Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 29, 2006 / Notices 69101 

distribution, abundance, demographics, 

and genetics; (B) habitat conditions 

including, but not limited to, amount, 

distribution, and suitability; (C) 

conservation measures that have been 

implemented that benefit the species; 

(D) status and trends of threats; and (E) 

other new information, data, or 

corrections including, but not limited 

to, taxonomic or nomenclatural changes, 

identification of erroneous information 

contained in the list, and improved 

analytical methods. 

If you wish to provide information for 

this 5-year review, you may submit your 

information and materials to Kyle Baker 

(see ADDRESSES section). Our practice is 

to make submissions of information, 

including names and home addresses of 

respondents, available for public review 

during regular business hours. 

Respondents may request that we 

withhold a respondent’s identity, as 

allowable by law. If you wish us to 

withhold your name or address, you 

must state this request prominently at 

the beginning of your submission. We 

will not, however, consider anonymous 

submissions. To the extent consistent 

with applicable law, we will make all 

submissions from organizations or 

businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, available 

for public inspection in their entirety. 

Information and materials received will 

be available for public inspection, by 

appointment, during normal business 

hours (see ADDRESSES section). 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. 

Dated: November 22, 2006. 

Wanda L. Cain, 

Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E6–20249 Filed 11–28–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 110706B] 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Recovery Plans; Proposed Recovery 

Plan for Southern Resident Killer 

Whales 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS), announce the 

availability for public review of the 

Proposed Recovery Plan (Plan) for 

Southern Resident Killer Whales 

(Orcinus Orca). NMFS is requesting 

review and comment on the Plan from 

the public and all interested parties. 

DATES: Written comments and 

information must be received by 

February 27, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Plan may be 

reviewed and/or copied at NMFS, 

Protected Resources Division, 7600 

Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. 

The Plan is available on-line on the 

NMFS web site http:// 

www.nwr.noaa.gov. Comments should 

be submitted by mail to Chief, Protected 

Resources Division, 1201 NE Lloyd 

Blvd., Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232 or 

by sending an e-mail message to 

orca.plan@noaa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lynne Barre, NOAA/NMFS, Northwest 

Region, (206) 526–4745. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, 

as amended (15 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 

requires that NMFS develop and 

implement recovery plans for the 

conservation and survival of threatened 

and endangered species under its 

jurisdiction, unless it is determined that 

such plans would not result in the 

conservation of the species. NMFS 

announced the endangered listing of the 

Southern Resident killer whale distinct 

population segment (DPS) on November 

18, 2005 (70 FR 69903). Prior to the ESA 

listing, NMFS designated the Southern 

Resident killer whale population as a 

depleted stock under the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA; 16 

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) on May 29, 2003 (68 

FR 31980). At the time of the 

designation, we announced our 

intention to develop a conservation 

plan. 

We held a series of public meetings 

and technical workshops to gather input 

from Federal Government agency 

representatives, state and tribal comanagers, Canadian officials, orca 

advocacy groups, non-governmental 

organizations, researchers, whale watch 

industry, and concerned citizens. We 

circulated a preliminary draft 

conservation plan for public review on 

March 14, 2005. We received comments 

on the preliminary draft, and made 

revisions in response to the comments. 

We subsequently published a Notice of 

Availability of a Proposed Conservation 

Plan in the Federal Register on October 

3, 2005 (70 FR 57565), opening a public 

comment period. We received 

comments on the proposed conservation 

plan and have addressed them in the 

proposed recovery plan. In addition to 

addressing the comments, we have 

incorporated ESA elements into the 

plan, including discussions of the five 

ESA listing factors, critical habitat, 

section 7, and ESA recovery criteria. We 

also included new research results and 

references that have become available 

since the proposed conservation plan 

was released. 

The Plan 

The ESA requires that recovery plans 

incorporate (1) objective, measurable 

criteria which, when met, would result 

in a determination that the species is no 

longer threatened or endangered; (2) 

site-specific management actions 

necessary to achieve the plan’s goals; 

and (3) estimates of time required and 

costs to implement recovery actions. 

NMFS’ goal is to restore the endangered 

Southern Resident DPS to the point 

where they are again secure, selfsustaining members of their ecosystems 

and no longer need the protections of 

the ESA. 

The Plan provides background on the 

natural history of killer whales, 

population trends and the potential 

threats to their viability. The Plan lays 

out a recovery strategy to address the 

potential threats based on the best 

available science and includes recovery 

goals and criteria. The Plan is not a 

regulatory action, but presents guidance 

for use by agencies and interested 

parties to assist in the recovery of 

Southern Resident killer whales. The 

Plan identifies substantive actions 

needed to achieve recovery by 

addressing the threats to the species. 

The program also links management 

actions to an active research program for 

filling data gaps, and monitoring 

activities to assess effectiveness. The 

Plan incorporates an adaptive 

management framework by which Plan 

actions and other elements will evolve 

and adapt to information gained as a 

result of research and monitoring. 

Recovery of Southern Resident killer 

whales is a long-term effort and will 

require cooperation and coordination of 

Federal, state, tribal and local 

government agencies, and the 

community. 

