2022-19765. Marine Mammals and Endangered Species

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice; issuance of permits, permit amendments, and permit modifications.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given that permits, permit amendments, and permit modifications 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. 26447), Shasta McClenahan, Ph.D. (Permit Nos. 20556-01 and 21476-02), Amy Hapeman (Permit No. 21233-04), and Sara Young (Permit No. 26314); at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notices were published in the Federal Register on the dates listed below that requests for a permit, permit amendment, or permit modification 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 Amendments, and Permit Modifications

Permit No.	RTID	Applicant	Previous Federal Register Notice	Issuance date
20556-01	0648-XF508	Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 2070 U.S. Highway 278 Southeast, Social Circle, GA 30025 (Responsible Party: Jonathan Ambrose)	83 FR 21766, May 10, 2018	August 15, 2022.
21233-04	0648-XC113	NMFS Southeast Fisheries Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149 (Responsible Party: Mridula Srinivasan, Ph.D.)	87 FR 37312, June 22, 2022	August 22, 2022.
21476-02	0648-XC127	Lars Bejder, Ph.D., University of Hawaii at Manoa, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kaneohe, HI 96744	87 FR 39066, June 30, 2022	August 16, 2022.
26314	0648-XC072	St. George Traditional Council, P.O. Box 940, St. George Island, AK, 99591 (Responsible Party: Mark Merculief)	87 FR 26465, June 17, 2022	August 18, 2022.
26447	0648-XC140	National Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013 (Responsible Party: Kirk Johnson, Ph.D.)	87 FR 39065, June 30, 2022	August 11, 2022.

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 permits 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: September 7, 2022.

Julia M. Harrison,

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