[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 88273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29321]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Applications Received under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated 
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published 
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title 45 Part 670 
of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of 
permit applications received.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to this permit application by January 6, 2017. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Division of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at 
the above address or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541), as amended 
by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has 
developed regulations for the establishment of a permit system for 
various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and 
certain geographic areas a requiring special protection. The 
regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic 
Specially Protected Areas.

Application Details

Permit Application: 2017-033

1. Applicant: Joseph Wilson, Penguin Films Ltd, 1 St Augustine's Lane, 
Bristol BS1 5DE United Kingdom.

    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take. The applicant 
proposes to film killer whales (Orcinus orca) and minke whales 
(Balaenoptera bonarensis) in McMurdo Sound and the Ross Sea in 
Antarctica. Filming will be done via helicopter using long-range 
telephoto lenses and from the sea ice edge via an underwater camera. 
For the helicopter-based filming, the applicant proposes to fly at 
altitudes no lower than 600 vertical feet and plans to film the whales 
at an angle, from the side. The applicant plans to target and 
potentially disturb up to 60 whales over the course of one season of 
filming. The applicant has also applied for a commercial or education 
photography permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1361 et seq.).
    Location: McMurdo Sound and Ross Sea, Antarctica.
    Dates: January 1--February 15, 2017.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Division of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016-29321 Filed 12-6-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P