[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 6545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02282]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA425


Endangered Species; File No. 15661

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands (CNMI) Division of Fish and Wildlife, (Arnold Palacios, 
Responsible Party) has been issued a modification to scientific 
research Permit No. 15661.

ADDRESSES: The modification and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
phone (301) 427-8401; fax (301) 713-0376; and Pacific Islands Region, 
NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone 
(808) 944-2200; fax (808) 973-2941.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Hapeman or Kristy Beard, (301)427-
8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 25, 2013, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (78 FR 38013) that a modification of Permit No. 
15661, issued January 24, 2012 (77 FR13097), had been requested by the 
above-named organization. The requested modification has been granted 
under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the regulations governing the taking, 
importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 
222-226).
    Permit No. 15661 authorizes the CNMI to characterize population 
structure, size class composition, foraging ecology, and migration 
patterns for green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys 
imbricata) sea turtles in the Northern Mariana Islands. Researchers may 
count and hand capture sea turtles during vessel surveys. Captured sea 
turtles may be: Measured, weighed, flipper and passive integrated 
transponder tagged, temporarily marked, tissue sampled, photographed, 
and/or satellite tagged and tracked before release. Sea turtle 
carcasses and parts may be opportunistically salvaged. The modification 
(-01) authorizes blood and scute sampling of a subset of captured sea 
turtles for analysis of environmental pollutants. The permit expires 
January 31, 2017.
    Issuance of this modification, as required by the ESA was based on 
a finding that such permit (1) was applied for in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: January 30, 2014.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-02282 Filed 2-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P