12030 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 28, 2012 / Notices 

it highly unlikely that any marine 

mammals in the vicinity would be 

injured (including PTS) or killed as a 

result of sonar exposure. 

Based on the aforementioned 

assessment, NMFS determines that 

approximately 399 bottlenose dolphins, 

126 pantropical spotted dolphins, 315 

Atlantic spotted dolphins, 126 spinner 

dolphins, 42 Clymene dolphins, and 42 

striped dolphins would be affected by 

Level B behavioral harassment as a 

result of the proposed Q–20 sonar 

testing activities. These numbers 

represent approximately 10.76%, 

0.37%, 1.26%, 6.33%, and 0.64% of 

bottlenose dolphins (GOM oceanic 

stock), pantropical spotted dolphins, 

striped dolphins, spinner dolphins, and 

Clymene dolphins, respectively, of these 

species in the GOM region (calculation 

based on NMFS 2011 US Atlantic and 

Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Stock 

Assessment). The percentage of 

potentially affected Atlantic spotted 

dolphin is unknown since there is no 

current population assessment of this 

species in the Gulf of Mexico region. 

However, based on the most recent 

abundance estimate published in NMFS 

Atlantic and GOM SARs conducted in 

the northern Gulf of Mexico outer 

continental shelf during fall 2000–2001 

and oceanic waters during spring/ 

summer 2003–2004, the population was 

estimated at 37,611 (NMFS 2011). Using 

this number, it is estimated that 

approximately 0.84% of Atlantic 

spotted dolphins would be taken by 

Level B behavioral harassment from the 

Navy’s proposed sonar test activities. 

Based on the supporting analyses, 

which suggest that no marine mammals 

will be killed, injured, or receive TTS as 

a result of the Q–20 sonar testing 

activities, and no more than a small 

number of any affected species will be 

taken in the form of short-term Level B 

behavioral harassment. Coupled with 

the fact that these impacts will likely 

not occur in areas and times critical to 

reproduction, NMFS has preliminarily 

determined that the taking of these 

species as a result of the Navy’s Q–20 

sonar test will have a negligible impact 

on the marine mammal species and 

stocks present in the Q–20 Study Area. 

Subsistence Harvest of Marine 

Mammals 

NMFS has preliminarily determined 

that the total taking of marine mammal 

species or stocks from the Navy’s Q–20 

sonar testing in the Q–20 Study Area 

would not have an unmitigable adverse 

impact on the availability of the affected 

species or stocks for subsistence uses, 

since there are no such uses in the 

specified area. 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 

Based on the analysis of the Navy 

Marine Resources Assessment (MRA) 

data on marine mammal distributions, 

there is near zero probability that sperm 

whale will occur in the vicinity of the 

proposed Q–20 test area. No other ESAlisted marine mammal is expected to 

occur in the vicinity of the test area. In 

addition, acoustic modeling analysis 

indicates that none of the ESA-listed 

marine mammal species would be 

exposed to levels of sound that would 

constitute a ‘‘take’’ under the MMPA, 

due to the low source level and high 

attenuation rates of the Q–20 sonar 

signal. Therefore, the Navy has 

determined that ESA-listed species are 

not likely to be adversely affected as the 

result of the Navy’s proposed Q–20 

testing activities and has requested 

concurrence from NMFS. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) 

In 2009, the Navy prepared a Final 

Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Overseas Environmental Impact 

Statement for the NSWC PCD Mission 

Activities (FEIS/OEIS), and NMFS 

subsequently adopted the FEIS/OEIS for 

its rule governing the Navy’s RDT&E 

activities in the NSWC PCD Study Area. 

The currently proposed Q–20 sonar 

testing activities are similar to the sonar 

testing activities described in the FEIS/ 

OEIS for NSWC PCD mission activities. 

NMFS will prepare an Environmental 

Assessment to reflect these additional 

Q–20 sonar test activities. 

Dated: February 23, 2012. 

James H. Lecky, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–4695 Filed 2–27–12; 8:45 am] 

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COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING 

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Notice of Sunshine Act Meetings 

DATES: Time and Date: 10 a.m., Friday, 

March 30, 2012. 

PLACE: 1155 21st St. NW., Washington, 

DC, 9th Floor Commission Conference 

Room. 

STATUS: Closed. 

Matters To Be Considered 

Surveillance and Enforcement 

Matters. In the event that the times or 

dates of these or any future meetings 

change, an announcement of the change, 

along with the new time and place of 

the meeting will be posted on the 

Commission’s Web site at http:// 

www.cftc.gov. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Sauntia S. Warfield, 202–418–5084. 

Sauntia S. Warfield, 

Assistant Secretary of the Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2012–4853 Filed 2–24–12; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 6351–01–P 

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING 

COMMISSION 

Sunshine Act Meeting Notice 

TIME AND DATE: 10 a.m., Friday, March 

2, 2012. 

PLACE: 1155 21st St. NW., Washington, 

DC, 9th Floor Commission Conference 

Room. 

STATUS: Closed. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: 

Surveillance and Enforcement 

Matters. In the event that the times or 

dates of these or any future meetings 

change, an announcement of the change, 

along with the new time and place of 

the meeting will be posted on the 

Commission’s Web site at http:// 

www.cftc.gov. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Sauntia S. Warfield, 202–418–5084. 

Sauntia S. Warfield, 

Assistant Secretary of the Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2012–4864 Filed 2–24–12; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 6351–01–P 

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING 

COMMISSION 

Sunshine Act Meeting Notice 

TIME AND DATE: 10 a.m., Friday, March 

16, 2012. 

PLACE: 1155 21st St. NW., Washington, 

DC, 9th Floor Commission Conference 

Room. 

STATUS: Closed. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: 

Surveillance and Enforcement 

Matters. In the event that the times or 

dates of these or any future meetings 

change, an announcement of the change, 

along with the new time and place of 

the meeting will be posted on the 

Commission’s Web site at http:// 

www.cftc.gov. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Sauntia S. Warfield, 202–418–5084. 

Sauntia S. Warfield, 

Assistant Secretary of the Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2012–4863 Filed 2–24–12; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 6351–01–P 


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