We request comments on the 

Proposed Recovery Plan for Southern 

Resident Killer Whales with this notice. 

NMFS will consider substantive 

comments and information provided 

during the public comment period in 

the course of finalizing this Plan. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
69102 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 29, 2006 / Notices 

Dated: November 22, 2006. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 06–9454 Filed 11–28–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 111306A] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 1053–1825 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

David Mann, Ph.D., College of Marine 

Science, The University of South 

Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 

Seventh Avenue South, St. Petersburg, 

FL 33701 has been issued a permit to 

conduct research on certain cetacean 

species. 

ADDRESSES: The permit and related 

documents are available for review 

upon written request or by appointment 

(See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amy Sloan or Dr. Tammy Adams, 

(301)713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 5, 

2006, notice was published in the 

Federal Register (70 FR 28909) that a 

request for a scientific research permit 

to take certain cetacean species had 

been submitted by the above-named 

individual. The requested permit has 

been issued under the authority of the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and 

the regulations governing the taking and 

importing of marine mammals (50 CFR 

part 216). 

This permit authorizes the permit 

holder to conduct hearing 

measurements on stranded cetaceans on 

beaches, in near-shore waters, and in 

rehabilitation facilities in the U.S.; and 

on cetaceans captured under separate 

research permits. 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final 

determination has been made that the 

activities proposed are categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement. 

Dated: November 22, 2006. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E6–20246 Filed 11–28–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Notice of Availability of Invention for 

Licensing; Government-Owned 

Invention 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The invention listed below is 

assigned to the United States 

Government as represented by the 

Secretary of the Navy and is available 

for licensing by the Department of the 

Navy. Navy Case No. 83,028: A 

TECHNIQUE FOR FABRICATING TWO 

AND THREE TERMINAL DEVICES IN 

WIDE-BAND GAP SEMICONDUCTORS 

WITHOUT PLASMA ETCHING and any 

continuations, continuations-in-part, 

divisionals or re-issues thereof. 

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the 

invention cited should be directed to 

the Naval Research Laboratory, Code 

1004, 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20375–5320, and must 

include the Navy Case number. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Head, Technology Transfer Office, NRL 

Code 1004, 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20375–5320, telephone 

202–767–7230. Due to temporary U.S. 

Postal Service delays, please fax 202–

404–7920, e-mail: 

techtran@utopia.nrl.navy.mil or use 

courier delivery to expedite response. 

(Authority: 35 U.S.C. 207, 37 CFR Part 404) 

Dated: November 22, 2006. 

M. A. Harvison, 

Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate 

General’s Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 

Liaison Officer. 

[FR Doc. E6–20203 Filed 11–28–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Notice of Availability of a Special 

Environmental Analysis; Potomac 

River Generating Station 

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE). 

ACTION: Notice of Availability. 

SUMMARY: DOE has prepared a Special 

Environmental Analysis (SEA) for 

Actions Taken under U.S. Department 

of Energy Emergency Orders Regarding 

Operation of the Potomac River 

Generating Station in Alexandria, 

Virginia, and is announcing its 

availability. In the SEA, DOE examines 

environmental impacts from the 

Secretary of Energy’s December 20, 2005 

Emergency Order, and the Secretary’s 

September 28, 2006 extension of that 

Emergency Order; the SEA covers a 

period of about 24 months beginning in 

December 2005. The SEA also considers 

alternatives that include mitigation 

measures that DOE may take until the 

Potomac Electric Power Company’s 

(PEPCO) installation of two additional 

230 kV electric transmission lines to the 

Central Washington, DC area (expected 

in June 2007) that would appear to 

eliminate the emergency that lead to the 

issuance of the December 20, 2005 

Emergency Order. 

DOE prepared the SEA after 

consulting with the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) for 

alternative arrangements under 40 CFR 

1506.11, which applies where 

emergency circumstances make it 

necessary to take action without 

preparing an environmental impact 

statement (EIS). The U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency worked with DOE on 

this SEA. 

Simultaneously with issuance of the 

SEA, the Secretary is issuing another 

temporary extension of the Emergency 

Order until February 1, 2007. DOE is 

providing the public an opportunity to 

comment before the Secretary considers 

whether to allow the Order to expire, 

extend the Order, or extend the Order 

with mitigation measures. 

DATES: DOE has posted the SEA on two 

websites: its Web site for this matter at 

http://www.oe.energy.gov/permitting/ 

372.htm and the DOE NEPA Web site at 

http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/ 

documentspub.html. Comments on the 

SEA should be submitted to DOE on or 

before January 8, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should be 

addressed to: Anthony J. Como; 

Permitting, Siting, and Analysis 

Division; Office of Electricity Delivery 

and Energy Reliability (OE–20); U.S. 

Department of Energy; 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585; telephone: 202–

586–5935; fax: 202–586–5860; or 

anthony.como@hq.doe.gov. Due to 

postal security procedures, comments 

sent through the U.S. Mail may be 

delayed. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the DOE NEPA process, 

please contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, 

Director, Office of NEPA Policy and 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES