45674 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 167 / Thursday, August 28, 1997 / Notices

Northwest Territories, Canada for

personal use.

Applicant: John C. Byram, Jr.,

Mission, KS, PRT–833352.

The applicant requests a permit to

import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

sport-hunted from the McClintock

Channel polar bear population,

Northwest Territories, Canada for

personal use.

Applicant: Bobbie McLawhorn, New

Bern, NC, PRT–833590.

The applicant requests a permit to

import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

sport-hunted from the McClintock

Channel polar bear population,

Northwest Territories, Canada for

personal use.

Applicant: Robert B. Johnson,

Millwood, NY, PRT–833623.

The applicant requests a permit to

import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

sport-hunted from the Southern

Beaufort Sea polar bear population,

Northwest Territories, Canada for

personal use.

Applicant: Collins F. Kellogg, Sr.,

Croghan, NY, PRT–833625.

The applicant requests a permit to

import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

sport-hunted from the Parry Channel

polar bear population, Northwest

Territories, Canada for personal use.

Written data or comments, requests

for copies of the complete applications,

or requests for a public hearing on any

of these applications for marine

mammal permits should be sent to the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of

Management Authority, 4401 N. Fairfax

Drive, Room 430, Arlington, Virginia

22203, telephone 703/358–2104 or fax

703/358–2281 and must be received

within 30 days of the date of publication

of this notice. Anyone requesting a

hearing should give specific reasons

why a hearing would be appropriate.

The holding of such hearing is at the

discretion of the Director.

Documents and other information

submitted with all of the applications

listed in this notice are available for

review, subject to the requirements of

the Privacy Act and Freedom of

Information Act, by any party who

submits a written request for a copy of

such documents within 30 days of the

date of publication of this notice at the

above address.

Dated: August 22, 1997.

Karen Anderson,

Acting Chief, Branch of Permits, Office of

Management Authority.

[FR Doc. 97–22889 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Emergency Exemption: Issuance

On August 15, 1997, the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (Service) issued a

permit (PRT–833446) to Dr. David

Owens, Texas A&M University, College

Station, TX to import blood samples

from Kemp’s ridley sea turtles

(Lepidochelys kempii) currently

maintained at the Cayman Turtle Farm,

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. The

30-day public comment period required

by section 10(c) of the Endangered

Species Act was waived. The Service

determined that an emergency affecting

the health and life of the sea turtles

existed and that no reasonable

alternative was available to the

applicant, for the following reasons: (1)

Mexico has agreed to accept Kemp’s

ridley sea turtles from the Cayman

Turtle Farm which can no longer

maintain this endangered species; (2) all

of the sea turtles must be tested for

disease before transport to Mexico; (3)

testing of up to 200 samples is expected

to take at least several weeks; (4)

because of financial difficulties, the

Cayman authorities have indicated that

the animals must be moved to Mexico

by November or they will have to be

euthanized. The 30-day public comment

period has therefore been waived to

expedite the processing of the blood

samples to ensure that only healthy

turtles are transported to Mexico and to

ensure that healthy animals are not

euthanized in the Cayman facility due

to lack of supporting funds.

Dated: August 22, 1997.

Karen Anderson,

Acting Chief, Branch of Permit, Office of

Management Authority.

[FR Doc. 97–22887 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of a Habitat Conservation

Plan and Receipt of an Application for

an Incidental Take Permit for the Basin

A Project, Contra Costa County,

California

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service.

ACTION: Notice of receipt.

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that the Contra Costa County

Department of Public Works

(Department) has applied to the Fish

and Wildlife Service for an incidental

take permit pursuant to section

10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species

Act of 1973, as amended. The

application has been assigned permit

number PRT–833486. The proposed

permit would authorize the incidental

take of the California red-legged frog

(Rana aurora draytonii), federally listed

as threatened, and/or modification of its

habitat during sediment removal

activities at Basin A in Contra Costa

County, California. The permit would be

in effect for 20 years.

The Service announces the receipt of

the Department’s incidental take permit

application and the availability of the

proposed Basin A Habitat Conservation

Plan (Plan), which accompanies the

incidental take permit application, for

public comment. The Plan fully

describes the proposed project and the

measures the Department would

undertake to minimize and mitigate

project impacts to the California redlegged frog. The Service has determined

that the Basin A Plan qualifies as a

‘‘low-effect’’ Plan as defined by the Fish

and Wildlife Service’s Habitat

Conservation Planning Handbook

(November 1996). The Service has

further determined that approval of the

Plan qualifies as a categorical exclusion

under the National Environmental

Policy Act, as provided by the

Department of Interior Manual (516 DM

2, Appendix 1 and 516 DM 6, Appendix

1). This notice is provided pursuant to

section 10(c) of the Endangered Species

Act.

Comments are specifically requested

on the appropriateness of the ‘‘No

Surprises’’ assurance specifically

discussed under the ‘‘Unforeseen

Circumstances’’ section of the Plan. All

comments received, including names

and addresses, will become part of the

official administrative record and may

be made available to the public.

DATES: Written comments on the permit

application and Plan should be received

on or before September 29, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding the

permit application or the Plan should be

addressed to the Fish and Wildlife

Service, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife

Office, 3310 El Camino Avenue, Suite

130, Sacramento, California 95821–

6340. Please refer to permit number

PRT–833486 when submitting

comments. Individuals wishing copies

of the application and the Plan for

review should immediately contact the

above office. Documents also will be

available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business

hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Tiki Baron or Mr. William Lehman,