[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60810-60811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23940]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA122


Marine Mammals; File No. 14330

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

[[Page 60811]]

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a major amendment to Permit No. 
14330-01 has been issued to the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, 
Tribal Government, Ecosystem Conservation Office, St. Paul Island, AK 
99660.

ADDRESSES: The permit amendment and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the Permits and 
Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; telephone: (301) 
427-8401; fax: (301) 713-0376.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brendan Hurley or Amy Sloan; 
telephone: (301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 17, 2013, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (78 FR 42756) that a request for an amendment to 
Permit No. 14330-01 for research on northern fur seals (Callorhinus 
ursinus) and incidental disturbance to Steller sea lions (Eumetopias 
jubatus) and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) had been submitted by the 
above-named applicant. The requested permit amendment has been issued 
under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the regulations governing the taking 
and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216), the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the 
regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226), and the Fur 
Seal Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    Permit No. 14330-02 authorizes the permit holder to conduct 
activities to fulfill their Biosampling, Disentanglement, and Island 
Sentinel program responsibilities as established under the co-
management agreement between NMFS and the Aleut Communities. Activities 
include northern fur seal (1) disentanglement; (2) sample collection 
from dead animals and sample export; and (3) haulout and rookery 
observations, monitoring, and remote camera maintenance. The permit 
amendment authorizes additional takes of northern fur seals for new 
habitat use studies, incorporates incidental disturbance of Steller sea 
lions and harbor seals during other fur seal studies without increasing 
authorized takes, consolidates existing fur seal authorized takes of 
certain age and sex categories, consolidates existing fur seal 
authorized takes for studies with similar types of incidental 
disturbance, and extends the permit for one year. The permit amendment 
expires on August 31, 2015.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NMFS has determined that the activities 
proposed are consistent with the Preferred Alternative in the Final 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Steller Sea Lion and 
Northern Fur Seal Research (NMFS 2007), and that issuance of the permit 
would not have a significant adverse impact on the human environment.
    As required by the ESA, issuance of this permit 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 species; and (3) is 
consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the 
ESA.

    Dated: September 24, 2014.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-23940 Filed 10-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P