Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 23, 1997 / Notices 67053

Permit No. 875–1401 currently

authorizes the harassment of several

species of marine mammals during the

conduct of research to study the effects

of low-frequency sound produced by the

Navy’s Surface Towed Array

Surveillance System Low Frequency

Active (SURTASS LFA) system on the

behavior of blue whales (Balaenoptera

musculus) and fin whales (Balaenoptera

physalus) feeding in the Southern

California Bight during September/

October of 1997 and/or 1998. An

amendment to the Permit to conduct

playback experiments on gray whales

(Eschrichtius robustus) migrating along

the central California coast during

January 1998 is in final review.

Dr. Clark is now requesting that the

Permit be amended to provide for the

conduct of playback experiments using

the SURTASS LFA sound source to

study behavioral responses of breeding

and nursing humpback whales

(Megaptera novaeangliae) and foraging

sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)

in Hawaii during February-April of

1998. Individuals of several other

cetacean, pinniped, and sea turtle

species may be taken (i.e., by

harassment or auditory temporary

threshold shift) during the proposed

experiments.

In compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a draft EA

examining the environmental

consequences of issuing the requested

amended permit has been prepared.

Based upon this draft EA, NMFS has

preliminarily concluded that issuance of

the requested permit will not have a

significant effect on the human

environment.

Dated: December 18, 1997.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–33474 Filed 12-22-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 121797D]

Marine Mammals; Permit No. 965

(P66J)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for

amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

Alaska Department of Fish and Game,

P.O. Box 25526, Juneau, AK 99802–

5526, has requested an amendment to

permit no. 965.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments

must be received on or before January

22, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The amendment request

and related documents are available for

review upon written request or by

appointment in the following office(s):

Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130,

Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713–

2289); and

Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box

21668, Juneau, AK 99802 (907/586–

7221).

Written comments or requests for a

public hearing on this request should be

submitted to the Chief, Permits and

Documentation Division, F/PR1, Office

of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315

East-West Highway, Room 13130, Silver

Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals

requesting a hearing should set forth the

specific reasons why a hearing on this

particular amendment request would be

appropriate.

Comments may also be submitted by

facsimile at (301) 713–0376, provided

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy

submitted by mail and postmarked no

later than the closing date of the

comment period. Please note that

comments will not be accepted by email

or other electronic media.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application to the Marine Mammal

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject amendment to permit no. 965,

issued on June 19, 1995 (60 FR 34233)

is requested under the authority of the

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the

regulations governing the taking and

importing of marine mammals (50 CFR

part 216), the Endangered Species Act of

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et

seq.), and the regulations governing the

taking, importing, and exporting of

endangered fish and wildlife (50 CFR

222.23).

Permit no. 965 authorizes the permit

holder to: to take a maximum of 125

Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)

by trapping, darting, sampling, and gas

anesthesia (including a maximum of 20

by recapture for follow-up blood

sampling and removal of instruments); a

maximum of 400 Steller pups over 6

months old by hand capture, gas

anesthesia, and marking; a maximum of

10,000 Stellers by harassment during

the course of capturing suitable animals;

a maximum of 15 Stellers by

unintentional mortality during the

course of capture and chemical

immobilization and salvaged specimens

of stranded animals, premature pups,

and mortalities associated with this and

other research activities. The holder is

also authorized to take up to 30

rehabilitated California sea lions

(Zalophus californianus) by injection

with experimental immobilization drugs

and a maximum of 3 for unintentional

mortality. All takes will be over a 5-year

period.

The permit holder requests

amendment to the permit for:

Underwater capture of 10 additional (25

total) juvenile Steller sea lions through

use of a leash around their necks, with

the opposite end of the leash attached

to a buoy at the surface; and use of

diazepam, xylazine, or medetomidine as

a sedative with either flumazenil,

tolazoline, or atipamezole as the

reversal agent.

In compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial

determination has been made that the

activity proposed is categorically

excluded from the requirement to

prepare an environmental assessment or

environmental impact statement.

Dated: December 18, 1997.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–33475 Filed 12–22–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 11:00 a.m., Friday,

January 30, 1998.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

DC, 9th Fl. Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Surveillance

Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 97–33628 Filed 12–19–97; 2:36 pm]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M