82 FR 55578 - Marine Mammals and Endangered Species

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 224 (November 22, 2017)

Notice is hereby given that permits or permit amendments have been issued to the following entities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as applicable.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55578-55579]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25331]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Marine Mammals and Endangered Species

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permits and permit amendments.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that permits or permit amendments have 
been issued to the following entities under the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as 
applicable.

ADDRESSES: The permits 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; phone (301) 427-8401; fax (301) 
713-0376.

[[Page 55579]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shasta McClenahan (File No. 18786-02 
and 21422) and Jennifer Skidmore (File No. 16305); at (301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notices were published in the Federal 
Register on the dates listed below that requests for a permit or permit 
amendment had been submitted by the below-named applicants. To locate 
the Federal Register notice that announced our receipt of the 
application and a complete description of the research, go to 
www.regulations.gov and search on the permit number provided in the 
table below.

 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   Previous Federal       Permit or amendment
      File No.                RIN                Applicant          Register notice          issuance date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16305..............  0648-XA807            John Pierce Wise,     77 FR 72829;          October 30, 2017.
                                            Sr. Ph.D.,            December 6, 2012.
                                            Department of
                                            Pharmacology and
                                            Toxicology, School
                                            of Medicine,
                                            University of
                                            Louisville,
                                            Louisville, KY
                                            40292.
18786-02...........  0648-XD900            Marine Mammal Health  80 FR 44939; July     October 18, 2017.
                                            and Stranding         28, 2015.
                                            Response Program
                                            (Responsible Party:
                                            Teri Rowles,
                                            D.V.M., Ph.D.),
                                            1315 East West
                                            Highway, Silver
                                            Spring, MD 20910.
21422..............  0648-XF664            James Lloyd-Smith,    82 FR 43002;          October 17, 2017.
                                            Ph.D., University     September 13, 2017.
                                            of California--Los
                                            Angeles, Los
                                            Angeles, CA 90095.
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    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final determination has been made that the 
activities proposed for Permit Nos. 16305 and 21422 are categorically 
excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or 
environmental impact statement.
    An environmental assessment (EA) was prepared for the original 
permit (No. 18786) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), to examine whether significant 
environmental impacts could result from issuance of the proposed 
scientific research permit. Based on the analyses in the EA, NMFS 
determined that issuance of the original permit would not significantly 
impact the quality of the human environment and that preparation of an 
environmental impact statement was not required. That determination was 
documented in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), signed on 
June 29, 2015. The activities in the amendment are consistent with the 
analyses in the original EA and no additional NEPA analysis was 
required for the issuance of this amendment. The original EA and FONSI 
are available upon request.
    As required by the ESA, as applicable, issuance of these permit was 
based on a finding that such permits: (1) Were applied for in good 
faith; (2) will not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered 
species; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in Section 2 of the ESA.
    Authority: The requested permits have been issued under 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.), and the regulations governing the taking, 
importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 
parts 222-226), as applicable.

    Dated: November 17, 2017.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-25331 Filed 11-21-17; 8:45 am]
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