23464 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2012 / Notices 

ACTION: Notice of issuance of a Letter of 

Authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), as amended, and 

implementing regulations, notification 

is hereby given that a Letter of 

Authorization (LOA) has been issued to 

the Alaska Aerospace Corporation 

(AAC) to take two species of pinnipeds 

incidental to space vehicle and missile 

launch operations at the Kodiak Launch 

Complex (KLC) in Kodiak, Alaska. 

DATES: Effective from April 30, 2012, 

through April 29, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: The LOA and supporting 

documentation are available for review 

by writing to Tammy C. Adams, Acting 

Chief, Permits and Conservation 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 

East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910–3225, by telephoning the contact 

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT, or on the Internet at: http://

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/

incidental.htm#applications. 

Documents cited in this notice may also 

be viewed, by appointment, during 

regular business hours at the above 

address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michelle Magliocca, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, 301–427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA 

(16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) directs the 

Secretary of Commerce to allow, upon 

request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and either regulations are 

issued. Under the MMPA, the term 

‘‘take’’ means to harass, hunt, capture, 

or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, 

capture, or kill marine mammals. 

Authorization for incidental takings 

shall be granted if NMFS finds that the 

taking will have a negligible impact on 

the identified species or stock(s), will 

not have an unmitigable adverse impact 

on the availability of the species or 

stock(s) for subsistence uses (where 

relevant), and if the permissible 

methods of taking and requirements 

pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring 

and reporting of such takings are set 

forth in the regulations. NMFS has 

defined ‘‘negligible impact’’ in 50 CFR 

216.103 as ‘‘* * * an impact resulting 

from the specified activity that cannot 

be reasonably expected to, and is not 

reasonably likely to, adversely affect the 

species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival.’’ 

Regulations governing the taking of 

Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), 

by harassment, and harbor seals (Phoca 

vitulina) (adults by harassment and 

pups by injury or mortality), incidental 

to space vehicle and missile launch 

operations at the KLC, were issued on 

March 22, 2011 (76 FR 16311, March 23, 

2011), and remain in effect until March 

21, 2016. For detailed information on 

the action, please refer to that 

document. The regulations include 

mitigation, monitoring, and reporting 

requirements for the incidental take of 

marine mammals during space vehicle 

and missile launch operations at the 

KLC. 

Summary of Request 

On February 27, 2012, NMFS received 

a request from the AAC for renewal of 

an LOA issued on April 30, 2011, 

authorizing the take of marine mammals 

incidental to a maximum of 12 space 

launch vehicles, long-range ballistic 

target missiles, and other smaller 

missile systems at the KLC. The AAC 

has complied with the measures 

required in 50 CFR 217.70–75, as well 

as the associated 2011–2012 LOA, and 

submitted the reports and other 

documentation required by the final 

rule and the 2011–2012 LOA. 

Summary of Activity Under the 2011– 

2012 LOA 

As described in the AAC’s 2011–2012 

annual report, launch activities 

conducted at the KLC were within the 

scope and amounts authorized by the 

2011–2012 LOA and the levels of take 

remain within the scope and amounts 

contemplated by the final rule. Only one 

launch occurred at the KLC under the 

2011–2012 LOA. 

Planned Activities and Estimated Take 

for 2012–2013 

In 2012–2013, the AAC expects to 

conduct the same type and amount of 

launches identified in the 2011–2012 

LOA. Similarly, the authorized take will 

remain within the annual estimates 

analyzed in the final rule. 

Summary of Monitoring and Reporting 

Under the 2011–2012 LOA 

The AAC submitted their annual 

monitoring report within the required 

timeframe and the report is posted on 

NMFS Web site: http://www.nmfs.noaa.

gov/pr/permits/incidental.htm#

applications. NMFS has reviewed the 

report and it contains the information 

required by the 2011–2012 LOA. The 

AAC’s monitoring activities included a 

quarterly aerial survey on September 21, 

2011, and launch-related monitoring on 

September 26–27, 2011, using a remote 

camera system. One of the planned 

quarterly aerial surveys was postponed 

twice due to stormy weather. Another 

aerial survey is scheduled to occur 

before the 2011–2012 LOA expires. The 

annual report for last year’s LOA 

reported no Steller sea lions observed in 

the area before or after the launch and 

there were no sightings of injury or 

mortality to Pacific harbor seals. Last 

year, no launches occurred during 

harbor seal pupping season 

(May 15–June 30). 

Authorization 

The AAC complied with the 

requirements of the 2011–2012 LOA. 

