Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 12, 2023 / Notices 62551 

(ITP) to Port Blakely, pursuant to the 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, 

as amended, for the incidental take of 

ESA-listed species on the John Franklin 

Eddy Forestlands located in the 

Clackamas River and Molalla River 

basins of Oregon. The ITP is issued for 

a duration of 50 years. The ITP 

application and Port Blakely Habitat 

Conservation Plan (HCP) were 

submitted to NMFS pursuant to the 

ESA. NMFS also prepared a Final 

Environmental Assessment (EA) and a 

Finding of No Significant Impact 

(FONSI) under the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

associated with NMFS’ issuance of the 

ITP for the HCP. 

DATES: The ITP (No. 26729) was issued 

to Port Blakely on September 8, 2023, 

and the necessary countersignatures by 

the applicants were received on 

September 8, 2023. The expiration date 

of the ITP is September 1, 2073. The 

issued ITP is subject to certain 

conditions set forth therein. 

ADDRESSES: The permit, the Final EA 

and FONSI, and other related 

documents are available on the NMFS 

West Coast Region website at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/portblakely-habitat-conservation-plan-johnfranklin-eddy-forestlands. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Annie Birnie, NMFS, via phone at 503– 

230–5407 or via email at annie.birnie@

noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Included in the HCP 

ESA-Listed Species Covered by NMFS 

• Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus 

tshawytscha): threatened Lower 

Columbia River (LCR) evolutionarily 

significant unit (ESU); threatened Upper 

Willamette River (UWR) ESU; 

• Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus 

kisutch): threatened LCR ESU; 

• Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss): 

threatened LCR distinct population 

segment (DPS); threatened UWR DPS. 

ESA-Listed Species Covered by USFWS 

• Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus); 

• Gray wolf (Canis lupus); and 

• Northern spotted owl (Strix 

occidentalis caurina). 

Non-ESA-Listed Species Covered by 

USFWS 

• Pacific lamprey (Lampetra 

tridentata); 

• Cascades frog (Rana cascadae); 

• Coastal tailed frog (Ascaphus truei); 

• Cascade torrent salamander 

(Rhyacotriton cascadae); 

• Oregon slender salamander 

(Batrachoseps wright); 

• Western/North Pacific pond turtle 

(Actinemys marmorata marmorata); 

• Northern goshawk (Accipiter 

gentilis); 

• Pacific Fisher (Pekania pennanti); 

• Townsend’s big-eared bat 

(Corynorhinus townsendii spp.); 

• Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus); 

• Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris 

noctivagans); 

• Fringed myotis bat (Myotis 

thysanodes); 

• Long-eared myotis bat (Myotis 

evotis); 

• Long-legged myotis bat (Myotis 

volans). 

Background 

Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA, as 

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

authorizes NMFS and USFWS to issue 

ITPs to non-Federal parties for potential 

incidental take of endangered or 

threatened species as a result of covered 

activities. In support of its applications 

for such ITPs, Port Blakely prepared an 

HCP that provides an assessment of 

impacts of its timber harvest, 

silviculture, and road management 

activities in the Clackamas River and 

Molalla River basins of Oregon on the 

identified species; measures to monitor, 

minimize and mitigate for those impacts 

on those species; and procedures to 

account for unforeseen or extraordinary 

circumstances. NMFS received the ITP 

application and draft HCP on February 

10, 2022. 

On June 14, 2022, NMFS published a 

Notice of Receipt and Notice of 

Availability in the Federal Register (87 

FR 35970) asking for public comments 

on the draft HCP and the associated 

draft NEPA EA. NMFS received two 

comments and these comments were 

addressed as changes to the final EA. 

The requested permit has been issued 

under the authority of the ESA on 

September 8, 2023. This ITP authorizes 

the incidental take of ESA-listed species 

set forth in the HCP over the 50-year 

permit term. 

Authority 

Section 9 of the ESA and Federal 

regulations prohibit the taking of a 

species listed as endangered or 

threatened. The ESA defines ‘‘take’’ to 

mean harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, 

wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or 

to attempt to engage in any such 

conduct. NMFS may issue permits, 

under limited circumstances to take 

listed species incidental to, and not the 

purpose of, otherwise lawful activities. 

Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA provides 

for authorizing incidental take of listed 

species. NMFS regulations governing 

permits for threatened and endangered 

species are promulgated at 50 CFR 

222.307 

Dated: September 5, 2023. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19437 Filed 9–11–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD320] 

Nominations to the Marine Mammal 

Scientific Review Groups 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; request for nominations. 

