2656 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 13 / Monday, January 22, 2007 / Notices 

(1) The proposed activity would only 

occur in a small area which supports a 

small proportion (<0.01 percent) of the 

ringed seal populations in the Beaufort 

Sea. 

(2) Geotechnical operators will avoid 

moderate and large pressure ridges, 

where seal and pupping lairs are likely 

to be present. 

(3) Mitigation and monitoring 

procedures such as using an 

experienced native hunter to conduct 

pre-operational survey and monitoring 

of ringed seal lairs and breathing holes 

within the proposed action area and 

travel corridor, mapping the travel 

corridor and work areas that are free of 

ringed seal lairs with GPS coordination, 

and establishing a rollingon traveling 

route prior to the seal pupping season 

to discourage the use of these areas by 

seals during the pupping season, will be 

implemented. 

As a result, NMFS believes the effects 

of on-ice geotechnical operations are 

expected to be limited to short-term and 

localized behavioral changes involving 

relatively small numbers of ringed seals. 

NMFS has preliminarily determined, 

based on information in the application 

and supporting documents, that these 

changes in behavior will have no more 

than a negligible impact on the affected 

ringed seal population within the 

proposed action area. Also, the potential 

effects of the proposed on-ice 

geotechnical operations during 2007 

will not have an unmitigable adverse 

impact on subsistence uses of this 

species. 

Proposed Authorization 

NMFS proposes to issue an IHA to 

CPAI for conducting on-ice geotechnical 

operations in the U.S. Beaufort Sea, 

provided the previously mentioned 

mitigation, monitoring, and reporting 

requirements are incorporated. NMFS 

has preliminarily determined that the 

proposed activity would result in the 

harassment of small numbers of ringed 

seals; would have no more than a 

negligible impact on the affected ringed 

seal stock; and would not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of ringed seals for 

subsistence uses. 

Dated: January 16, 2007. 

James H. Lecky, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–812 Filed 1–19–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 111706C] 

Incidental Take of Marine Mammals; 

Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental 

to Missile Launch Operations from San 

Nicolas Island, CA 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of issuance of a letter of 

authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), as amended, notification is 

hereby given that a letter of 

authorization (LOA) to take three 

species of marine mammals incidental 

to missile launch operations from San 

Nicolas Island, CA (SNI) has been 

issued to the Naval Air Warfare Center 

Weapons Division (NAWC-WD), Point 

Mugu, CA. 

DATES: This authorization is effective 

from February 3, 2007, through 

February 2, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: The application, LOA, and 

Navy monitoring report are available for 

review in the Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or by 

contacting one of the individuals 

mentioned below (See FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kenneth Hollingshead or Candace 

Nachman, NMFS, (301) 713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 

1361 et seq.) directs NMFS to allow, on 

request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region, if certain findings 

are made by NMFS and regulations are 

issued. Under the MMPA, the term 

‘‘taking’’ means to harass, hunt, capture, 

or kill or to attempt to harass, hunt, 

capture or kill marine mammals. 

Authorization may be granted for 

periods up to five years if NMFS finds, 

after notification and opportunity for 

public comment, that the taking will 

have a negligible impact on the species 

or stock(s) of marine mammals and will 

not have an unmitigable adverse impact 

on the availability of the species or 

stock(s) for subsistence uses. In 

addition, NMFS must prescribe 

regulations that include permissible 

methods of taking and other means 

effecting the least practicable adverse 

impact on the species and its habitat 

and on the availability of the species for 

subsistence uses, paying particular 

attention to rookeries, mating grounds, 

and areas of similar significance. The 

regulations must include requirements 

pertaining to the monitoring and 

reporting of such taking. Regulations 

governing the taking incidental to target 

missile operations on San Nicolas 

Island, CA, were published on 

September 2, 2003 (68 FR 52132), and 

remain in effect until October 2, 2008. 

Pursuant to these regulations, NMFS 

has issued an LOA to the NAWC-WD. 

Issuance of the LOA is based on 

findings made in the preamble to the 

final rule that the total takings by this 

project will result in only small 

numbers (as the term is defined in 50 

CFR 216.103) of marine mammals being 

taken. In addition, given the 

implementation of the mitigation 

requirements contained in the LOA, the 

resultant incidental harassment will 

have no more than a negligible impact 

on the affected marine mammal stocks 

or habitats and will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of such species or stock for 

taking for subsistence uses. NMFS also 

finds that the applicant will meet the 

requirements contained in the 

implementing regulations and LOA, 

including monitoring and reporting 

requirements. This LOA will be 

renewed annually based on a review of 

the activity, completion of monitoring 

requirements and receipt of reports 

required by the LOA. 

According to the draft technical 

report, the NAWC-WD performed a total 

of five missile launches between 

February and September 2006. Two 

Advanced Gun System (AGS) guided 

rounds were launched on 14 February; 

one Falcon rocket was launched on 6 

April; and two AGS launches occurred 

on May 15, 2006. California sea lions 

were observed during four of five 

launches on all three launch dates. 

Northern elephant seals were observed 

during three launches on two dates. 

Harbor seals were observed during four 

launches on all three launch dates. 