Based on our review of the record, 

NMFS has determined that the marine 

mammal take resulting from the 2011– 

2012 launch operations falls within the 

levels previously anticipated, analyzed, 

and authorized. The record supports 

NMFS’ conclusion that the number of 

marine mammals taken by the 2012– 

2013 launch operations will have no 

more than a negligible impact on the 

affected species or stock of marine 

mammals and will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of these species or stocks for 

taking for subsistence uses. 

Accordingly, NMFS has issued a 1-year 

LOA for launch operations conducted at 

the KLC from April 30, 2012, through 

April 29, 2013. 

Dated: April 11, 2012. 

Helen M. Golde, 

Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–9480 Filed 4–18–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND 

ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION 

Updates to List of National System of 

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) 

AGENCY: NOAA, Department of 

Commerce (DOC). 

ACTION: Notice of updates to the List of 

National System of Marine Protected 

Areas (MPAs) and response to 

comments on nominations of existing 

MPAs to the national system. 

SUMMARY: The National System of 

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) 

provides a mechanism for MPAs 

managed by diverse government 

agencies to work together on common 

conservation priorities. In July 2011, 

NOAA and the Department of the 

Interior (DOI) invited federal, state, 

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2012 / Notices 23465 

commonwealth, territorial and tribal 

MPA programs with potentially eligible 

existing MPAs to nominate their sites to 

the National System of MPAs (national 

system). A total of 58 nominations were 

received, including three from the 

American Samoa Department of Marine 

and Wildlife Resources, 40 from the 

Massachusetts Board of Underwater 

Archaeological Resources, three from 

the National Park Service, one from the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, five from 

the Puerto Rico Department of Natural 

and Environmental Resources, two from 

the South Carolina Institute of 

Archaeology and Anthropology, one 

from the Virgin Islands Department Of 

Planning and Natural Resources and 

three from the Washington Department 

of Natural Resources. Following a 45- 

day public review period, two public 

comments were received by the 

National Marine Protected Areas Center 

(MPA Center). Both comments were 

supportive of the Fort Pulaski National 

Monument, which was nominated by 

the National Park Service. The 

managing agencies listed above were 

asked to make a final determination of 

sites to nominate to the national system. 

Finding them to be eligible for the 

national system, the MPA Center has 

accepted the nominations for 58 sites 

and placed them on the List of National 

System MPAs. 

The national system and the 

nomination process are described in the 

Framework for the National System of 

Marine Protected Areas of the United 

States of America (Framework), 

developed in response to Executive 

Order 13158 on Marine Protected Areas. 

The final Framework was published on 

November 19,2008, and provides 

guidance for collaborative efforts among 

federal, state, commonwealth, 

territorial, tribal and local governments 

and stakeholders to develop a national 

system that includes existing MPAs 

meeting national system criteria as well 

as new sites that may be established by 

managing agencies to fill key 

conservation gaps in important ocean 

areas. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lauren Wenzel, NOAA, at 301–713– 

3100, ext. 136 or via email at 

mpa.comments@noaa.gov. A detailed 

electronic copy of the List of National 

System MPAs is available for download 

at http://www.mpa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background on National System 

The national system of MPAs is made 

up of member MPA sites, networks and 

systems established and managed by 

federal, state, commonwealth, 

territorial, tribal and/or local 

governments that collectively enhance 

conservation of the nation’s natural and 

cultural marine heritage and represent 

its diverse ecosystems and resources. 

Although participating sites continue to 

be managed independently, national 

system MPAs also work together at the 

regional and national levels to achieve 

common objectives for conserving the 

nation’s important natural and cultural 

resources, with emphasis on achieving 

the priority conservation objectives of 

the Framework. MPAs include sites 

with a wide range of protection, from 

multiple use areas to no take reserves 

where all extractive uses are prohibited. 

The term MPA refers only to the marine 

portion of a site (below the mean high 

tide mark) that may include both 

terrestrial and marine components. 

The national system is a mechanism 

to foster greater collaboration among 

participating MPA sites and programs in 

order to enhance stewardship in the 

waters of the United States. The act of 

joining the national system does not 

create new MPAs, or create new 

restrictions for the existing MPAs that 

become members. In fact, a site must 

have existing protections of natural and/ 

or cultural resources in place in order to 

be eligible to join the national system, 

as well as meeting other criteria 

described in the Framework. Joining the 

national system does not establish new 

regulatory authority or change existing 

regulations in any way, require changes 

affecting the designation process or 

management of member MPAs or bring 

state, territorial, tribal or local sites 

under federal authority. 

