Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 72 / Thursday, April 14, 2011 / Notices 20957 

of the ESA of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531– 

1543) and regulations governing listed 

fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR Parts 

222–226). NMFS issues permits based 

on findings that such permits: (1) Are 

applied for in good faith; (2) if granted 

and exercised, would not operate to the 

disadvantage of the listed species which 

are the subject of the permits; and (3) 

are consistent with the purposes and 

policies set forth in section 2 of the 

ESA. The authority to take listed species 

is subject to conditions set forth in the 

permits. 

Anyone requesting a hearing on the 

application listed in this notice should 

set out the specific reasons why a 

hearing on that application would be 

appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such 

hearings are held at the discretion of the 

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

NMFS. 

Application Received 

Permit 16344 

Dr. Jerri Bartholomew, Oregon State 

University at Corvalis, is requesting a 5- 

year permit to annually take 580 

juvenile SONCC coho salmon of 

hatchery origin associated with two 

research projects to study the effects of 

the myxozoan parasite Ceratomyxa 

shasta on salmon and steelhead in the 

Klamath River in Northern California. In 

the two projects described below, Dr. 

Bartholomew and her co-investigators 

will utilize fish obtained from the Iron 

Gate Hatchery in California, transport 

fish to the John L. Fryer Disease 

Laboratory in Oregon, and will 

euthanize all individuals at the end of 

the experiments. 

Project 1 is a study to determine the 

annual incidence of disease in May and 

June in the Klamath River (Humboldt 

County), California, following a 3-day 

exposure of individuals at the Beaver 

Creek and Seiad Valley sentinel sites. 

The study will compare trends in C. 

shasta infection prevalence, fish 

mortality, and time to death of juvenile 

fish of hatchery origin among years. 

Annually, Dr. Bartholomew proposes to 

collect, transport, and euthanize 220 

juvenile SONCC coho salmon of 

hatchery origin for this project. Data 

from this study will provide information 

to estimate annual exposure of both 

wild and hatchery SONCC coho salmon 

to, and subsequent disease effects from, 

C. shasta among years; and to inform 

potential management actions to reduce 

infection rates. 

Project 2 is a laboratory study to test 

whether sequential exposure of fish to a 

less virulent (IIR) strain of C. shasta, 

followed by exposure to a more virulent 

(IIC) strain, lessens disease effects 

(mortality, parasite production) within 

the juvenile SONCC coho salmon host. 

Annually, Dr. Bartholomew proposes to 

collect, transport, and euthanize 360 

juvenile SONCC coho salmon of 

hatchery origin for this project. Data 

collected from these experiments will be 

used to inform potential disease 

management strategies for C. shasta in 

the Klamath River. 

This notice is provided pursuant to 

section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS will 

evaluate the application, associated 

documents, and comments submitted to 

determine whether the applications 

meet the requirements of section 10(a) 

of the ESA and Federal regulations. 

The final permit decision will not be 

made until after the end of the 30-day 

comment period. NMFS will publish 

notice of its final action in the Federal 

Register. 

Dated: April 7, 2011. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9014 Filed 4–13–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA363 

Marine Mammals; File No. 14352 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit 

amendment. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr. 

Gregory Bossart, Georgia Aquarium, 225 

Baker Street, NW., Atlanta, GA 30313 

has been issued a major amendment to 

Permit No. 14352. 

ADDRESSES: The permit amendment and 

related documents are available for 

review upon written request or by 

appointment in the following offices: 

Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 

(301) 713–2289; fax (301) 713–0376; and 

Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th 

Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 

33701; phone (727) 824–5312; fax (727) 

824–5309. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carrie Hubard or Kristy Beard, (301) 

713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 

6, 2010, notice was published in the 

Federal Register (75 FR 47537) that a 

request for an amendment to Permit No. 

14352 to conduct research on bottlenose 

dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) had been 

submitted by the above-named 

applicant. The requested permit 

amendment has 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). 

The permit has been amended to 

authorize research in a new study area: 

Charleston, South Carolina. Fifty 

bottlenose dolphins may be captured, 

sampled, and released in Charleston 

annually. Captured dolphins will 

receive a health assessment clinical 

workup. All captured animals will 

receive a roto tag. Up to ten animals per 

year will also receive a VHF tag. 

Samples will be analyzed to examine a 

variety of health topics such as: 

infectious diseases, immune status, 

contaminant exposure, antibiotic 

resistance, and genetics. An additional 

400 dolphins per year may be harassed 

during pre- and post-capture surveys. 

The amended permit is valid until 

October 31, 2014. 

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: April 6, 2011. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9019 Filed 4–13–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA365 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council will convene 

Public Hearings on: Amendment 18 to 

the Fishery Management Plan for 

Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in 

the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico; Joint 

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