier 
Bay, and Yakutat areas of southeastern Alaska. This notification covers 
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Windfall Films, London, United Kingdom, Permit No. 9061181
    The applicant requests a permit to conduct commercial photography 
and filming of Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) in the 
wild. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the 
applicant during the period May through October 2024.

B. Public Comment Procedures

1. How do I comment on permit applications?
    Before issuing any requested permit, we will take into 
consideration any information that we receive during the public comment 
period.
    You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods in 
ADDRESSES. We will not consider comments sent by email, or to an 
address not in ADDRESSES. We will not consider or include in our 
administrative record comments that we receive after the close of the 
comment period (see DATES).
    When submitting comments, please specify the name of the applicant 
and the permit number at the beginning of your comment. Provide 
sufficient information to allow us to authenticate any scientific or 
commercial data you include. The comments and recommendations that will 
be most useful and likely to influence agency decisions are: (a) Those 
supported by quantitative information or studies; and (b) those that 
include citations to, and analyses of, the applicable laws and 
regulations.
2. May I review comments submitted by others?
    You may view public comments at https://www.regulations.gov unless 
our allowing so would violate the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) or other 
Federal law.
3. Who will see my comments?
    If you submit a comment at https://www.regulations.gov, your entire 
comment, including any personal identifying information, will be posted 
on the website. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal 
identifying information, such as your address, phone number, or email 
address, you may request at the top of your document that we withhold 
this information from public review. However, we cannot guarantee that 
we will be able to do so. Moreover, all submissions from organizations 
or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be 
made available for public disclosure in their entirety.

C. Next Steps for Submitted Applications

    After the comment period closes, we will make decisions regarding 
permit issuance. If we issue permits to any of the applicants listed 
above in this notice, we will publish a subsequent notice in the 
Federal Register. You may locate the notice announcing the permit 
issuance by searching https://www.regulations.gov for the permit number 
listed above in this document. For example, to find information about 
the potential issuance of Permit No. 12345A, you would go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for ``12345A''.

III. Permits Issued by the Service

    We have issued permits to conduct certain activities involving 
marine mammals and marine mammal products in response to prior permit 
applications that we received. This notice informs the public that the 
Service has issued the permits listed in Table 1 below.
    The permittees' original permit application materials, along with 
public comments we received during public comment periods for the 
applications, are available for review. To locate the application 
materials and received comments, go to https://www.regulations.gov and 
search for the appropriate permit number (e.g., PER12345) or docket 
number (e.g., FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0001) provided in table 1.

                                      Table 1--MMPA Permits Recently Issued
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                                                              Permit
            Permit No.                    Applicant        issuance date                Docket No.
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PER0030527........................  U.S. Geological           10/05/2023  FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0007
                                     Survey.
PER690038.........................  U.S. Geological           10/19/2023  FWS-HQ-IA-2018-0083
                                     Survey.
PER84399D.........................  NOAA Fisheries/AFSC/      10/30/2023  FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0102
                                     Marine Mammal
                                     Laboratory.
PER0032559........................  Alaska Veterinary         01/04/2024  FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0138
                                     Pathology Services.
PER0040980 (Legacy PRT #84799B)...  Texas A&M University      01/12/2024  FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0138
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IV. Authority

    We issue this notice under the authority of the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and its 
implementing regulations.

Peter Fasbender,
Assistant Regional Director for Fisheries and Ecological Services, 
Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 2024-09479 Filed 5-1-24; 8:45 am]
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