78228 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 240 / Wednesday, December 15, 2010 / Notices 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Skidmore or Colette Cairns, 

(301) 713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 

27, 2009, notice was published in the 

Federal Register (74 FR 43679) that a 

request for a scientific research and 

enhancement permit to take black 

abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) had been 

submitted by the above-named 

organization. The requested permit has 

been issued under the authority of the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (ESA; 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). 

This permit authorizes the continued 

monitoring of black abalone, a species 

listed as endangered on February 13, 

2009. The objective of this monitoring is 

to identify population trends through 

population counts and size distribution 

measurements. Monitoring would 

consist of only non-lethal take to 

measure abalone, and at selected sites, 

tag some individuals to determine 

survivorship and growth. This permit is 

valid for five years. 

Issuance of this permit, as required by 

the ESA, was based on a finding that 

such permit (1) Was applied for in good 

faith, (2) will not operate to the 

disadvantage of such endangered or 

threatened species, and (3) is consistent 

with the purposes and policies set forth 

in section 2 of the ESA. 

Dated: December 9, 2010. 

Tammy C. Adams, 

Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and 

Education Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–31520 Filed 12–14–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA063 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Columbia River 

Crossing Project, Washington and 

Oregon 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

letter of authorization; request for 

comments and information. 

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request 

from the Department of Transportation’s 

Federal Transit Authority (FTA) and 

Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA), on behalf of the Columbia 

River Crossing project (CRC), for 

authorization to take marine mammals 

incidental to bridge construction and 

demolition activities at the Columbia 

River and North Portland Harbor, 

Washington and Oregon, over the course 

of five years; approximately July 2013 

through June 2018. Pursuant to 

regulations implementing the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS 

is announcing receipt of CRC’s request 

for the development and 

implementation of regulations 

governing the incidental taking of 

marine mammals and inviting 

information, suggestions, and comments 

on CRC’s application and request. 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than January 14, 

2011. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on the 

application should be addressed to P. 

Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

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

20910–3225. The mailbox address for 

providing e-mail comments is 

ITP.Laws@noaa.gov. Comments sent via 

e-mail, including all attachments, must 

not exceed a 10-megabyte file size. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ben 

Laws, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, (301) 713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Availability 

A copy of CRC’s application may be 

obtained by writing to the address 

specified above (see ADDRESSES), 

telephoning the contact listed above (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), or 

visiting the Internet at: http://www.

nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental.

htm#applications. 

Background 

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the 

MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct 

the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) 

to allow, upon request, the incidental, 

but not intentional taking of small 

numbers of marine mammals by U.S. 

citizens who engage in a specified 

activity (other than commercial fishing) 

if certain findings are made and 

regulations are issued or, if the taking is 

limited to harassment, notice of a 

proposed authorization is provided to 

the public for review. 

Authorization for incidental takings 

may be granted if NMFS finds that the 

taking will have a negligible impact on 

the species or stock(s) and will not have 

an unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the species or stock(s) for 

certain subsistence uses, and if the 

permissible methods of taking and 

requirements pertaining to the 

mitigation, monitoring and reporting of 

such taking are set forth. 

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 with respect to certain 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 

[Level A harassment]; or (ii) has the potential 

to disturb a marine mammal or marine 

mammal stock in the wild by causing 

disruption of behavioral patterns, including, 

but not limited to, migration, breathing, 

nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering 

[Level B harassment]. 

Summary of Request 

On November 22, 2010, NMFS 

received a complete application from 

CRC requesting authorization for take of 

three species of marine mammals 

incidental to construction and 

demolition activities in the Columbia 

River and North Portland Harbor, 

Washington and Oregon. Portions of the 

project are anticipated to potentially last 

until March 2021; CRC has requested 

regulations to be effective for the period 

of five years from approximately July 

2013 through June 2018. Marine 

mammals would be exposed to various 

operations, including noise from pile 

driving, demolition of existing 

structures, and the presence of 

construction-related vessels. Because 

the specified activities have the 

potential to take marine mammals 

present within the action area, CRC 

requests authorization to take, by Level 

B harassment, Steller sea lions 

(Eumetopias jubatus), California sea 

lions (Zalophus californianus), and 

harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). 

Specified Activities 

CRC is proposing a multimodal 

transportation project along a 5-mile 

section of the I–5 corridor connecting 

Vancouver, Washington and Portland, 

Oregon, including the following 

activities: 

• Replacement of the existing 

Columbia River bridges with two new 

structures; 

• Widening of the existing North 

Portland Harbor Bridge, and 

construction of three new structures 

across the harbor; and 


hsrobinson on DSK69SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 240 / Wednesday, December 15, 2010 / Notices 78229 

• Demolition of existing Columbia 

River bridges. 

In summary, the new Columbia River 

crossing will carry traffic on two 

separate pier-supported bridges and will 

include a new light rail transit (LRT) 

line and improved bicycle/pedestrian 

facilities, using a stacked alignment to 

reduce the number of in-water piers in 

the Columbia River by approximately 

one-third. CRC proposes six in-water 

pier complexes for a total of 12 piers for 

the Columbia River bridges. 

CRC proposes to widen the existing I– 

5 southbound bridge over North 

Portland Harbor, and will add three new 

bridges adjacent to the existing bridges. 

Starting from the east, these structures 

will carry: 

• A three-lane northbound collectordistributor (CD) ramp carrying local 

traffic; 

• Northbound and southbound I–5 on 

the widened existing bridge across the 

North Portland Harbor; 

• A southbound CD ramp carrying 

local traffic; and 

• LRT combined with a bicycle/ 

pedestrian path. 

