48538 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 161 / Monday, August 21, 2006 / Notices 

operations on the aforementioned ships. 

The application’s take estimates are 

based on 16 nominal 9-day active sonar 

missions (or equivalent shorter 

missions) between both vessels, 

regardless of which vessel is performing 

a specific mission, not to exceed a total 

of 432 hours of LFA sonar transmission 

time combined for both vessels. 

The specified geographic regions 

identified in the application are the 

following oceanographic provinces 

described in Longhurst (1998) and 

identified in 50 CFR 216.180(a): the 

Archipelagic Deep Basins Province, the 

Western Pacific Warm Pool Province, 

and the North Pacific Tropical Gyre 

West Province, all within the Pacific 

Trade Wind Biome; the Kuroshio 

Current Province and the Northern 

Pacific Transition Zone Province within 

the Pacific Westerly Winds Biome; the 

North Pacific Epicontinental Sea 

Province within the Pacific Polar Biome; 

and the China Sea Coastal Province 

within the North Pacific Coastal Biome. 

The operational areas are portions of the 

provinces but do not encompass the 

entire area of the provinces. Due to 

critical naval warfare requirements, the 

U.S. Navy has identified the necessity 

for both SURTASS LFA sonar vessels to 

be stationed in the North Pacific Ocean 

during fiscal year 2006. 

Monitoring and Reporting 

In compliance with the two LOAs 

issued in 2005, on June 9, 2006, the 

Navy submitted an annual report on 

SURTASS LFA sonar operations and the 

mitigation and monitoring activities 

conducted under those LOAs. A copy of 

that report (Navy, 2006) can be 

downloaded at: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ 

incidental.htm#applications. 

Authorization 

NMFS has issued two LOAs to the 

U.S. Navy, authorizing the incidental 

harassment of marine mammals 

incidental to operating the two 

SURTASS LFA sonar systems for 

training, testing and routine military 

operations. Issuance of these two LOAs 

is based on findings, described in the 

preamble to the final rule (67 FR 46712, 

July 16, 2002) and supported by 

information contained in the Navy’s 

required annual report on SURTASS 

LFA sonar, that the activities described 

under these two LOAs will have no 

more than a negligible impact on marine 

mammal stocks and will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the affected marine 

mammal stocks for subsistence uses. 

These LOAs remain valid through 

August 15, 2007, provided the Navy 

remains in conformance with the 

conditions of the regulations and the 

LOAs, and the mitigation, monitoring, 

and reporting requirements described in 

50 CFR 216.184-216.186 (67 FR 46712, 

July 16, 2002) and in the LOAs are 

undertaken. 

Dated: August 15, 2006. 

James H. Lecky, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E6–13782 Filed 8–18–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 081406B] 

Endangered Species; Permit No. 1574 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; Issuance of permit. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a 

scientific research permit to take 

shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser 

brevirostrum) has been issued to Dr. 

Frank A. Chapman, Department of 

Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, University 

of Florida, 7922 NW 71st Street, 

Gainesville, Florida 32653. 

ADDRESSES: The permit 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)427–2521; and 

Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th 

Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; 

phone (727)824–5312; fax (727)824–

5309. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Skidmore or Kate Swails at 

(301)713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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). 

On May 10, 2006, notice was 

published in the Federal Register (71 

FR 27230) that a request for a scientific 

research permit to take shortnose 

sturgeon had been submitted by Dr. 

Frank A. Chapman. Dr. Chapman will 

use 187 captive shortnose sturgeon 

presently held at the University of 

Florida to meet the following objectives: 

(1) identify physical, chemical, and 

biological parameters required to 

maintain optimal survival and growth of 

larvae and juvenile shortnose sturgeon; 

(2) describe embryonic development 

and metamorphosis; (3) monitor gonadal 

development of domestically raised 

shortnose sturgeon; (4) develop 

chemical assays to identify the sex and 

monitor the sexual development of 

shortnose sturgeon; and (5) understand 

the physiology of the sperm and egg to 

develop short and long-term storage of 

sperm as well as optimum fertilization 

techniques. The permit has been issued 

for five years. 

Issuance of this permit, as required by 

the ESA, was based on a finding that 

such permits (1) were applied for in 

good faith, (2) will not operate to the 

disadvantage of such endangered or 

threatened species, and (3) are 

consistent with the purposes and 

policies set forth in section 2 of the 

ESA. 

Dated: August 16, 2006. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E6–13784 Filed 8–18–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

COMMITTEE FOR THE 

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE 

AGREEMENTS 

Request for Public Comment on 

Commercial Availability Request under 

the North American Free Trade 

Agreement (NAFTA) 

August 16, 2006. 

AGENCY: The Committee for the 

Implementation of Textile Agreements 

(CITA). 

ACTION: Request for Public Comments 

concerning a request for modification of 

the NAFTA rules of origin for filament 

yarn of cellulose acetate. 

SUMMARY: On July 21, 2006 the 

Government of the United States 

received a request from the Government 

of Mexico alleging that filament yarn of 

cellulose acetate, classified in heading 

5403 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 

of the United States (HTSUS), cannot be 

supplied by the Mexican industry in 

commercial quantities in a timely 

manner and requesting that the 

governments of Canada and the United 

States consult to consider whether the 

North American Free Trade Agreement 

(NAFTA) rule of origin for woven 

fabrics classified under HTSUS heading 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC72 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 161 / Monday, August 21, 2006 / Notices 48539 

5408 and products classified in HTSUS 

chapter 58 should be modified to allow 

the use of non-North American filament 

yarns of cellulose acetate. 