SUMMARY: As required by the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the 

Secretary of Commerce established three 

independent regional scientific review 

groups (SRGs) to provide advice on a 

range of marine mammal science and 

management issues. NMFS conducted a 

membership review of the Alaska, 

Atlantic, and Pacific SRGs, and is 

soliciting nominations for new members 

to fill vacancies and gaps in expertise 

(see below). 

DATES: Nominations must be received 

by October 12, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Nominations can be 

emailed to Zachary.Schakner@noaa.gov, 

Assessment Branch, Office of Science 

and Technology, National Marine 

Fisheries Service, Attn: SRGs. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Zachary Schakner, Office of Science and 

Technology, 301–427–8106, 

Zachary.Schakner@noaa.gov. 

Information about the SRGs, including 

the SRG Terms of Reference, is available 

at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

national/marine-mammal-protection/ 

scientific-review-groups. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

117(d) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1386(d)) 

directs the Secretary of Commerce to 

establish three independent regional 

SRGs to advise the Secretary (authority 

delegated to NMFS). The Alaska SRG 

advises on marine mammals that occur 

in waters off Alaska that are under the 

jurisdiction of the United States. The 

Pacific SRG advises on marine 

mammals that occur in waters off the 

U.S. West Coast, Hawaiian Islands, and 

the U.S. Territories in the Central and 

Western Pacific that are under the 


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62552 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 12, 2023 / Notices 

jurisdiction of the United States. The 

Atlantic SRG advises on marine 

mammals that occur in waters off the 

Atlantic coast, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. 

Territories in the Caribbean. 

SRG members are highly qualified 

individuals with expertise in marine 

mammal biology and ecology, 

population dynamics and modeling, 

commercial fishing technology and 

practices, and stocks taken under 

section 101(b) of the MMPA. The SRGs 

provide expert reviews of draft marine 

mammal stock assessment reports and 

other information related to the matters 

identified in section 117(d)(1) of the 

MMPA, including: 

A. Population estimates and the 

population status and trends of marine 

mammal stocks; 

B. Uncertainties and research needed 

regarding stock separation, abundance, 

or trends, and factors affecting the 

distribution, size, or productivity of the 

stock; 

C. Uncertainties and research needed 

regarding the species, number, ages, 

gender, and reproductive status of 

marine mammals; 

D. Research needed to identify 

modifications in fishing gear and 

practices likely to reduce the incidental 

mortality and serious injury of marine 

mammals in commercial fishing 

operations; 

E. The actual, expected, or potential 

impacts of habitat destruction, 

including marine pollution and natural 

environmental change, on specific 

marine mammal species or stocks, and 

for strategic stocks, appropriate 

conservation or management measures 

to alleviate any such impacts; and 

F. Any other issue which the 

Secretary or the groups consider 

appropriate. 

SRG members collectively serve as 

independent advisors to NMFS and the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 

provide their expert review and 

recommendations through participation 

in the SRG. Members attend annual 

meetings and undertake activities as 

independent persons providing 

expertise in their subject areas. 

Members are not appointed as 

representatives of professional 

organizations or particular stakeholder 

groups, including government entities, 

and are not permitted to represent or 

advocate for those organizations, 

groups, or entities during SRG meetings, 

discussions, and deliberations. 

SRG membership is voluntary, and, 

except for reimbursable travel and 

related expenses, service is without pay. 

The term of service for SRG members is 

3 years, and members may serve up to 

three consecutive terms if reappointed. 

NMFS annually reviews the expertise 

available on the SRG and identifies gaps 

in the expertise that is needed to 

provide advice pursuant to section 

117(d) of the MMPA. In conducting the 

reviews, NMFS attempts to achieve, to 

the maximum extent practicable, a 

balanced representation of viewpoints 

among the individuals on each SRG. 

Expertise Solicited 

For the Alaska SRG, NMFS seeks 

individuals with expertise in one or 

more of the following areas (not in order 

of priority): Abundance estimation, 

especially distance sampling and markrecapture methods and survey design; 

Passive acoustic data collection and 

analysis; Climate and oceanographic 

changes impacting marine mammals, 

particularly in the Arctic; Quantitative 

ecology, population dynamics, 

modeling, and statistics, especially as 

related to abundance, bycatch, and 

distribution; Anthropogenic impacts, 

particularly fisheries bycatch and 

depredation; vessel strikes; effects of 

anthropogenic sound; Marine mammal 

health and ecotoxicology; contaminants 

and algal blooms, toxicology, pollutants; 

Pinnipeds; genetics as a method of 

identifying population structure; 

offshore oil impacts. 

For the Pacific SRG (including waters 

off the Pacific coast, Hawaiian Islands 

and the U.S. Territories in the Central 

and Western Pacific), NMFS seeks 

individuals with expertise in one or 

more of the following areas (not in order 

of priority): Population structure based 

on genetic data, incorporation of new 

methodological or technological 

advancements for data collection/ 

analysis (e.g., -omics, eDNA, 

microbiome); West Coast and Pacific 

Islands marine mammal expertise, 

including assessment, life history, 

ecology, or human-marine mammal 

interactions; Applied conservation and 

management, including evaluating 

bycatch or fisheries impacts on marine 

mammals; Expertise in identifying and 

delineating demographically 

independent populations based on 

multiple lines of evidence; West Coast 

and Pacific Islands fishing gear/ 

techniques, including fishery/marine 

mammal interactions for State, Tribal, or 

regional/local fisheries; Oceanography 

or marine ecology, particularly decadal 

and long-term understanding and 

impacts of climate change; spatial 

movement ecology, telemetry, habitat 

modeling; Sea otters; Pinnipeds. 

For the Atlantic SRG (including 

waters off the Atlantic coast, Gulf of 

Mexico, and U.S. Territories in the 

Caribbean), NMFS seeks individuals 

with expertise in one or more of the 

following highest priority areas: Large 

whale (especially North Atlantic right 

whales) population dynamics, biology 

and ecology; Small cetacean population 

dynamics and ecology with a focus on 

pelagic species and estuarine and 

nearshore bottlenose dolphins; Marine 

mammal—fishery interactions including 

fishing gear, fishing practices, and 

bycatch reduction; Impacts of 

oceanographic & ecosystem changes 

such as climate change, energy 

(renewable/non-renewable), or marine 

aquaculture on marine mammal 

populations; Quantitative skills relevant 

to marine mammal population 

assessment including, mark-recapture 

population estimation methods, bycatch 

estimation, and population dynamics 

modeling; Quantitative skills relevant to 

marine mammal habitat modeling; 

Ecology of Caribbean marine mammals 

especially humpback and sperm whales; 

Manatee population dynamics and 

ecology. 

Submitting a Nomination 

Nominations for new members should 

be sent to Dr. Zachary Schakner in the 

NMFS Office of Science & Technology 

(see ADDRESSES) and must be received 

by October 12, 2023. Nominations 

should be accompanied by the 

individual’s curriculum vitae and 

detailed information regarding how the 

recommended person meets the 

minimum selection criteria for SRG 

members (see below). Nominations 

should also include the nominee’s 

name, address, telephone number, and 

email address. Self-nominations are 

acceptable. 

Selection Criteria 

Although the MMPA does not 

explicitly prohibit Federal employees 

from serving as SRG members, NMFS 

interprets MMPA section 117(d)’s 

reference to the SRGs as ‘‘independent’’ 

bodies that are exempt from Federal 

Advisory Committee Act requirements 

to mean that SRGs are intended to 

augment existing Federal expertise and 

are not composed of Federal employees 

or contractors. 

When reviewing nominations, NMFS, 

in consultation with the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, will consider the 

following six criteria: 

(1) Ability to make time available for 

the purposes of the SRG; 

(2) Knowledge of the species (or 

closely related species) of marine 

mammals in the SRG’s region; 

(3) Scientific or technical 

achievement in a relevant discipline, 

particularly the areas of expertise 

identified above, and the ability to serve 

as an expert peer reviewer for the topic; 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 12, 2023 / Notices 62553 

(4) Demonstrated experience working 

effectively on teams; 

(5) Expertise relevant to current and 

expected needs of the SRG, in 

particular, expertise required to provide 

adequate review and knowledgeable 

feedback on current or developing stock 

assessment issues, techniques, etc. In 

practice, this means that each member 

should have expertise in more than one 

topic as the species and scientific issues 

discussed in SRG meetings are diverse; 

and 

(6) No conflict of interest with respect 

to their duties as a member of the SRG. 

Next Steps 

Following review, nominees who are 

identified by NMFS as potential new 

members must be vetted and cleared in 

accordance with Department of 

Commerce policy. NMFS will contact 

these individuals and ask them to 

provide written confirmation that they 

are not registered Federal lobbyists or 

registered foreign agents, and to 

complete a confidential financial 

disclosure form, which will be reviewed 

by the Ethics Law and Programs 

Division within the U.S. Department of 

Commerce’s Office of General Counsel. 

All nominees will be notified of a 

selection decision in advance of the 

2023 SRG meetings. 

Dated: September 7, 2023. 

