Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 47 / Monday, March 12, 2007 / Notices 10985 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Tuesday, April 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 

p.m., Wednesday, April 25, from 8 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., and Thursday, April 26, from 

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. These times and the 

agenda topics described below are 

subject to change. Refer to the web page 

listed below for the most up-to-date 

meeting agenda. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the National Science Foundation, Room 

555, 4121 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, 

Virginia 22230. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lauren Wenzel, Designated Federal 

Officer, MPA FAC, National Marine 

Protected Areas Center, 1305 East West 

Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 

20910. (Phone: 301–713–3100 x136, 

Fax: 301–713–3110); e-mail 

lauren.wenzel@noaa.gov; or visit the 

National MPA Center Web site at 

http://www.mpa.gov). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Committee, composed of external, 

knowledgeable representatives of 

stakeholder groups, was established by 

the Department of Commerce (DOC) to 

provide advice to the Secretaries of 

Commerce and the Interior on 

implementation of Section 4 of 

Executive Order 13158 on MPAs. The 

meeting will be open to public 

participation with a one hour time 

period set aside from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

on Tuesday, April 24, 2007, and one 

hour set aside from 8:10 a.m. to 9:10 

a.m. on Thursday, April 26, 2007. In 

general, each individual or group will 

be limited to a total time of five (5) 

minutes. Copies of written statements 

should be submitted to the Designated 

Federal Official by April 20, 2007. 

Matters to be Considered: The 

Committee will work in Subcommittees 

and as a full Committee to develop 

recommendations for the Department of 

Commerce and the Department of the 

Interior on the regional coordination of 

the national system of marine protected 

areas; incentives and implementation; 

and natural and social science needed to 

support the national system. The 

Agenda is subject to change, and the 

latest version will be posted at http:// 

www.mpa.gov. 

Dated: March 5, 2007. 

David M. Kennedy, 

Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal 

Resource Management. 

[FR Doc. 07–1151 Filed 3–9–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–08–M 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

National Centers for Coastal Ocean 

Science Draft Human Dimensions 

Strategic Plan (FY2008–FY2013) 

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce (DOC). 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

solicitation of public comments on the 

National Centers for Coastal Ocean 

Science Draft Human Dimensions 

Strategic Plan (FY2008–FY2013). 

SUMMARY: NOAA publishes this notice 

to announce availability of the National 

Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Draft 

Human Dimensions Strategic Plan 

(FY2008–FY2013) for public comment. 

DATES: Comments must be received 

before 11:59 p.m. EDT, March 19, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Electronic submission of 

comments via e-mail to 

nccos.hd@noaa.gov is preferred. 

Comments may also be sent by fax to 

(301) 713–4353 or mail to NOAA 

National Ocean Service, National 

Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, c/o 

Marybeth Bauer, Ph.D., 1305 East-West 

Highway, NOS HQTR Route N/SCI, 

Silver Spring, MD 20910. E-mail and fax 

comments should state ‘‘Comments’’ in 

the subject line. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Marybeth Bauer, Ph.D., by e-mail at 

nccos.hd@noaa.gov (preferred) or mail 

at NOAA National Ocean Service, 

National Centers for Coastal Ocean 

Science, 1305 East-West Highway, NOS 

HQTR Route N/SCI, Silver Spring, MD 

20910 or phone at (301) 713–3020. Email requests for information should 

state ‘‘Request for Information’’ in the 

subject line. An electronic copy of the 

National Centers for Coastal Ocean 

Science Draft Human Dimensions 

Strategic Plan (FY2008–FY2013) is 

available at: http:// 

coastalscience.noaa.gov/human/ 

strategy/

NCCOSDraftHDStrategicPlan.pdf. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA’s 

National Centers for Coastal Ocean 

Science (NCCOS) provides coastal 

resource managers, other decision 

makers, and stakeholders with the 

ecosystem information and tools needed 

to balance society’s environmental, 

social, and economic goals in mitigating 

and adapting to stressors such as 

climate change, extreme natural events, 

pollution, invasive species, and 

resource use. 

Humans are integral to ecosystems, 

and the human dimensions of 

ecosystems are an integral focus of the 

science NCCOS conducts and conveys. 

NOAA’s Strategic Plan (FY2006–

FY2011) (available at: http:// 

www.ppi.noaa.gov/pdfs/

STRATEGIC%20PLAN/Strategic_Plan

_2006_FINAL_04282005.pdf) defines an 

ecosystem as a geographically specified 

system of organisms, including humans, 

the environment, and the processes that 

control its dynamics. An environment 

encompasses the biological, chemical, 

physical, and social conditions that 

surround organisms. The human 

dimensions of ecosystems can be 

expressed in terms of three points of 

interaction between environmental and 

human systems: human causes, 

consequences, and responses to 

environmental change. Encompassing a 

broad array of social science, 

humanities, and other disciplines, 

human dimensions research aims to 

understand these human-environmental 

interactions and facilitate use of this 

understanding to assist decisions 

affecting environmental processes and 

their societal outcomes. 

NCCOS developed a Draft Human 

Dimensions Strategic Plan (FY2008–

2013) to define and implement human 

dimensions research critical to support 

an ecosystem approach to the 

management of coastal and ocean 

resources. The plan expands a Societal 

Stressors Objective in NCCOS’s 

Strategic Plan (http:// 

coastalscience.noaa.gov/documents/ 

strategicplan.pdf). The final Human 

Dimensions Strategic Plan will guide 

development of the NCCOS ecosystem 

science agenda, workforce, 

organizations, partnerships, and other 

capacities, including research 

conducted through extramural partners, 

grants, and contracts. Planning, 

programming, budgeting, and execution 

of NCCOS activities will reflect the 

objectives of the final plan through FY 

2013. 

