[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 153 (Thursday, August 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 64879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17623]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XE179]


Endangered Species; File No. 20347

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for a permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the University of Maine, School of 
Marine Sciences, 5741 Libby Hall, Orono, ME 04469 (Gayle Zydlewski, 
Ph.D., Responsible Party), has requested a modification to scientific 
research Permit No. 20347-01.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 9, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: The modification request and related documents are available 
for review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the 
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species 
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File 
No. 20347 mod #9 from the list of available applications. These 
documents are also available upon written request via email to 
[email protected].
    Written comments on this application should be submitted via email 
to [email protected]. Please include File No. 20347 in the 
subject line of the email comment.
    Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a 
written request via email to [email protected]. The request 
should set forth the specific reasons why a hearing on this application 
would be appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Malcolm Mohead or Erin Markin, Ph.D., 
(301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject modification to Permit No. 
20347-01, issued on March 12, 2019 (84 FR 15595, April 16, 2019), is 
requested under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the regulations governing the 
taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species 
(50 CFR parts 222-226).
    Permit 20347-01 authorizes research on Atlantic sturgeon and 
shortnose sturgeon occurring in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) and its 
tributaries, including the Penobscot, Kennebec, Saco and Merrimack 
Rivers. Adult, sub-adult, and juvenile sturgeon of each species are 
sampled with nets, trawls, and trotlines, annually, and then measured, 
weighed, passive integrated transponder tagged, tissue sampled, and 
photographed. A subset are acoustically tagged, apical scute and fin 
ray sampled for age analysis, gastric lavaged, borescoped, and blood 
sampled. Early life stages of both sturgeon species are also collected 
to document the occurrence of spawning in GOM tributaries. The permit 
holder requests to increase the number of adult shortnose sturgeon 
(from 15 to 30) that may be captured in the Merrimack River for implant 
of telemetry tags to document sturgeon coastal movement as well as 
provide evidence of sturgeon access to the Lawrence Dam project 
boundary. The permit is valid through March 31, 2027.

    Dated: August 5, 2024.
Julia M. Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-17623 Filed 8-7-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P