Evan Howell, 

Director, Office of Science and Technology, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19642 Filed 9–11–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS 

Notice of Meeting 

Per 45 CFR Chapter XXI § 2102.3, the 

next meeting of the U.S. Commission of 

Fine Arts is scheduled for September 

21, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. and will be held 

via online videoconference. Items of 

discussion may include buildings, 

infrastructure, parks, memorials, and 

public art. 

Draft agendas, the link to register for 

the online public meeting, and 

additional information regarding the 

Commission are available on our 

website: www.cfa.gov. Inquiries 

regarding the agenda, as well as any 

public testimony, should be addressed 

to Thomas Luebke, Secretary, U.S. 

Commission of Fine Arts, at the above 

address; by emailing cfastaff@cfa.gov; or 

by calling 202–504–2200. Individuals 

requiring sign language interpretation 

for the hearing impaired should contact 

the Secretary at least 10 days before the 

meeting date. 

Dated: September 1, 2023 in Washington, 

DC. 

Susan M Raposa, 

Technical Information Specialist. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19802 Filed 9–11–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6330–01–P 

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING 

COMMISSION 

Sunshine Act Meetings 

FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS

ANNOUNCEMENT: 88 FR 60442, September 

1, 2023. 

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED TIME AND DATE OF

THE MEETING: 9:00 a.m. EDT, Friday, 

September 8, 2023. 

CHANGES IN THE MEETING: The meeting 

has been canceled. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Christopher Kirkpatrick, Secretary of the 

Commission, 202–418–5964. 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552b. 

Dated: September 7, 2023. 

Christopher Kirkpatrick, 

Secretary of the Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19734 Filed 9–8–23; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 6351–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Air Force 

Record of Decision for Comprehensive 

Airspace Initiative at Moody Air Force 

Base, Georgia Environmental Impact 

Statement 

ACTION: Notice of availability of Record 

of Decision. 

SUMMARY: On August 15, 2023, the 

Department of the Air Force (DAF) 

signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for 

Comprehensive Airspace Initiative at 

Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

ADDRESSES: Mr. Lorence Busker, 23rd 

Civil Engineer Squadron, 3485 Georgia 

Street, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia 

31699–1707, Telephone: (229) 257– 

2396; lorence.busker@us.af.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DAF 

has selected Modified Alternative 1: 

Create the Corsair North Low, Corsair 

South Low, Mustang Low, and 

Warhawk Low Military Operations 

Areas (MOAs) with a floor of 1,000 ft 

above ground level (AGL) and a ceiling 

of 7,999 ft above mean sea level (MSL) 

beneath and within the lateral confines 

of the existing Corsair North, Corsair 

South, Mustang and Warhawk MOAs, 

respectively; create the Thud Low MOA 

with a floor of 4,000 ft AGL and a 

ceiling of 7,999 ft MSL beneath and 

within the lateral confines of the 

existing Thud MOA; create Grand Bay 

MOA with a floor of 100 ft AGL and a 

ceiling of 499 ft AGL beneath and 

within the lateral confines of the 

existing Restricted Area R–3008C; and 

lower the floor of Moody 2 North MOA 

from 500 ft AGL to 100 ft AGL. Based 

on this decision, the DAF will request 

the Federal Aviation Administration 

modify the low-altitude airspace floors 

to enhance low-altitude training within 

the Moody Airspace Complex. 

The DAF decision documented in the 

ROD was based on matters discussed in 

the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement, inputs from the public and 

regulatory agencies, and other relevant 

factors. The Final Environmental Impact 

Statement was made available to the 

public on May 19, 2023, through a 

Notice of Availability in the Federal 

Register (88 FR 32215) with a waiting 

period that ended on June 20, 2023. 

Authority: This Notice of Availability 

is published pursuant to the regulations 

(40 CFR part 1506.6) implementing the 

provisions of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 

4321, et seq.) and the Air Force’s 

Environmental Impact Analysis Process 

(32 CFR parts 989.21(b) and 

989.24(b)(7)). 

Mia Day, 

Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison 

Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19557 Filed 9–11–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 5001–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Air Force 

[ARY–230418B–JA] 

Notice of Intent To Grant a Joint 

Ownership Agreement With an 

Exclusive Patent License 

AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, 

Department of Defense. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act 

and implementing regulations, the 

Department of the Air Force hereby 

gives notice of its intent to grant a joint 

ownership agreement with an Exclusive 

Patent License to Licensee, Battelle 

Memorial Institute having a place of 

business at 505 King Avenue, 

Columbus, Ohio 43201. 

DATES: Written objections must be filed 

no later than fifteen (15) calendar days 

after the date of publication of this 

Notice. 


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