The draft plan puts forth the 

following human dimensions goals and 

objectives. First, to provide human 

dimensions information essential to 

support an ecosystem approach to 

coastal and ocean resource management 

(Goal 1), the plan recommends 

identifying and characterizing 

stakeholders and their values (Objective 

1.1), monitoring human dimensions 

(Objective 1.2), assessing and 

monitoring human causes of ecosystem 

stress (Objective 1.3), documenting 

traditional and local ecological 

knowledge (Objective 1.4), addressing 

value and ethical dimensions (Objective 

1.5), and developing institutional 

strategies (Objective 1.6). Second, to 

provide integrated ecosystem 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
10986 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 47 / Monday, March 12, 2007 / Notices 

information essential to support an 

ecosystem approach to coastal and 

ocean resource management, the plan 

recommends developing and 

operationalizing integrative information 

products and tools (Objective 2.1) and 

defining and implementing integrated 

ecosystem assessments (Objective 2.2). 

Third, to promote resilient ecosystems 

(Goal 3), the plan recommends assessing 

the cumulative impacts of hazards on 

coastal communities (Objective 3.1), 

assessing risk and vulnerability 

(Objective 3.2), developing risk 

communication strategies (Objective 

3.3), and evaluating forecasting and 

other capabilities (Objective 3.4). 

Finally, to provide critical support (Goal 

4), the plan recommends building 

essential organizational capacities 

(Objective 4.1) and developing 

communications, outreach, and 

educational strategies (Objective 4.2). 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments on the Draft Human 

Dimensions Strategic Plan (FY2008–

2013) to ensure the value of the final 

document for coastal and ocean 

resource science and governance. 

NCCOS encourages Federal and nonFederal government partners, resource 

managers, other decision makers, 

stakeholders, and other interested 

parties to submit comments. We 

especially encourage comments related 

to the value of the plan to support an 

ecosystem approach to the management 

of coastal and ocean resources, and its 

collaborative implementation. 

To facilitate efficient and thorough 

consideration of all submissions, please 

format your comments as follows: (1) 

Background information on yourself, 

including name, title, organizational 

affiliation, and contact information 

including e-mail address; (2) general 

comments; and (3) specific comments 

with references to line numbers. Please 

follow all substantive, non-editorial 

comments with well-developed 

suggestions for revision. Please include 

identifying information at the top of all 

pages. The Draft NCCOS Human 

Dimensions Strategic Plan (FY2008–

2013) is being issued for comment only 

and is not intended for interim use. 

Gary C. Matlock 

Director, National Center for Coastal Ocean 

Science. 

[FR Doc. 07–1153 Filed 3–9–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–JE–M 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 030607D] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 774–1714 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

amendment. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the National Marine Fisheries Service, 

Southwest Fisheries Science Center 

(SWFSC) (Stephen B. Reilly, Ph.D., 

Principal Investigator), Protected 

Resources Division, 8604 La Jolla Shores 

Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037, has requested an 

amendment to scientific research Permit 

No. 774–1714–05. 

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail 

comments must be received on or before 

April 11, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: The amendment request 

and related documents are available for 

review upon written request or by 

appointment (See SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION). 

Written comments or requests for a 

public hearing on this request should be 

submitted to the Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those 

individuals requesting a hearing should 

set forth the specific reasons why a 

hearing on this particular amendment 

request would be appropriate. 

Comments may also be submitted by 

facsimile at (301)427–2521, provided 

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy 

submitted by mail and postmarked no 

later than the closing date of the 

comment period. 

Comments may also be submitted by 

e-mail. The mailbox address for 

providing e-mail comments is 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line of the e-mail 

comment the following document 

identifier: File No. 774–1714. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amy Hapeman or Carrie Hubard, 

(301)713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject amendment to Permit No. 774–

1714, issued on June 30, 2004 (68 FR 

57673), is requested 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 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and 

the regulations governing the taking, 

importing, and exporting of endangered 

and threatened species (50 CFR 222–

226). 

Permit No. 774–1714–05 authorizes 

the SWFSC to conduct research on 

seven pinniped species, 53 cetacean 

species, and five sea turtle species in the 

Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic and 

Southern Oceans. The permit authorizes 

Level B harassment during aerial and 

vessel surveys for photo-identification/ 

photogrammetry, incidental harassment, 

collection of sloughed skin, and salvage 

of carcasses and parts; Level A 

harassment for capture, biopsy 

sampling, and tagging activities; and the 

import/export of specimens. The permit 

holder requests authorization to: (1) 

reorganize their take table to reflect 

annual takes instead of 5–year 

cumulative takes; (2) increase the 

number of animals harassed during 

aerial and vessel surveys, biopsy 

sampled, and/or tagged for several 

cetacean species; (3) collapse authorized 

takes of six cetacean stocks to the 

species level; (4) add Antarctic minke 

whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) to 

species that may be harassed during 

aerial and vessel surveys for photo-id 

and biopsy sampled; (5) add four new 

cetacean categories for animals that are 

observed but not identifiable during 

surveys; (6) add 14 cetacean species/ 

stocks to those that may be harassed/ 

sampled in the Southern Ocean; and (7) 

satellite tag up to 50 non-endangered 

killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Antarctic 

waters annually. 

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register, 

NMFS is forwarding copies of this 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors. 

Documents may be reviewed in the 

following locations: 

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; 

Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand 

Point Way NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, 

Seattle, WA 98115–0700; phone 

(206)526–6150; fax (206)526–6426; 

Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 

21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668; phone 

(907)586–7221; fax (907)586–7249; 

Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West 

Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, 

CA 90802–4213; phone (562)980–4001; 

fax (562)980–4018; and 

Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 

Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, Honolulu, HI 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES