56994 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2004 / Notices 

SUMMARY: This is a notice to animal 

exhibitors, dealers, transporters, 

researchers, animal protection groups, 

industry groups, and other interested 

persons that we are holding a series of 

educational symposia to present current 

information on the care and 

maintenance of exotic big cats. This 

notice provides the agenda for the 

symposia and information on the 

location and dates of the final two 

symposia.

DATES: The next symposium will be 

held in Bridgeton, MO, on Wednesday, 

October 27, 2004. The following 

symposium will be held in Riverdale, 

MD, on Wednesday, December 8, 2004. 

Each symposium will be held from 8 

a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration information 

is provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: The symposia will be held 

at the following locations: 

1. Bridgeton, MO: Crowne Plaza St. 

Louis Airport Hotel, 11228 Lone Eagle 

Drive, Bridgeton, MO 63044, (314) 291–

6700. 

2. Riverdale, MD: USDA Center at 

Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, 

MD 20737, (301) 734–7833.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information on the agenda of the 

symposia, contact Dr. Barbara Kohn, 

Senior Staff Veterinarian, Animal Care, 

4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1234; (301) 734–7833.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS), Animal Care, has been 

hosting a series of educational symposia 

on the care and maintenance of exotic 

big cats. The symposia are designed to 

provide a forum for information 

dissemination on various topics that are 

key to the successful management and 

handling of exotic big cats. These 

symposia have been held in locations 

across the country to facilitate 

attendance by most of our regulated 

parties that maintain these animals. 

The first of these meetings was held 

on March 26, 2003, in Fort Worth, TX. 

On April 30, 2003, the second meeting 

was held in Las Vegas, NV. The third 

meeting was held November 19, 2003, 

in Columbus, OH, and the fourth on 

January 7, 2004, in Sarasota, FL. The 

final two symposia of this series will be 

held at the Crowne Plaza St. Louis 

Airport Hotel, 11228 Lone Eagle Drive, 

Bridgeton, MO, on October 27, 2004, 

and at the USDA Center at Riverside, 

4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD, on 

December 8, 2004. 

The symposia have been developed to 

provide current information and ideas 

on a variety of topics. Each symposium 

will, with the exception of possible 

minor modifications, follow the same 

agenda. The symposia will start with 

general session, followed by breakout 

sessions allowing more interaction 

between speakers and attendees. The 

agenda for these symposia is:

7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.—Registration. 

8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.—General Session: 

Welcome. 

Nutrition. 

Veterinary Care and Tranquilization. 

Transportation. 

New Training Methods. 

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.—Lunch (on own). 

1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.—Concurrent 

Breakout Session #1: 

Explaining APHIS Regulations. 

Nutrition. 

Training. 

2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.—Concurrent 

Breakout Session #2: 

Transportation/Good and Not so 

Good. 

Veterinary Care Issues. 

Heat Budgets and Shade (avoiding 

overheating and overcooling). 

4:15 p.m. to 5 p.m.—Questions and 

Answers and Closing.

Notice of these symposia is being sent 

to current Animal Welfare Act licensees 

with exotic big cats and may be viewed 

on the Animal Care Web site at http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/ac. Copies of the 

brochure prepared for the symposia can 

be requested by calling our headquarters 

at (301) 734–7833 or by e-mailing the 

request to ACE@aphis.usda.gov. 

Please note that these symposia are 

being held to provide and disseminate 

information on the care and 

maintenance of big exotic cats under the 

Animal Welfare Act. There will be no 

opportunity at these symposia to submit 

formal comments on proposed rules or 

other regulatory initiatives. 

Registration 

As seating for each symposium is 

limited, we request that you preregister 

by calling (301) 734–7833 or by emailing Animal Care at 

ACE@aphis.usda.gov. Please identify 

the symposium you will be attending 

and provide your name, number of 

attendees, phone number, e-mail 

address, or other contact address. This 

information is needed so that we may 

inform registrants in a timely manner in 

the event of any changes to the meeting 

schedule. The deadline for 

preregistration is October 1, 2004, for 

the Bridgeton symposium, and 

December 1, 2004, for the Riverdale 

symposium. On-site registration will 

take place from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on 

the date of each symposium. 

Travel and Lodging Information 

All attendees are responsible for 

making their own travel and lodging 

arrangements. No rooms have been 

reserved for attendees at symposium 

hotels or any other hotels. 

Parking and Security Procedures for 

Riverdale Symposium 

Please note that a fee of $2.25 is 

required to enter the parking lot at the 

USDA Center at Riverside. The machine 

accepts $1 bills or quarters. 

Picture identification is required to be 

admitted into the building. Upon 

entering the building, visitors should 

inform security personnel that they are 

attending the Big Cat symposium.

Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of 

September 2004. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. E4–2343 Filed 9–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

East Locust Creek Watershed, Putnam 

and Sullivan Counties, MO

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) 

of the Environmental Policy Act of 

1969; the Council on Environmental 

Quality Guidelines (40 CFR part 1500); 

and the Natural Resources Conservation 

Service Guidelines (7 CFR part 650); the 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, North 

Central Missouri Regional Water 

Commission, the Locust Creek 

Watershed District, and the Sullivan 

County Soil and Water Conservation 

District give notice that an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) is 

being prepared for East Locust Creek 

Watershed, Putnam and Sullivan 

Counties, Missouri.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Roger A. Hansen, State Conservationist, 

or Harold L. Deckerd, Assistant State 

Conservationist, 601 Business Loop 70 

West, Parkade Center, Suite #250, 

Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876–0900.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

environmental assessment of this 

federally assisted action indicates that 

the project may cause significant local, 

regional, or national impacts on the 

environment. As a result of these 

findings, Roger Hansen, NRCS State 

Conservationist, has determined that the 

preparation and review of an 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2004 / Notices 56995

environmental impact statement (EIS) is 

needed for this project. 

This project involves construction of 

a multiple-purpose reservoir as a 

supplement to the on-going Public Law 

83–566 East Locust Creek Watershed 

project. The project supplement will 

include one rural water supply reservoir 

with additional purposes of flood 

protection, recreation, and fish and 

wildlife habitat enhancement. 

A draft EIS will be prepared and 

circulated for review by agencies and 

the public. The Natural Resources 

Conservation Service invites 

participation and consultation of 

agencies and individuals that have 

special expertise, legal jurisdiction, or 

interest in the preparation of the draft 

EIS. A field investigation is scheduled 

for September 27 and 28, 2004, and 

additional planning Meetings will be 

scheduled as needed. Further 

information on the proposed action may 

be obtained from Harold Deckerd, 

Assistant State Conservationist, at the 

above address or telephone number.

Dated: September 16, 2004. 

Roger A. Hansen, 

State Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 04–21390 Filed 9–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration 

President’s Export Council: Meeting of 

the President’s Export Council

AGENCY: International Trade 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of an open meeting.

SUMMARY: The President’s Export 

Council (PEC) will hold a full Council 

meeting to discuss topics related to 

export expansion. The meeting will 

include discussion of trade priorities 

and initiatives, the World Trade 

Organization, PEC subcommittee 

activity and proposed letters of 

recommendation. The PEC was 

established on December 20, 1973, and 

reconstituted May 4, 1979, to advise the 

President on matters relating to U.S. 

trade. It was most recently renewed by 

Executive Order 13316.

DATES: September 29, 2004.

TIME: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

ADDRESSES: Room 2237, Rayburn House 

Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. 

This program is physically accessible to 

people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be submitted no 

later than September 20, 2004, to J. Marc 

Chittum, President’s Export Council, 

Room 4043, Washington, DC 20230 

(Telephone: 202–482–1124). Seating is 

limited and will be on a first come, first 

served basis.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J. 

Marc Chittum, President’s Export 

Council, Room 4043, Washington, DC 

20230 (Phone: 202–482–1124), or visit 

the PEC Web site, http://

www.ita.doc.gov/td/pec.

Dated: September 20, 2004. 

J. Marc Chittum, 

Staff Director and Executive Secretary, 

President’s Export Council.

[FR Doc. 04–21468 Filed 9–21–04; 12:05 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 083104A]

Taking and Importing Marine 

Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals 

Incidental to Operation of an Offshore 

Oil and Gas Platform in the Beaufort 

Sea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of application 

for an incidental take authorization; 

request for comments and information.

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request 

from BP Exploration (Alaska), 900 East 

Benson Boulevard, Anchorage, AK 

99519 (BP) for renewal of an 

authorization to take small numbers of 

marine mammals incidental to 

operation of an offshore oil and gas 

platform at the Northstar facility in the 

Beaufort Sea in state waters. NMFS is 

considering whether to propose new 

regulations that would govern the 

incidental taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals under a Letter of 

Authorization (LOA) issued to BP. In 

order to promulgate regulations and 

issue an LOA, NMFS must determine 

that these takings will have a negligible 

impact on the affected species and 

stocks of marine mammals. NMFS 

invites comment on the application and 

suggestions on the content of the 

regulations.

DATES: Comments and information must 

be postmarked no later than October 25, 

2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the 

application should be addressed to 

Steve Leathery, Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910–3225, or by telephoning one of 

the contacts listed here. The mailbox 

address for providing email comments 

is PR1.083104A@noaa.gov. Include in 

the subject line of the e-mail comment 

the following document identifier: 

083104A. Please use only one method 

for submitting comments. NMFS is not 

responsible for e-mail comments sent to 

addresses other than the one provided 

here. Comments sent via e-mail, 

including all attachments, must not 

exceed a 10–megabyte file size. A copy 

of the application containing a list of the 

references used in this document may 

be obtained by writing to this address or 

by telephoning the contact listed here 

and is also available at:http://

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/protlres/PR2/

SmalllTake/

smalltakelinfo.htm#applications.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth R. Hollingshead, NMFS, 301–

713–2055, ext. 128 or Brad Smith, 

NMFS, (907) 271–5006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 

et seq.)(MMPA) directs the Secretary of 

Commerce (Secretary) to allow, upon 

request, the incidental, but not 

intentional taking of marine mammals 

by U.S. citizens who engage in a 

specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and regulations are issued.

Permission may be granted for periods 

of 5 years or less if the Secretary finds 

that the taking will have a negligible 

impact on the species or stock(s), will 

not have an unmitigable adverse impact 

on the availability of the species or 

stock(s) for subsistence uses, and 

regulations are prescribed setting forth 

the permissible methods of taking and 

the requirements pertaining to the 

monitoring and reporting of such taking.

NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible 

impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as ‘‘an 

impact resulting from the specified 

activity that cannot be reasonably 

expected to, and is not reasonably likely 

to, adversely affect the species or stock 

through effects on annual rates of 

recruitment or survival.’’ Except for 

certain categories of activities not 

pertinent here, the MMPA defines 

‘‘harassment’’ as any act of pursuit, 

torment, or annoyance which:

(i) has the potential to injure a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild