[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2962-2963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00882]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0154; FXIA16710900000-223-FF09A30000]
Marine Mammal Protection Act; Receipt of Permit Application
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit application; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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. The MMPA also
requires that we invite public comment before issuing a permit for any
activity otherwise prohibited with respect to any species.
DATES: We must receive comments by February 17, 2023.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: The application, application supporting
material, 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-2022-0154. 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-2022-0154.
U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-HQ-IA-2022-0154; 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 applications. Before issuing permits, we 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 fax, 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, the MMPA 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 50 CFR part 18. Concurrent with
publishing this notice in the Federal Register, we are forwarding
copies of the marine mammal application to the Marine Mammal Commission
and the Committee of Scientific Advisors for their review.
III. Permit Application
We invite comments on the following application.
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Applicant: USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK; Permit No. 33776D
The applicant requests a reissuance and amendment of their permit
to conduct tagging, biopsy sampling, collection of salvaged and beach
cast samples, boat surveys, and unmanned aerial systems surveys, and to
export/re-export collected samples from wild walruses (Odobenus
rosmarus) for the purpose of scientific research. 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 a decision regarding
permit issuance. If we issue a permit to the applicant 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://
[[Page 2963]]
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.), and its
implementing regulations.
Brenda Tapia,
Supervisory Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch of Permits,
Division of Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2023-00882 Filed 1-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P