[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 231 (Friday, December 2, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74162-74163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26265]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0168; FXIA16710900000-223-FF09A30000]
Marine Mammal Protection Act; Receipt of Permit Applications
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit applications; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite the
public to comment on species for which the Service has jurisdiction
under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With some exceptions,
the MMPA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal
authorization is issued that allows such activities. This Act also
requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any
activity it otherwise prohibits with respect to any species.
DATES: We must receive comments by January 3, 2023.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: The applications, application supporting
[[Page 74163]]
materials, and any comments and other materials that we receive will be
available for public inspection at https://www.regulations.gov in
Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0168.
Submitting Comments: When submitting comments, please specify the
name of the applicant and the permit number at the beginning of your
comment. You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
Internet: https://www.regulations.gov. Search for and
submit comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0168.
U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0168; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS:
PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
For more information, see Public Comment Procedures under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Tapia, by phone at 703-358-2185
or via email at DMAFR@fws.gov. Individuals in the United States who are
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay
services offered within their country to make international calls to
the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Public Comment Procedures
A. How do I comment on submitted applications?
We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies
to comment on these applications. Before issuing any of the requested
permits, we will take into consideration any information that we
receive during the public comment period.
You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods in
ADDRESSES. We will not consider comments sent by email, or to an
address not in ADDRESSES. We will not consider or include in our
administrative record comments we receive after the close of the
comment period (see DATES).
When submitting comments, please specify the name of the applicant
and the permit number at the beginning of your comment. Provide
sufficient information to allow us to authenticate any scientific or
commercial data you include. The comments and recommendations that will
be most useful and likely to influence agency decisions are: (1) Those
supported by quantitative information or studies; and (2) those that
include citations to, and analyses of, the applicable laws and
regulations.
B. May I review comments submitted by others?
You may view and comment on others' public comments at https://www.regulations.gov unless our allowing so would violate the Privacy
Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) or Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
C. Who will see my comments?
If you submit a comment at https://www.regulations.gov, your entire
comment, including any personal identifying information, will be posted
on the website. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal
identifying information, such as your address, phone number, or email
address, you may request at the top of your document that we withhold
this information from public review. However, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so. Moreover, all submissions from organizations
or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public disclosure in their entirety.
II. Background
To help us carry out our conservation responsibilities for affected
species, and in consideration of section 104(c) of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), we
invite public comments on permit applications before final action is
taken. With some exceptions, this Act prohibits certain activities with
listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such
activities. Service regulations regarding permits for any activity
otherwise prohibited by the MMPA with respect to any foreign or native
marine mammal species are available in title 50 of the Code of Federal
Regulations in part 18.
Concurrent with publishing this notice in the Federal Register, we
are forwarding copies of the marine mammal applications to the Marine
Mammal Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisors for their
review.
III. Permit Applications
We invite comments on the following applications.
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Applicant: North Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife Management,
Anchorage, AK; Permit No. PER0046206
The applicant requests a reissuance of their permit to collect
fecal samples, to collect tissue samples from dead individuals, and to
conduct non-invasive sampling of wild walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) and
polar bear (Ursus maritimus) for the purpose of scientific research.
This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant
over a 5-year period.
Applicant: BBC Studios Ltd., Bristol, UK; Permit No. PER0031742
The applicant requests a permit to photograph (video and still
photography) West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Florida, for
the purpose of commercial photography. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
IV. Next Steps
After the comment period closes, we will make decisions regarding
permit issuance. If we issue permits to any of the applicants listed in
this notice, we will publish a notice in the Federal Register. You may
locate the notice announcing the permit issuance by searching https://www.regulations.gov for the permit number listed above in this
document. For example, to find information about the potential issuance
of Permit No. 12345A, you would go to https://www.regulations.gov and
search for ``12345A''.
V. Authority
We issue this notice under the authority of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.).
Timothy MacDonald,
Government Information Specialist, Branch of Permits, Division of
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2022-26265 Filed 12-1-22; 8:45 am]
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