2010-17830. Marine Mammals; File Nos. 15498 and 15500

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice; issuance of permits.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given that the Chicago Zoological Society - Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield, IL 60513, and the Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker Street, NW., Atlanta, GA 30313 have been issued permits to import Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) for public display.

ADDRESSES:

The permits and related documents are available for review upon written request or by appointment in the following office(s):

Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone [phone]; fax [phone];

File No. 15498: Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; phone [phone]; fax [phone]; and

File No. 15500: Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701; phone [phone]; fax [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer Skidmore or Kristy Beard, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On May 3, 2010, notice was published in the Federal Register (75 FR 23242) that requests for public display permits to import bottlenose dolphins had been submitted by the above-named organizations. File No. 15498 requested the importation of one male and one female captive born bottlenose dolphin from Dolphin Quest Bermuda, Hamilton, Bermuda, to the Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL. File No. 15500 requested the importation of two male captive born bottlenose dolphins from Dolphin Experience, Ltd., Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas, and three female captive born bottlenose dolphins from Dolphin Quest Bermuda, Hamilton, Bermuda, to the Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, Georgia. The requested permits have been issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).

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 activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

Dated: July 15, 2010.

P. Michael Payne,

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