Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 149 / Monday, August 4, 1997 / Notices 41951

party’s case or rebuttal briefs. Written

arguments should be submitted in

accordance with 19 CFR 355.38 and will

be considered if received within the

time limits specified above. Parties who

submit argument in this proceeding are

requested to submit with the argument

(1) a statement of the issue and (2) a

brief summary of the argument. If this

investigation proceeds normally, we

will make our final determination on

October 14, 1997.

This determination is published

pursuant to sections 703(f) and 771(i) of

the Act.

Dated: July 28, 1997.

Jeffrey P. Bialos,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Import

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–20492 Filed 8–1–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–U

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 071497C]

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife:

Draft Recovery Plan for Shortnose

Sturgeon

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Draft

Recovery Plan; request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS is announcing the

availability of the draft recovery plan for

shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser

brevirostrum). NMFS is soliciting

review and comment from the public on

the draft plan, and will consider these

comments in the approval of a final

recovery plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery

plan must be received on or before

September 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Request a copy of the draft

recovery plan from Mary Colligan,

Habitat and Protected Resources

Division, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive,

Gloucester, MA 01930. Written

comments and materials regarding the

plan should also be directed to Mary

Colligan at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Colligan at 508–281–9116.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser

brevirostrum, is an endangered fish

species that occurs in large coastal

rivers of eastern North America. It

inhabits 18 rivers ranging from the Saint

John River in New Brunswick, Canada

to the St. Johns River, Fl. The

Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires

NMFS to develop and implement

recovery plans for most species that are

listed under the ESA as threatened or

endangered and that are under the

jurisdiction of NMFS. In May 1997, the

Shortnose Sturgeon Recovery Team

submitted its final draft of the recovery

plan to NMFS.

The draft recovery plan includes a

synopsis of the biology and distribution

of shortnose sturgeon, a description of

factors affecting species recovery, an

outline of actions needed to recover the

species and an implmentation schedule

for completing specific recovery tasks.

Public Comments Solicited

NMFS intends that the final recovery

plan will take advantage of information

and recommendations from all

interested parties. Therefore, comments

and suggestions are solicited from the

public, other concerned governmental

agencies, the scientific community,

industry, and any other person

concerned with the draft recovery plan.

Dated: July 30, 1997.

Patricia A. Montanio,

Deputy Director, Office of Protected

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–20484 Filed 8-1-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 072897C]

Marine Mammals

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of Letters of

Confirmation to conduct scientific

research under the General

Authorization.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to provisions of the

Marine Mammal Protection Act, as

amended, (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.,

specifically, 104(c)(3)(C)) and the

Regulations Governing the Taking and

Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR

part 216.45) letters of confirmation

(LOC) to conduct level B harassment of

marine mammals in the wild under

authority of the General Authorization

for Scientific Research have been

issued. Level B harassment, as defined

in section 216.3, means any act of

pursuit, torment, or annoyance which

has the potential to disturb a marine

mammal or marine mammal stock in the

wild by causing disruption of behavioral

patterns, including, but not limited to

migration, breathing, nursing, breeding,

feeding, or sheltering but which does

not have the potential to injure a marine

mammal or marine mammal stock in the

wild. The following letters of

confirmation were issued to individuals

or organizations from January 1, 1996,

through June 30, 1997:

Dr. Paul H. Forestell, Pacific Whale

Foundation, Associate Professor and

Director, Psychobiology Program, Social

Science Division, Montauk 222, Long

Island University, Southampton, Long

Island, NY 11968 (LOC No. 21);

Dr. Robert F. Young, Assistant

Professor, Marine Science Department,

Coastal Carolina University, P.O. Box

1954,

Conway, SC 29526 (LOC No. 22);

Dr. Andrew J. Read, Assistant

Professor, Duke University Marine

Laboratory, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road,

Beaufort, NC 28516 (LOC No. 23);

Howard W. Braham, Ph.D., Director,

National Marine Mammal Laboratory,

Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600

Sand Point Way, NE, BIN C15700, Bldg.

4, Room 2149, Seattle, WA 98115–0070

(LOC Nos. 782–1306, 782–1360, and

782–1352);

Mr. John J. Burns, Living Resources,

Inc., P.O. Box 83570, Fairbanks, AK

99708–3570 (LOC No. 25);

Dr. Andrew J. Read, Assistant

Professor, Duke University Marine

Laboratory, c/o Clearwater Marine

Aquarium, 249 Windward Passage,

Clearwater, FL 34630 (LOC No. 26);

Mr. Kenneth C. Balcomb, III, Center

for Whale Research, Inc., 1359

Smuggler’s Cove Road, Friday Harbor,

WA 98250 (LOC No. 27);

Mr. T. David Schofield, Senior

Mammalogist/Marine Animal Rescue

Coordinator, National Aquarium in

Baltimore, Pier 3, 501 East Pratt Street,

Baltimore, MD 21202–3194 (LOC No.

28);

Mr. Shane Guan, Grice Marine

Biological Laboratory, University of

Charleston, 205 Fort Johnson,

Charleston, SC 29412 (LOC No. 29);

Dr. Harold N. Cones, Professor and

Chairman, Department of Biology,

Chemistry and Environmental Sciences,

Christopher Newport University, 30

Shoe Lane, Newport News, VA 23606–

2998 (LOC No. 30);

Dr. Bernd Wursig, Director, Marine

Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M

University, 4700 Avenue U/Building

303, Galveston, TX 77551 (LOC No. 31);

Ms. Marilyn Mazzoil, 17630 NW 67th

Avenue #1211, Miami, FL 33015 (LOC

No. 32);