2021-12121. Marine Mammals and Endangered Species

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice; issuance of permits.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given that permits 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 via email to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer Skidmore (Permit No. 25500), Shasta McClenahan, Ph.D. (Permit No. 25581), and Jordan Rutland (Permit No. 25520); at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notices were published in the Federal Register on the dates listed below that requests for a permit 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 activities, go to www.federalregister.gov and search on the permit number provided in Table 1 below.

Table 1—Issued Permits

Permit No.	RTID	Applicant	Previous Federal Register notice	Issuance date
25500	0648-XA943	University of Alaska Museum of the North, 907 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 (Responsible Party: Link Olson, Ph.D.)	86 FR 14878; March 19, 2021	May 6, 2021.
25581	0648-XA959	Freedive Pictures, Ltd, St. Stephens Avenue Bristol, United Kingdom, BS1 1YL (Responsible Party: Sophie Morgan)	86 FR 15651; March 24, 2021	May 6, 2021.
25520	0648-XA958	BBC Natural History and Factual Productions Ltd., Broadcasting House, Whiteladies Road, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS8 2LR (Responsible Party: Daniel Rasmussen)	86 FR 15464; March 23, 2021	May 25, 2021.

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 are categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

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 MMPA 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 ESA of 1973, as amended (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: June 4, 2021.

Julia Marie Harrison,

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.