Benefits of joining the national 

system, which are expected to increase 

over time as the system matures, 

include a facilitated means to work with 

other sites in the MPA’s region, and 

nationally on issues of common 

conservation concern; fostering greater 

public and international recognition of 

U.S. MPAs and the resources they 

protect; priority in the receipt of 

available technical and other support for 

cross-cutting needs; and the opportunity 

to influence federal and regional ocean 

conservation and management 

initiatives (such as integrated ocean 

observing systems, systematic 

monitoring and evaluation, targeted 

outreach to key user groups, and 

helping to identify and address MPA 

research needs). In addition, the 

national system provides a forum for 

coordinated regional planning about 

place-based conservation priorities that 

does not otherwise exist. 

Nomination Process 

The Framework describes two major 

focal areas for building the national 

system of MPAs—a nomination process 

to allow existing MPAs that meet the 

entry criteria to become part of the 

system and a collaborative regional gap 

analysis process to identify areas of 

significance for natural or cultural 

resources that may merit additional 

protection through existing federal, 

state, commonwealth, territorial, tribal 

or local MPA authorities. A call for 

nominations is issued annually, and 

may also be issued at the request of an 

MPA management agency. This round 

of nominations began on July 6, 2011 

and the deadline for nominations was 

October 31, 2011. A public comment 

period was held from December 30, 

2011 through February 13, 2012. 

There are three entry criteria for 

existing MPAs to join the national 

system, plus a fourth for cultural 

heritage. Sites that meet all pertinent 

criteria are eligible for the national 

system. 

1. Meets the definition of an MPA as 

defined in the Framework. 

2. Has a management plan (can be 

site-specific or part of a broader 

programmatic management plan; must 

have goals and objectives and call for 

monitoring or evaluation of those goals 

and objectives). 

3. Contributes to at least one priority 

conservation objective as listed in the 

Framework (see below). 

4. Cultural heritage MPAs must also 

conform to criteria for the National 

Register for Historic Places. 

Additional sites not currently meeting 

the management plan criterion can be 

evaluated for eligibility to be nominated 

to the system on a case-by-case basis 

based on their ability to fill gaps in the 

national system coverage of the priority 

conservation objectives and design 

principles described in the Framework. 

The MPA Center used existing 

information in the MPA Inventory to 

determine which MPAs meet the first 

and second criteria. The inventory is 

online at http://www.mpa.gov/ 

dataanalysis/mpainventory/ and 

potentially eligible sites are posted 

online at http://www.mpa.gov/ 

nationalsystem/nominationprocess/. As 

part of the nomination process, the 

managing entity for each potentially 

eligible site is asked to provide 

information on the third and fourth 

criteria. 

Updates to List of National System 

MPAs 

The following MPAs have been 

nominated by the American Samoa 

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23466 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2012 / Notices 

Department of Marine and Wildlife 

Resources, the Massachusetts Board of 

Underwater Archaeological Resources, 

the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, the Puerto Rico 

Department of Natural and 

Environmental Resources, the South 

Carolina Institute of Archaeology and 

Anthropology, the Virgin Islands 

Department of Planning and Natural 

Resources and the Washington 

Department of Natural Resources to join 

the national system of MPAs. The 

complete List of National System MPAs, 

which now includes 355 members, is 

available at www.mpa.gov. 

Response to Public Comments 

On December 30, 2011, NOAA and 

DOI (agencies) published the 

Nomination of Existing Marine 

Protected Areas (MPAs) to the National 

System of Marine Protected Areas for 

public comment, for the nomination of 

fifty-eight existing MPAs. By the end of 

the 45-day comment period, two public 

comments had been received. Both 

comments expressed support for the 

nomination of the Fort Pulaski National 

Monument, noting that its membership 

in the national system provides an 

opportunity to raise awareness of the 

area, highlight opportunities for 

research and increase cooperation with 

other protected areas and marine 

research institutions in the region. 

Federal Marine Protected Areas 

Cumberland Island National Seashore 

(GA) 

Ebey’s Landing National Historical 

Reserve (WA) 

Farallon National Wildlife Refuge (CA) 

Fort Pulaski National Monument (GA) 

American Samoa 

Aoa Village Marine Protected Area 

Sa’ilele Village Marine Protected Area 

Amanave Village Marine Protected Area 

Massachusetts (Shipwrecks) 

Albert Gallatin Exempt Site 

Alice M. Colburn Exempt Site 

Alice M. Lawrence Exempt Site 

Ardandhu Exempt Site 

Barge and Crane Exempt Site 

California Exempt Site 

State Charles S. Haight Exempt Site 

Chester A. Poling Exempt Site 

Chelsea Exempt Site 

City of Salisbury Exempt Site 

Corvan Exempt Site 

Dixie Sword Exempt Site 

Edward Rich Exempt Site 

Henry Endicott Exempt Site 

Herbert Exempt Site 

Herman Winter Exempt Site 

Hilda Garston Exempt Site 

James S. Longstreet Exempt Site 

John Dwight Exempt Site 

Kershaw Exempt Site 

Kiowa Exempt Site 

Lackawana Exempt Site 

Lunet Exempt Site 

Mars Exempt Site 

Pemberton Exempt Site 

Pendleton Exempt Site 

Pinthis Exempt Site 

Port Hunter Exempt Site 

Pottstown Exempt Site 

Romance Exempt Spite 

Seaconnet Exempt Site 

Trojan Exempt Site 

U.S.S. Grouse Exempt Site 

U.S.S. New Hampshire Exempt Site 

U.S.S. Triana Exempt Site 

U.S.S. Yankee Exempt Site 

U.S.S. YSD Exempt Site 

H.M.C.S. Saint Francis Exempt Site 

French Van Gilder Exempt Site 

Vineyard Sound Lightship Exempt Site 

Puerto Rico 

Arrecifes de la Cordillera Natural 

Reserve 

Canal Luis Pen, a Natural Reserve 

Isla de Desecheo Marine Reserve 

Isla de Mona Natural Reserve 

Tres Palmas de Rinco ’n Marine Reserve 

South Carolina 

Cooper River Heritage Dive Trail 

Ashley River Heritage Canoe Trail 

U.S. Virgin Islands 

St. Thomas East End Reserve 

Washington 

Smith and Minor Island Aquatic 

Reserve 

Protection Island Aquatic Reserve 

Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve 

Dated: March 28, 2012. 

David M. Kennedy, 

Assistant Administrator, National Ocean 

Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2012–9301 Filed 4–18–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–08–M 

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND 

COMMUNITY SERVICE 

Sunshine Act Meeting 

The White House Council for 

Community Solutions gives notice of 

the following meeting: 

DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, May 9, 

2012, 1:15–2 p.m. Eastern Standard 

Time. 

PLACE: The Council will meet via 

phone conference call. The meeting will 

be open to the public in Listen-Only 

mode and it will be recorded. To dial in, 

please call 866–525–0652. More details 

and materials will be available on the 

Council’s Web site (http:// 

www.serve.gov/communitysolutions) by 

Tuesday, May 8. 

PUBLIC COMMENT: The public is invited 

to submit publicly available comments 

through the Council’s Web site. To send 

statements to the Council, please send 

written statements to the Council’s 

electronic mailbox at 

WhiteHouseCouncil@cns.gov. The 

public can also follow the Council’s 

work by visiting its Web site: http:// 

www.serve.gov/communitysolutions. 

STATUS: Open. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The 

purpose of this meeting is to review and 

make decisions on the Council’s 

recommendations that will be included 

in its final report to the President. The 

Report will be available to the public on 

the Council’s Web site referenced above 

when sent to the President. The report 

will provide a record of the work of the 

Council from its establishment in 

December 2010. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Kathy Bendheim, Executive Director, 

White House Council for Community 

Solutions, Corporation for National and 

Community Service, 10th Floor, Room 

10911, 1201 New York Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20525. Phone: (202) 

491–3809. Fax: (202) 606–3464. Email: 

WhiteHouseCouncil@cns.gov. 

Dated: April 17, 2012. 

Kathryn Bendheim, 

Executive Director, White House Council for 

Community Solutions. 

[FR Doc. 2012–9619 Filed 4–17–12; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 6050–$$–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

Defense Acquisition University Board 

of Visitors; Notice of Meeting 

AGENCY: Defense Acquisition 

University, DoD. 

ACTION: Meeting notice. 

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act of 

1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), 

the Government in the Sunshine Act of 

1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 

41 CFR 102–3.150, the Department of 

Defense announces that the following 

Federal advisory committee meeting of 

the Defense Acquisition University 

Board of Visitors will take place. 

DATES: Wednesday, May 9, 2012, from 

8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: DAU Mid-Atlantic Region, 

23330 Cottonwood Pkwy, California, 

MD 20619. 

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