The President may proclaim a 

modification to the NAFTA rules of 

origin only after reaching an agreement 

with the other NAFTA countries on the 

modification. CITA hereby solicits 

public comments on this request, in 

particular with regard to whether 

filament yarn of cellulose acetate of 

HTSUS heading 5403 can be supplied 

by the domestic industry in commercial 

quantities in a timely manner. 

Comments must be submitted by 

September 20, 2006 to the Chairman, 

Committee for the Implementation of 

Textile Agreements, Room 3001, United 

States Department of Commerce, 

Washington, D.C. 20230. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Martin J. Walsh, International Trade 

Specialist, Office of Textiles and 

Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, 

(202) 482-2818. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority: Section 204 of the Agricultural 

Act of 1956, as amended (7 USC 1854); 

Section 202(q) of the North American Free 

Trade Agreement Implementation Act (19 

USC 3332(q)); Executive Order 11651 of 

March 3, 1972, as amended. 

BACKGROUND: 

Under the NAFTA, NAFTA countries 

are required to eliminate customs duties 

on textile and apparel goods that qualify 

as originating goods under the NAFTA 

rules of origin, which are set out in 

Annex 401 to the NAFTA. The NAFTA 

provides that the rules of origin for 

textile and apparel products may be 

amended through a subsequent 

agreement by the NAFTA countries. See 

Section 202(q) of the NAFTA 

Implementation Act. In consultations 

regarding such a change, the NAFTA 

countries are to consider issues of 

availability of supply of fibers, yarns, or 

fabrics in the free trade area and 

whether domestic producers are capable 

of supplying commercial quantities of 

the good in a timely manner. The 

NAFTA Implementation Act provides 

the President with the authority to 

proclaim modifications to the NAFTA 

rules of origin as are necessary to 

implement an agreement with one or 

more NAFTA country on such a 

modification. See section 202(q) of the 

NAFTA Implementation Act. 

On July 21, 2006 the Government of 

the United States received a request 

from the Government of Mexico alleging 

that filament yarn of cellulose acetate, 

classified in heading 5403 of the 

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 

United States (HTSUS), cannot be 

supplied by the Mexican industry in 

commercial quantities in a timely 

manner and requesting that the 

governments of Canada and the United 

States consult to consider whether the 

NAFTA rule of origin for woven fabrics 

classified under HTSUS heading 5408 

and products classified in HTSUS 

chapter 58 should be modified to allow 

the use of non-North American filament 

yarns of cellulose acetate. 

CITA is soliciting public comments 

regarding this request, particularly with 

respect to whether filament yarn of 

cellulose acetate can be supplied by the 

domestic industry in commercial 

quantities in a timely manner. 

Comments must be received no later 

than September 20, 2006. Interested 

persons are invited to submit six copies 

of such comments or information to the 

Chairman, Committee for the 

Implementation of Textile Agreements, 

room 3100, U.S. Department of 

Commerce, 14th and Constitution 

Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20230. 

If a comment alleges that filament 

yarn of cellulose acetate can be supplied 

by the domestic industry in commercial 

quantities in a timely manner, CITA will 

closely review any supporting 

documentation, such as a signed 

statement by a manufacturer stating that 

it produces filament yarn that is the 

subject of the request, including the 

quantities that can be supplied and the 

time necessary to fill an order, as well 

as any relevant information regarding 

past production. 

CITA will protect any business 

confidential information that is marked 

‘‘business confidential’’ from disclosure 

to the full extent permitted by law. 

CITA will make available to the public 

non-confidential versions of the request 

and non-confidential versions of any 

public comments received with respect 

to a request in room 3100 in the Herbert 

Hoover Building, 14th and Constitution 

Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20230. 

Persons submitting comments on a 

request are encouraged to include a nonconfidential version and a nonconfidential summary. 

James C. Leonard III, 

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation 

of Textile Agreements. 

[FR Doc. 06–7077 Filed 8–17–06; 2:33 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

[Docket No. DoD–2006–HA–0180] 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request 

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant 

Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, 

DoD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

In compliance with Section 

3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the 

Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

Health Affairs announces the proposed 

extension of a public information 

collection and seeks public comment on 

the provisions thereof. Comments are 

invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed information collection; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the information collection on 

respondents, including through the use 

of automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

DATES: Consideration will be given to all 

comments received by October 20, 2006. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by docket number or RIN 

number and title, by any of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Following the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Mail: Federal Docket Management 

System Office, 1160 Defense Pentagon, 

Washington, DC 20301–1160. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the agency name and 

docket number for this Federal Register 

document. The general policy for 

comments and other submissions from 

members of the public is to make these 

submissions available for public 

viewing on the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov as they are 

received without change, including any 

personal identifiers or contact 

information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request more information on this 

proposed information collection or to 

obtain a copy of the proposal and 

associated collection instruments, 

please write to the Office of the 

Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

Health Affairs (OASD), TRICARE 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC72 with NOTICES