36666 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 112 / Friday, June 9, 2000 / Notices

Needs and Uses: As a member of the

International Commission for the

Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT),

the U.S. is required to take part in the

collection of biological statistics for

research purposes. In addition to this

requirement, the U.S. must abide by the

specific quota assigned to it by the

ICCAT. The mandatory catch reporting

program provides current information

on the vessel owners participating in the

Atlantic tuna fisheries, thus facilitating

the quota monitoring necessary to avoid

exceeding the quota. It also aids the

National Marine Fisheries Service in the

enforcement of fishery regulations.

Frequency: On Occasion.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker,

(202) 395–3897.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DoC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

Room 6066, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or

via the Internet at lengelme@doc.gov).

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent

within 30 days of publication of this

notice to David Rostker, OMB Desk

Officer, Room 10202, New Executive

Office Building, 725 17th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: June 2, 2000.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief

Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–14672 Filed 6–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D.060100C]

Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for an

enhancement permit (1258); Issuance of

permits 1245 and 1231; Issuance of

Amendment #1 to Permit #1178.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

following actions regarding permits for

takes of endangered and threatened

species for the purposes of scientific

research and/or enhancement: NMFS

has received a permit application from

the North Carolina Zoological Park

(NCZP) (1258); NMFS has issued permit

1245 to Mr. J. David Whitaker, of South

Carolina Department of Natural

Resources (SCDNR) (1245); Amendment

#1 to permit 1178 to Mr. Darryl

Christenson, of the National Marine

Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries

Science Center (NMFS-NEFSC)

(1178);and permit 1231 to Dr. Llewellyn

M. Ehrhart, of University of Central

Florida, Dept. of Biological Science

(UCF) (1231).

DATES: Comments or requests for a

public hearing on any of the new

applications or modification requests

must be received at the appropriate

address or fax number no later than 5:00

pm eastern standard time on July 10,

2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on any of

the new applications or modification

requests should be sent to the

appropriate office as indicated below.

Comments may also be sent via fax to

the number indicated for the application

or modification request. Comments will

not be accepted if submitted via e-mail

or the internet. The applications and

related documents are available for

review in the indicated office, by

appointment:

For Amendment #1 to permit 1178,

and permits 1258, 1231 and 1245,

Endangered Species Division, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD,

20910 (Ph.: 301–713–1401).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

Amendment #1 to permit 1178, and

permits 1258, 1231 and 1245: Terri

Jordan, Silver Spring, MD (ph: 301–713–

1401, fax: 301–713–0376, e-mail:

Terri.Jordan@noaa.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

Issuance of permits and permit

modifications, as required by the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16

U.S.C. 1531–1543) (ESA), is based on a

finding that such permits/modifications:

(1) Are applied for in good faith; (2)

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. Authority to take listed species is

subject to conditions set forth in the

permits. Permits and modifications are

issued in accordance with and are

subject to the ESA and NMFS

regulations governing listed fish and

wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222–226).

Those individuals requesting a

hearing on an application listed in this

notice should set out the specific

reasons why a hearing on that

application would be appropriate (see

ADDRESSES). The holding of such

hearing is at the discretion of the

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

NOAA. All statements and opinions

contained in the permit action

summaries are those of the applicant

and do not necessarily reflect the views

of NMFS.

Species Covered in this Notice

The following species and

evolutionarily significant units (ESU’s)

are covered in this notice:

The following species are covered in

this notice: endangered shortnose

sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum),

endangered Green turtle (Chelonia

mydas), Endangered Kemp’s ridley

turtle (Lepidochelys kempii),

Endangered Leatherback turtle

(Dermochelys coriacea), Threatened

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta).

New Applications Received

NMFS has received and application

from the North Carolina Zoological Park

has requested a five year permit to

continue to maintain four (4) adult

shortnose sturgeon in captivity for

enhancement purposes. The applicant

currently possesses four adult shortnose

sturgeon received from the US Fish and

Wildlife Service hatchery at Warm

Springs Georgia in November 1996

under scientific research permit #986.

Permit 986 will expire on December 31,

2000 and the permit holder does not

wish to renew the enhancement aspects

of the permit. As a result, the North

Carolina Zoological Park is applying for

an individual permit to continue

maintenance of these fish.

Permits and Amendments Issued

Notice was published on March 21,

2000 (65 FR 15131) that Mr. J. David

Whitaker, of South Carolina Department

of Natural Resources applied for a

scientific research permit (1245). The

applicant has requested a three year

permit to establish scientifically-valid

indices of abundance for the northern

sub-population of the threatened

loggerhead turtle and the endangered

Kemp’s ridley, green and leatherback

sea turtles which occur in the Atlantic

Ocean off the southeastern United

States. This study is intended to capture

juveniles and adults, thereby providing

a more comprehensive assessment of

total population abundance and an

assessment of the health of individual

animals. Permit 1245 was issued on

May 19, 2000, authorizing take of listed

species. Permit 1245 expires October 31,

2002.

NMFS has amended permit #1178

issued October 19, 1998. The

amendment removes three annual

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 112 / Friday, June 9, 2000 / Notices 36667

reporting requirements and revises a

permit special condition. The permit

holder possesses a 5-year scientific

research permit to take listed sea turtles

incidentally taken in foreign and

domestic commercial fisheries operating

in state waters and the Exclusive

Economic Zone in the Northwest

Atlantic Ocean. The work will be

conducted by scientific observers

aboard commercial fishing vessels. This

research supports the National Marine

Fisheries Service’s mission of assessing

the impacts of commercial fisheries on

marine resources of interest to the

United States. Amendment #1 to Permit

1178 was issued on May 31, 2000,

authorizing take of listed species. Permit

1178 expires December 21, 2003.

Notice was published on January 14,

2000 (65 FR 2381) that Dr. Llewellyn M.

Ehrhart, of the University of Central

Florida, Dept of Biological Science

applied for a scientific research permit

(1231). The Recovery Plan for the U.S.

Population of Atlantic Green Turtle

states that the foremost problem in

management and conservation of sea

turtles is the lack of basic biological

information. This study proposes to

capture turtles living in the Indian River

Lagoon Estuary of central Florida in

Brevard and Indian River counties. The

data provided by the study will include

information regarding habitat

requirements, seasonal distribution and

abundance, movement and growth,

feeding preferences, sex distribution

and the prevalence and severity of

fibropapilloma. Permit 1231 was issued

on May 31, 2000, authorizing take of

listed species. Permit 1231 expires

March 31, 2005.

Dated: June 5, 2000.

Wanda L. Cain,

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office

of Protected Resources, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–14673 Filed 6–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 051000A]

Marine Mammals; Permit No. 1004

(P595)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service, (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Scientific research permit

amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a

request for amendment of scientific

research no. 1004 submitted by the

Whale Conservation Institute/Ocean

Alliance, 191 Weston Road, Lincoln,

MA 01773, has been granted.

ADDRESSES: The amendment and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment,

in the following offices:

Permits Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (301/713–2289); and

Director, Northeast Region, NMFS,

One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA

01930–2298 (508/281–9250).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth Johnson, 301/713–2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: February

11, 2000, notice was published in the

Federal Register (65 FR 6997) that an

amendment of permit no. 1004, issued

June 21, 1996 (61 FR 33906) had been

requested by the above-named

organization. The requested amendment

has been granted under the authority of

the Marine Mammal Protection Act 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

Endangered Species Act of 1973 as

amended (ESA, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.),

and the regulations governing

endangered and threatened species (50

CFR parts 222–226).

Permit No. 1004 has been amended to:

(1) extend the expiration date of the

permit to December 31, 2000; (2)

increase the number of imported tissue

samples from all species, except

southern right whale (Eubalaena

australis); and (3) increase locations

from which samples may be imported.

Issuance of this amendment as

required by the ESA of 1973 was based

on a finding that the permit: (1) was

applied for in good faith; (2) will not

operate to the disadvantage of the

endangered species which is the subject

of this permit; and (3) is consistent with

the purposes and policies set forth in

Section 2 of the ESA.

Dated: June 5, 2000.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–14674 Filed 6–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Application of BrokerTec Futures

Exchange, L.L.C. for Designation as a

Contract Market in U.S. Treasury Note

and U.S. Treasury Bond Futures

Contracts

AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the

terms and conditions of proposed

commodity futures contracts.

SUMMARY: BrokerTec Futures Exchange,

L.L.C. (‘‘BTEX’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) has

applied for designation as a contract

market for the automated trading of

futures contracts on short-term U.S.

Treasury Notes (2 Year), medium-term

U.S. Treasury Notes (5 Year), long-term

U.S. Treasury Notes (61⁄2–10 Year), and

U.S. Treasury Bonds (15–30 Year) on an

electronic trading system, the BrokerTec

Execution Capability (‘‘BTEC’’) trading

system.

The Exchange has not previously been

approved by the Commodity Futures

Trading Commission (‘‘Commission’’) as

a contract market in any commodity.

Accordingly, in addition to the terms

and conditions of the four proposed

futures contracts, BTEX has submitted

to the Commission a proposed tradematching algorithm; proposed bylaws

and rules pertaining to BTEX

membership, governance, trading

standards and disciplinary and

arbitration procedures; and various

other materials to meet the requirements

for a board of trade seeking initial

designation as a contract market.

BTEX’s submission also includes

various proposed bylaws and rules of

the BrokerTec Clearing Company, L.L.C.

(‘‘BCC’’), an affiliate that would be

responsible for clearing and settlement

functions for the Exchange.

Acting pursuant to the authority

delegated by Commission Regulation

140.96, the Division of Economic

Analysis and the Division of Trading

and Markets have determined to publish

the Exchange’s proposal for public

comment. The Divisions believe that

publication of the proposal for comment

at this time is in the public interest, will

assist the Commission in considering

the views of interested persons, and is

consistent with the Commodity

Exchange Act. The Divisions seek

comment regarding all aspects of

BTEX’s application and addressing any

issues commenters believe the

Commission should consider.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before July 10, 2000.