Based on monitoring efforts between 

February and September 2006, the 

NAWC-WD estimates that 

approximately 295 sea lions, 13 harbor 

seals, and no elephant seals were 

affected by launch sounds. There was 

no evidence of injury or mortality 

during or immediately succeeding the 

launches for any pinniped species. 


rmajette on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 13 / Monday, January 22, 2007 / Notices 2657 

Dated: January 10, 2007. 

James H. Lecky, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–813 Filed 1–19–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 011707C] 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) and its 

advisory committees will hold public 

meetings, in Portland, OR. 

DATES: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council will meet on 

February 5–13, 2007. See 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 

dates and times. All meetings are open 

to the public, except executive sessions. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Benson Hotel, 309 Southwest 

Broadway, Portland, OR 97205. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 

4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99501–2252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Witherell, Council staff, 

telephone: (907) 271–2809. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Council will begin its plenary session at 

8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 7, 

continuing through February 13, 2007. 

The Council’s Advisory Panel (AP) will 

begin at 8 a.m., Monday, February 5 and 

continue through Saturday February 10. 

The Scientific and Statistical Committee 

(SSC) will begin at 8 a.m. on 

Wednesday, February 5 and continue 

through Friday February 7, 2007. The 

Enforcement Committee will meet 

Tuesday, February 6, from 9 a.m. to 12 

p.m. in the Parliament Room 3&4; the 

Ecosystem Committee will meet 

February 6, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the 

Parliament Room 3&4. 

Council Plenary Session: The agenda 

for the Council’s plenary session will 

include the following issues. The 

Council may take appropriate action on 

any of the issues identified. 

1. Reports 

Executive Director’s Report (including 

Magnuson-Stevens Act Update) 

NMFS Management Report (including 

legal opinion on Community 

Development Quotas (CDQ) (T) and 

Agency report on Area 2A catch sharing 

plan) 

Enforcement Report 

U.S. Coast Guard Report 

Alaska Department of Fish & Game 

Report 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Report 

U.S. Department of State Report 

International Pacific Halibut 

Commission Report 

Protected Species Report (including 

SSC review of List of Fisheries 

methodology and Steller Sea Lion 

Mitigation (SSLMC) ranking tool) 

2. Programmatic Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement: 

Review and adopt revised workplan. 

3. American Fisheries Act (AFA) 

Pollock Cooperatives (Coop): Review 

Coop reports for 2006, and plans for 

2007. 

4. Seabird Interactions: Final action to 

revise regulations. (T) 

5. Charter Halibut Management: Review 

report on Area 2A catch sharing plan 

(report under B–2); initial review of 

moratorium analysis; review workplan 

for regulatory amendment package (SSC 

only). 

6. Trawl License Limitation Program 

(LLP) Recency: Initial review of 

analysis. (T) 

7. Trawl License Limitation Program 

Recency: Preliminary review of analysis 

and direction as necessary. 

8. Bering Sea and Aleutian Island split 

for Pacific cod: Review discussion 

paper; Pacific cod genetics workshop 

(SSC only). 

9. Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Groundfish 

Management Issues: Review discussion 

paper on sector splits and latent 

licenses. 

10. Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) 

Requirements: Preliminary review of 

draft analysis to implement 

comprehensive VMS program. 

11. Groundfish Management: Initial 

review Dark Rockfish management 

amendment package; review summary 

of Center for Independent Experts 

Report on rockfish (SSC only); review 

discussion paper on GOA arrowtooth 

Maximum Retainable Amount (MRA). 

(T) 

12. Bering Sea Aleutian Island Crab 

(BSAI): Initial review of BSAI crab 

overfishing definition analysis; 

discussion paper on Aleutian Island 

crab custom processing caps; review 

information on crab vessel use caps; 

discuss proposed contents of crab 

rationalization 18 month review report. 

13. Salmon Bycath: Update on BSAI 

Amendment 84; review discussion 

paper on process to estimate interim 

caps/spatial analysis, and refine 

alternatives as necessary. 

14. Habitat Conservation: Initial review 

of analysis to adjust the Aleutian Island 

Habitat Conservation Area; preliminary 

review of analysis to conserve Bering 

Sea habitat. 

15. Staff Tasking: Review Committees 

and tasking and take action as 

necessary; review progress report on 

Aleutian Island Fishery Ecosystem Plan. 

16. Other Business 

The SSC agenda will include the 

following issues: 

1. Protected Species 

2. Seabird Interactions (T) 

3. Halibut Charter Management 

4. Trawl LLP Recency 

5. Pacific cod genetics 

6. VMS requirements 

7. Groundfish Management 

8. BSAI Crab 

9. Salmon Bycatch 

10. Habitat Conservation 

11. Aleutian Island Fishery Ecosystem 

Plan 

The Advisory Panel will address the 

same agenda issues as the Council. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Gail Bendixen at 

(907) 271–2809 at least 7 working days 

prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: January 17, 2007. 

James P. Burgess, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–830 Filed 1–19–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 011707B] 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

(Council); Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Joint Canada-U.S. Review 

Panel for Pacific hake / Whiting will 

hold a work session which is open to 

the public. 

DATES: The Joint Canada-U.S. Review 

Panel will meet beginning at 1 p.m., 

Monday, February 5, 2007 and will 

continue on Tuesday, February 6, 2007 


rmajette on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES