Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices 46213 

hearing on this particular 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. 10028. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Skidmore or Amy Sloan, 

(301)713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject permit is requested under the 

authority of the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act of 1972, as amended 

(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the 

regulations governing the taking and 

importing of marine mammals (50 CFR 

part 216). 

Mystic Aquarium is requesting a 

permit to take releasable stranded 

pinnipeds. Six females and two males of 

each species over a five-year period for 

a maximum of eight otariids and 20 

phocids are being requested. Species for 

consideration include California sea 

lions (Zalophus californianus), harbor 

seals (Phoca vitulina), grey seals 

(Halichoerus grypus), harp seals (Phoca 

groenlandica) and hooded seals 

(Cystophora cristata) from stranding 

facilities located on the Alaskan coast, 

west coast and northeast coast of the 

United States. The purpose of this 

activity is to increase our current 

population of pinnipeds for public 

display and opportunistic non-intrusive 

research. Mystic Aquarium will always 

consider taking a non-releasable animal 

first and each animal will be evaluated 

on a case by case basis. There will be 

no non-target marine mammal or ESAlisted species that will be incidentally 

taken during these activities. The permit 

is requested for five years. 

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. 

Dated: August 13, 2007. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–16237 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 041107A] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 1121–1900 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and 

Technology (Principal Investigator: Dr. 

Brandon Southall), Silver Spring, MD, 

has been issued a permit to conduct 

research marine mammals. 

ADDRESSES: The permit and related 

documents are available for review 

upon written request or by appointment 

in the following office(s): 

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; 

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

review.htm; and 

Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th 

Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 

33701; phone (727)824–5312; fax 

(727)824–5309. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tammy Adams or Jolie Harrison, 

(301)713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 

17, 2007, notice was published in the 

Federal Register (72 FR 19181) that a 

request for a scientific research permit 

to take beaked whales (Ziphius 

cavirostris and Mesoplodon spp.) and 

other odontocete species had been 

submitted by the above-named 

institution. 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.), 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.), the regulations governing the 

taking, importing, and exporting of 

endangered and threatened species (50 

CFR parts 222–226), and the Fur Seal 

Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 

et seq.). 

The permit authorizes research 

involving temporary attachment of 

scientific instruments (digital archival 

recording tags), photo-identification, 

and exposure to controlled levels of 

natural and anthropogenic underwater 

sounds, including signals simulating 

mid-frequency sonar. Sloughed skin 

samples collected from the detached 

instrument would be imported into the 

U.S. for analysis. The permit is valid 

through January 2009. 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an environmental 

assessment was prepared analyzing the 

effects of the permitted activities. After 

a Finding of No Significant Impact, the 

determination was made that it was not 

necessary to prepare an environmental 

impact statement. 

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 

species; and (3) is consistent with the 

purposes and policies set forth in 

section 2 of the ESA. 

Dated: August 14, 2007. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–16227 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[Docket No. 070809457–7458–01] 

Amendment to Final Guidelines for the 

Coastal and Estuarine Land 

Conservation Program 

AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; amendment to final 

guidelines. 

SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, National 

Ocean Service publishes this notice to 

amend the Final Guidelines for the 

Coastal and Estuarine Land 

Conservation Program (CELCP). For 

those grants issued in fiscal years 2002 

and 2004 only, and that have one or 

more project proposals submitted to 

NOAA, but not approved, as of August 

17, 2007, the CELCP may extend the 

financial assistance award period. For 

grants issued in fiscal year 2002, they 

may be extended for up to 3 additional 

months, providing for a potential 

maximum award duration of five years 

and three months. For grants issued in 

fiscal year 2004, they may be extended 

for up to one additional year, providing 

for a potential maximum award 

duration of four years. This extension is 

intended solely to give the CELCP 


ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
46214 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices 

sufficient time to review and make a 

determination on the documentation 

supporting the project proposals that it 

has received but does not have time to 

complete before the awards’ currently 

scheduled end date of September 30, 

2007. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, contact: Elisabeth 

Morgan, 301–713–3155 X166, 

elisabeth.morgan@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Coastal and Estuarine Land 

Conservation Program was established 

pursuant to Public Law 107–77 for the 

purpose of protecting important coastal 

and estuarine areas that have significant 

conservation, recreation, ecological, 

historical, or aesthetic values, or that are 

threatened by conversion from their 

natural or recreational state to other 

uses. The Final Guidelines for CELCP 

were published in the Federal Register 

on June 17, 2003 (68 FR 35860). The 

Final Guidelines stated that the 

standard financial assistance award 

period is 18 months, and could be 

extended an additional 18 months if 

circumstances warrant, but may not 

exceed 3 years. In the case of FY2002 

awards, NOAA was directed by 

Congress in FY2005 to provide an 

additional two years beyond that 

provided for by the CELCP Guidelines. 

The CELCP has received review 

packages for numerous land acquisition 

projects very late in the performance 

period from awards funded in 2002 and 

2004 that are still open, for which there 

may not be sufficient time to complete 

review before the awards’ currently 

scheduled end date of September 30, 

2007. For this reason, CELCP is 

amending the Final Guidelines for the 

Coastal and Estuarine Land 

Conservation Program to allow the 

financial assistance award period for 

awards issued in fiscal years 2002 and 

2004 that have project documentation 

currently pending with NOAA to be 

extended for up to an additional year. It 

is not intended to give grant recipients 

more time to submit additional 

proposals. The maximum potential 

award duration for 2002 grants is five 

years and three months, ending 

December 31, 2007, and for 2004 it is 

four years, ending on September 30, 

2008. 

Classification 

Executive Order 12866 

This notice has been determined to be 

not significant for purposes of Executive 

Order 12866. 

Executive Order 13132 (Federalism) 

It has been determined that this notice 

does not contain policies with 

Federalism implications as that term is 

defined in Executive Order 13132. 

Administrative Procedure Act/ 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

Prior notice and an opportunity for 

public comment are not required by the 

Administrative Procedure Act or any 

other law for rules concerning public 

property, loans, grants, benefits, and 

contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). Because 

notice and opportunity for comment are 

not required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or 

any other law, the analytical 

requirements of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are 

inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory 

flexibility analysis has not been 

prepared. 

Steve Kozak, 

Chief of Staff for Ocean Services and Coastal 

Zone Management. 

[FR Doc. 07–4050 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–M 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Publication of North American Datum 

of 1983 State Plane Coordinates in 

Feet in West Virginia 

AGENCY: National Geodetic Survey 

(NGS), National Ocean Service (NOS), 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The National Geodetic Survey 

(NGS) will publish North American 

Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) State Plane 

Coordinate (SPC) grid values in both 

meters and U.S. Survey Feet (1 ft = 

1200/3937 m) in West Virginia, for all 

well defined geodetic survey control 

monuments maintained by NGS in the 

National Spatial Reference System 

(NSRS) and computed from various 

geodetic positioning utilities. The 

adoption of this standard is 

implemented in accordance with NGS 

policy and a request from the West 

Virginia Department of Transportation, 

the West Virginia Society of 

Professional Surveyors, the West 

Virginia GIS Coordinator, and the West 

Virginia Association of Geospatial 

Professionals. 

DATES: Individuals or organizations 

wishing to submit comments on the 

Publication of North American Datum of 

1983 State Plane Coordinates in feet in 

West Virginia, should do by September 

17, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be sent to the attention of David Doyle, 

Chief Geodetic Surveyor, Office of the 

National Geodetic Survey, National 

Ocean Service (N/NGS2), 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 

20910, fax 301–713–4324, or via e-mail 

Dave.Doyle@noaa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information 

should be directed to David Doyle, Chief 

Geodetic Surveyor, National Geodetic 

Survey (N/NGS2), 1315 East-West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 

Phone: (301) 713–3178. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Abstract 

In 1991, NGS adopted a policy that 

defines the conditions under which 

NAD 83 State Plane Coordinates (SPCs) 

would be published in feet in addition 

to meters. As outlined in that policy, 

each state or territory must adopt NAD 

83 legislation (typically referenced as 

Codes, Laws or Statutes), which 

specifically defines a conversion to 

either U.S. Survey or International Feet 

as defined by the U.S. Bureau of 

Standards in Federal Register Notice 

59–5442. To date, 48 states have 

adopted the NAD 83 legislation 

however, for various reasons, only 33 

included a specific definition of the 

relationship between meters and feet. 

This lack of uniformity has led to 

confusion and misuse of SPCs as 

provided in various NGS products, 

services and tools, and created errors in 

mapping, charting and surveying 

programs in numerous states due to 

inconsistent coordinate conversions. 

Dated: June 11, 2007. 

David B. Zilkoski, 

Director, Office of National Geodetic Survey, 

National Ocean Service, National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 07–4021 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–JE–M 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy 

Biomass Research and Development 

Technical Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces an 

open meeting of the Biomass Research 


ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES