Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices 83523 

Conservancy in Maine. In these letters 

these organizations expressed their 

support of MBI’s application for an ITP. 

Of the two additional comments one 

commenter was opposed to the killing 

of any fish. This is not consistent with 

the ESA, which allows for the incidental 

take of listed species if certain criteria 

are met and a permit is issued by NMFS. 

Additionally, lethal take is not 

authorized for this permit. The other 

commenter seemed confused regarding 

the requirements of the ESA and the ITP 

process. NMFS and MBI held further 

discussions regarding information that 

would be incorporated in the 

Conservation Plan and a final 

application and Conservation Plan was 

submitted on July 6, 2020. 

Conservation Plan 

Section 10 of the ESA specifies that 

no permit may be issued unless an 

applicant submits an adequate 

conservation plan. The conservation 

plan prepared by MBI describes 

measures designed to minimize and 

mitigate the impacts of any incidental 

take of ESA-listed shortnose sturgeon, 

Atlantic sturgeon and Atlantic salmon. 

To avoid and minimize take of ESA 

listed species MBI is required to 

implement the following minimization 

measures: (a) Conduct sampling 

between mid-September and midOctober to minimize any encounters 

with early life stage or juvenile fish. (b) 

MBI will request any recent acoustic 

detections of ESA listed species in the 

study area and take steps to avoid any 

congregations of listed species. (c) Only 

trained and qualified MBI crew leaders 

and either MBI or Maine Department of 

Marine Resources (DMR) agency 

technicians will be allowed to carry out 

the sampling activities. The MBI crew 

leader will review the ESA listed 

species minimization and avoidance 

procedures with the sampling crew at 

the beginning of each sampling day. In 

addition Maine DMR procedures 

(Bruchs et al. 2016) for electrofishing 

will be included in the training and 

instructions. (d) Sampling and the 

operation of the electrofishing gear will 

be done in a manner that minimizes the 

potential for injury to the listed species. 

The pulse frequency will be reduced to 

30–60Hz when sampling in areas of 

prior interaction with ESA listed species 

to minimize the risk of injury. (e) 

Electric current and sampling activity 

will cease upon an encounter where a 

listed species is observed to be affected 

by the electric field. Affected sturgeon, 

if immobilized and/or in apparent 

distress, may be netted or otherwise 

handled in order to ascertain any injury 

and to revive if necessary, but the 

individual will not be removed from the 

water. Otherwise, affected fish that 

leave the electric field under their own 

power and appear to be uninjured will 

not be pursued and netted. In such 

cases, the species identification and 

estimation of length will be made 

visually. (f) Sampling will not be 

conducted when ambient water 

temperature is >22 °C per Maine DMR 

specifications (Bruchs et al. 2016). 

Temperature will be routinely measured 

at the start of each electrofishing site, 

but will be more frequently monitored 

(every 2 hours) when temperatures are 

between 20–22 °C. (g) When there is any 

interaction with a listed species all 

sampling activities will cease and the 

electric current will be shut off for a 

period of 5 minutes and/or until the 

individual fish are released and 

determined to have departed the area. 

Notation will be made about the 

physical condition of the individual in 

terms of the reaction to the electric field 

and if it was able to leave the area under 

its own power. Photographs will be 

taken of each interaction to document 

occurrence and any evidence of injury. 

At present, the project is funded by 

MBI research and development funds, 

but MBI continues to seek external 

funding. This project has been ongoing 

for 18 years and is one of the longest 

running biological monitoring projects 

in New England and the only sustained 

effort that focuses on large river fish 

assemblages. 

Permit 23861 

NMFS authorizes the following nonlethal incidental takes: 

• Four (adult/subadult) Gulf of Maine 

& New York Bight DPS Atlantic 

sturgeon; 

• Four (adult/subadult) Shortnose 

sturgeon; and 

• Five (adult/subadult) Gulf of Maine 

DPS Atlantic salmon. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

Issuing an ESA section 10(a)(1)(B) 

permit constitutes a Federal action 

requiring NMFS to comply with the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) as 

implemented by 40 CFR parts 1500– 

1508 and NOAA Administrative Order 

216–6, Environmental Review 

Procedures for Implementing the 

National Policy Act (1999). NMFS has 

determined that the activity proposed is 

categorically excluded from the 

requirement to prepare an 

environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement. This 

action falls within the B3 category— 

Issuance of, and amendments to, ‘‘low 

effect’’ Incidental Take Permits and 

their supporting ‘‘low effect’’ Habitat 

Conservation Plans under section 

10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA. Additionally 

there are no extraordinary 

circumstances with the potential for 

significant environmental effects that 

would preclude the issuance of this 

permit type from being categorically 

excluded. 