Each bridge will have four or five inwater bents, consisting of one to three 

drilled shafts. The permanent in-water 

piers of both the Columbia River and 

North Portland Harbor crossings will be 

constructed using drilled shafts, rather 

than impact-driven piles. However, the 

project will include numerous 

temporary in-water structures to support 

equipment and materials during the 

course of construction which may 

require the use of temporary impactdriven piles. These structures will 

include work platforms, work bridges, 

and tower cranes. 

The existing Columbia River bridges 

will be demolished after the new 

Columbia River bridges have been 

constructed and after associated 

interchanges are operating. The existing 

Columbia River bridges will be 

demolished in two stages: (1) 

Superstructure demolition and (2) 

substructure demolition. In-water 

demolition will be accomplished either 

within cofferdams or with the use of 

diamond wire/wire saw. A full 

description of the activities proposed by 

CRC is described in the application. 

Information Solicited 

Interested persons may submit 

information, suggestions, and comments 

concerning CRC’s request (see 

ADDRESSES). All information, 

suggestions, and comments related to 

CRC’s request and NMFS’ potential 

development and implementation of 

regulations governing the incidental 

taking of marine mammals by CRC will 

be considered by NMFS in developing, 

if appropriate, regulations governing the 

issuance of letters of authorization. 

Dated: December 9, 2010. 

James H. Lecky, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–31528 Filed 12–14–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Record of Decision for the U.S. Marine 

Corps East Coast Basing of the F–35B 

Aircraft 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Record of decision. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) of 1969, 42 United States 

Code (U.S.C.) Section 4332(2)(c), the 

regulations of the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) for 

Implementing the Procedural Provisions 

of NEPA (40 Code of Federal 

Regulations [CFR] parts 1500–1508), the 

Department of the Navy (DoN) NEPA 

regulations (32 CFR part 775), and the 

Marine Corps Environmental 

Compliance and Protection Manual, 

which is Marine Corps Order P5090.2A 

with change 2 (MCO P5090.2A), the 

DoN announces its decision to base and 

operate 11 operational F–35B Joint 

Strike Fighter (JSF) squadrons (up to 16 

aircraft per squadron, for a total of 176 

aircraft) and one Pilot Training Center 

(PTC) (composed of two Fleet 

Replacement Squadrons [FRS]) (up to 20 

aircraft per squadron, for a total of 40 

aircraft) at two locations on the East 

Coast of the United States (U.S.). More 

specifically, the DoN has decided to 

implement Alternative 1, the Preferred 

Alternative, which includes basing three 

F–35B operational squadrons and the 

PTC at Marine Corps Air Station 

(MCAS) Beaufort in Beaufort, South 

Carolina, and eight operational 

squadrons at MCAS Cherry Point in 

Havelock, North Carolina. To support 

the basing action, the Marine Corps will: 

(1) Construct and/or renovate airfield 

facilities and infrastructure necessary to 

accommodate and maintain the F–35B 

squadrons; (2) change personnel to 

accommodate squadron staffing; and (3) 

conduct F–35B training operations to 

attain and maintain proficiency in the 

operational employment of the F–35B. 

The F–35B aircraft will replace 84 

legacy Marine Corps F/A–18A/B/C/D 

Hornet and 68 AV–8B Harrier aircraft in 

the Second Marine Air Wing (2d MAW) 

and the 4th MAW. All practical means 

to avoid or minimize environmental 

impacts resulting from implementation 

of the Preferred Alternative have been 

adopted. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

complete text of the Record of Decision 

is available for public viewing on the 

project Web site at http:// 

www.usmcjsfeast.com along with copies 

of the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS). For further information, 

contact the JSF East Coast EIS Project 

Manager, Environmental Planning & 

Conservation Division (Attn: Linda 

Blount); Naval Facilities Engineering 

Command Mid-Atlantic, Code EV21; 

9742 Maryland Avenue, Z–144, 1st 

Floor; Norfolk, VA 23511; 757–341– 

0491. 

Dated: December 9, 2010. 

D. J. Werner, 

Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge 

Advocate General, U.S. Navy, Federal 

Register Liaison Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2010–31469 Filed 12–14–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Record of Decision for the U.S. Marine 

Corps West Coast Basing of the F–35B 

Aircraft 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Record of decision. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) of 1969, 42 United States 

Code (U.S.C.) Section 4332(2)(c), the 

regulations of the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) for 

Implementing the Procedural Provisions 

of NEPA (40 Code of Federal 

Regulations [CFR] parts 1500–1508), the 

Department of the Navy (DoN) NEPA 

regulations (32 CFR part 775), and the 

Marine Corps Environmental 

Compliance and Protection Manual, 

which is Marine Corps Order P5090.2A 

with change 2 (MCO P5090.2A), the 

DoN announces its decision to base and 

operate 11 operational F–35B Joint 

Strike Fighter (JSF) squadrons (up to 16 

aircraft per squadron, for a total of 176 

aircraft), and 1 F–35B Operational Test 

and Evaluation (OT&E) squadron (8 

aircraft) on the West Coast of the United 

States (U.S.). More specifically, the DoN 

has decided to implement Alternative 1, 

the Preferred Alternative, which 

includes basing six F–35B operational 

squadrons at Marine Corps Air Station 

(MCAS) Miramar in San Diego, 

California, and five operational 


hsrobinson on DSK69SOYB1PROD with NOTICES