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[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 159 (Thursday, August 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40791-40792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17667]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Applications Received.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated 
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published 
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act in the Code of Federal 
Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications 
received.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or

[[Page 40792]]

views with respect to this permit application by September 17, 2018. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Office of 
Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22314.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at 
the above address, 703-292-8030, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541, 45 CFR 670 
as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 
1996, has developed regulations for the establishment of a permit 
system for various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain 
animals and certain geographic areas a requiring special protection. 
The regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic 
Specially Protected Areas.

Application Details

Permit Application: 2019-003

1. Applicant: Caitlin Scarano, 60641 State Route 20, Marblemount, WA 
98267.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. The applicant, a writer 
supported by NSF's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, would enter 
ASPAs 155, 157, and 158 to visit the Ross Island historic huts. The 
observations made during these visits will inform the applicant's 
writing about the Antarctic history, research, and daily life. The 
applicant would enter the huts with a trained guide and would abide by 
the management plans of all ASPAs visited. The applicant would not 
enter ASPA 121, Cape Royds, Ross Island. The results of this work are 
expected to be useful for outreach and education about Antarctica and 
the scientific research conducted there.

Location

    ASPA 155, Cape Evans, Ross Island; ASPA 157, Backdoor Bay, Cape 
Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 158 Hut Point, Ross Island.

Dates of Permitted Activities

    November 1-December 1, 2018.

Permit Application: 2019-004

2. Applicant: Brenda Hall, Climate Change Institute, University of 
Maine, Orono, ME 04469.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Take, Import into USA. The applicant would collect samples of long-
dead penguins and seals from islands in the vicinity of Pine Island 
Bay. The samples would be collected from beach sediments by shovel and 
would consist of small fragments of bone, skin, and eggshells. The 
samples would be imported in the United States for analysis. The 
applicant holds a marine mammal permit exemption letter from the 
National Marine Fisheries Service for the seal samples to document that 
the samples qualify as pre-Marine Mammal Protection Act specimens.

Location

    Pine Island Bay, Antarctica.

Dates of Permitted Activities

    January 15-April 1, 2019.

Permit Application: 2019-006

3. Applicant: Michelle LaRue, University of Minnesota, 116 Church 
Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Harmful Interference, Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas 
(ASPAs). Applicant would conduct aerial surveys over emperor penguin 
colonies at Beaufort Island, Franklin Island, Cape Washington, Coulman 
Island, Cape Crozier, and Cape Roget. Photographs of the colonies would 
be taken at an oblique angle at an altitude of approximately 500m from 
a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft. The photographs would be used to 
assess the spatial extent of the colony, number of individual penguins, 
and habitat characteristics. The aerial surveys may involve flights 
over ASPAs 105, 124, and 173. The applicant would also enter ASPA 124, 
Cape Crozier, on foot, to photograph the emperor penguin colony if 
weather conditions do not allow for overflight.

Location

    Ross Sea Region, Antarctica; ASPA 105, Beaufort Island; Franklin 
Island; ASPA 173, Cape Washington and Sliverfish Bay; Coulman Island; 
ASPA 124, Cape Crozier; Cape Roget.

Dates of Permitted Activities

    October 15-November 30, 2018.

Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2018-17667 Filed 8-15-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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