Dated: December 17, 2020. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Conservation 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28228 Filed 12–21–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; Weather Modification 

Activities Reports 

AGENCY: National Oceanic & 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA), invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to comment on 

proposed, and continuing information 

collections, which helps us assess the 

impact of our information collection 

requirements and minimize the public’s 

reporting burden. The purpose of this 

notice is to allow for 60 days of public 

comment preceding submission of the 

collection to OMB. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, 

comments regarding this proposed 

information collection must be received 

on or before February 22, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments to 

Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, 

at Adrienne.thomas@noaa.gov. Please 

reference OMB Control Number 0648– 

0025 in the subject line of your 

comments. Do not submit Confidential 

Business Information or otherwise 

sensitive or protected information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

specific questions related to collection 

activities should be directed to OAR 

Weather Program Office at 

Weather.Modification@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
83524 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices 

I. Abstract 

This is a request for extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. The National Oceanic & 

Atmospheric Administration’s Office of 

Atmospheric Research (OAR)/Weather 

Program Office is conducting this 

information collection pursuant to 

Section 6(b) of Public Law 92–205. This 

law requires that all non-federal weather 

modification activities (e.g., cloud 

seeding) in the United States (U.S.) and 

its territories be reported to the 

Secretary of Commerce through NOAA. 

This reporting is critical for gauging the 

scope of these activities, for determining 

the possibility of duplicative operations 

or of interference with another project, 

for providing a database for checking 

atmospheric changes against the 

reported activities, and for providing a 

single source of information on the 

safety and environmental factors used in 

weather modification activities in the 

U.S. Two forms are collected under this 

OMB Control Number: One prior to and 

one after the activity. The requirements 

are detailed in 15 CFR part 908. This 

data is used for scientific research, 

historical statistics, international reports 

and other purposes. 

II. Method of Collection 

Respondents have a choice of either 

electronic or paper forms. Methods of 

submittal include email of electronic 

forms, mail and facsimile transmission 

of paper forms. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0025. 

Form Number(s): NOAA Forms 17–4 

and 17–4A. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension of a current information 

collection). 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

50. 

Estimated Time per Response: 60 

minutes per initial report; 30 minutes 

per final report. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 75 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $0. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

Legal Authority: Public Law 92–205, 

Weather Modification Reporting Act of 

1972. 

IV. Request for Comments 

We are soliciting public comments to 

permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) 

Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper functions of the Department, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the 

accuracy of our estimate of the time and 

cost burden for this proposed collection, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and (d) Minimize the 

reporting burden on those who are to 

respond, including the use of automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

Comments that you submit in 

response to this notice are a matter of 

public record. We will include or 

summarize each comment in our request 

to OMB to approve this ICR. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

email address, or other personal 

identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you may ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Sheleen Dumas, 

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of 

the Chief Information Officer, Commerce 

Department. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28216 Filed 12–21–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–KD–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

[Transmittal No. 20–86] 

Arms Sales Notification 

AGENCY: Defense Security Cooperation 

Agency, Department of Defense (DoD). 

ACTION: Arms sales notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Defense is 

publishing the unclassified text of an 

arms sales notification. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karma Job at karma.d.job.civ@mail.mil 

or (703) 697–8976. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

36(b)(1) arms sales notification is 

published to fulfill the requirements of 

section 155 of Public Law 104–164 

dated July 21, 1996. The following is a 

copy of a letter to the Speaker of the 

House of Representatives, Transmittal 

20–86 with attached Policy Justification 

and Sensitivity of Technology. 

Dated: December 17, 2020. 

Kayyonne T. Marston, 

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison 

Officer, Department of Defense. 

BILLING CODE 5001–06–P 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES