[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 148 (Thursday, August 1, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 62777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16950]



[[Page 62777]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2024-0056; FXES11130800000-245-FF08E00000]


Marine Mammal Protection Act; Receipt of Permit Applications

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit applications; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite the 
public to comment on foreign or native species for which the Service 
has jurisdiction under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With 
some exceptions, the MMPA prohibits activities with listed species 
unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The 
MMPA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits 
for any activity otherwise prohibited with respect to any species.

DATES: We must receive comments by September 3, 2024.

ADDRESSES: 
    Obtaining Documents: The application, application supporting 
materials, and any comments and other materials that we receive will be 
available for public inspection at https://www.regulations.gov in 
Docket No. FWS-R8-ES-2024-0056.
    Submitting Comments: When submitting comments, please specify the 
name of the applicant and the permit number at the beginning of your 
comment. You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
     Internet: https://www.regulations.gov. Search for and 
submit comments on Docket No. FWS-R8-ES-2024-0056.
     U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. 
FWS-R8-ES-2024-0056; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 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: Rachel Henry at (805) 448-7484 or 
[email protected]. 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. Public Comment Procedures

A. How do I comment on submitted applications?

    We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies 
to comment on permit applications. Before issuing any requested 
permits, we 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 fax, or to an address not in ADDRESSES. We 
will not consider or include in our administrative record comments 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: (1) Those 
supported by quantitative information or studies; and (2) those that 
include citations to, and analyses of, the applicable laws and 
regulations.

B. May I review comments submitted by others?

    You may view and comment on others' public comments at https://www.regulations.gov.

C. 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.

II. Background

    To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected 
species, and in consideration of section 104(c) of the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), we 
invite public comments on permit applications before final action is 
taken. With some exceptions, the MMPA prohibits certain activities with 
listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such 
activities. Service regulations regarding permits for any activity 
otherwise prohibited by the MMPA with respect to any marine mammals are 
available in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations in part 18. 
Concurrent with publishing a notice in the Federal Register, we forward 
copies of marine mammal applications to the Marine Mammal Commission 
and the Committee of Scientific Advisors for their review.

III. Permit Application

    We invite comments on the following application.
Applicant: Year on Earth Productions, Plimsoll Productions, Clifton, 
Bristol, United Kingdom; Permit No. PER9423620; Kovacs Films, Ernest 
Kovac, Monterey, California, Permit No. PER11105737
    The applicants request a permit to photograph (video and still 
photography) southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) in California, 
for the purposes of commercial photography. This notification covers 
activities to be conducted by the applicants over a 5-year period.

IV. Next Steps

    After the comment period closes, we will make a decision regarding 
permit issuance. If we issue a permit to the applicant listed in this 
notice, we will publish a 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 regulations.gov and search for 
``12345A''.

V. 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.

Angela Picco,
Regional Ecological Services Program Manager, Pacific Southwest Region, 
Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2024-16950 Filed 7-31-24; 8:45 am]
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