906 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 5 / Monday, January 8, 2024 / Notices 

0025 in the subject line of your 

comments. Do not submit confidential 

business information or otherwise 

sensitive or protected information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

specific questions related to collection 

activities should be directed to the OAR 

Weather Program Office, Attn: Jessie 

Carman, 1315 East West Hwy., Bldg. 

SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910–3282, 

(202) 936–6085, Weather.Modification@

noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

This is a request for extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

The National Oceanic & Atmospheric 

Administration’s Office of Atmospheric 

Research (OAR)/Weather Program Office 

is conducting this information 

collection pursuant to section 6(b) of 

Public Law 92–205. This law requires 

that all non-federal weather 

modification activities (e.g., cloud 

seeding) in the United States (U.S.) and 

its territories be reported to the 

Secretary of Commerce through NOAA. 

This reporting is critical for gauging the 

scope of these activities, for determining 

the possibility of duplicative operations 

or of interference with another project, 

for providing a database for checking 

atmospheric changes against the 

reported activities, and for providing a 

single source of information on the 

safety and environmental factors used in 

weather modification activities in the 

U.S. Two forms are collected under this 

OMB Control Number: one prior to and 

one after the activity. The requirements 

are detailed in 15 CFR part 908. This 

data is used for scientific research, 

historical statistics, international reports 

and other purposes. 

II. Method of Collection 

Respondents have a choice of either 

electronic or paper forms. Methods of 

submittal include email of electronic 

forms, mail and facsimile transmission 

of paper forms. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0025. 

Form Number(s): NOAA Forms 17–4 

and 17–4A. 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Extension of a current information 

collection. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

50. 

Estimated Time per Response: 60 

minutes per initial report; 30 minutes 

per final report. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 75 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $0. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

Legal Authority: Public Law 92–205, 

Weather Modification Reporting Act of 

1972. 

IV. Request for Comments 

We are soliciting public comments to 

permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) 

Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper functions of the Department, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the 

accuracy of our estimate of the time and 

cost burden for this proposed collection, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and (d) Minimize the 

reporting burden on those who are to 

respond, including the use of automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

Comments that you submit in 

response to this notice are a matter of 

public record. We will include or 

summarize each comment in our request 

to OMB to approve this ICR. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

email address, or other personal 

identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you may ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Sheleen Dumas, 

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of 

the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, 

Commerce Department. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00094 Filed 1–5–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–KD–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD609] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 25563 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

permit amendment. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science 

Center, Marine Mammal Laboratory, 

7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 

98115 (Responsible Party: John 

Bengtson, Ph.D.), has applied for an 

amendment to Scientific Research 

Permit No. 25563. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before February 7, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review by 

selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public 

Comment’’ from the ‘‘Features’’ box on 

the Applications and Permits for 

Protected Species home page, https://

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting 

File No. 25563 from the list of available 

applications. These documents are also 

available upon written request via email 

to NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. 

Written comments on this application 

should be submitted via email to 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please 

include File No. 25563 in the subject 

line of the email comment. 

Those individuals requesting a public 

hearing should submit a written request 

via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@

noaa.gov. The request should set forth 

the specific reasons why a hearing on 

this application would be appropriate. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amy Hapeman or Shasta McClenahan, 

Ph.D., (301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject amendment to Permit No. 25563 

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 and threatened species (50 

CFR parts 222–226), and the Fur Seal 

Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 

et seq.). 

Permit No. 25563, issued on 

November 8, 2021 (86 FR 70828, 

December 13, 2021), authorizes the 

permit holder to monitor cetacean 

population trends, abundance, 

distribution, and health in the North 

Pacific Ocean, the Bering, Beaufort, and 

Chukchi Seas, and the Gulf of Maine. 

Researchers may conduct aerial and 

vessel surveys to study 20 species of 

cetaceans including endangered or 

threatened blue (Balaenoptera 

musculus), bowhead (Balaena 

mysticetus), Cook Inlet beluga 

(Delphinapterus leucas), fin 

(Balaenoptera physalus), gray 

(Eschrichtius robustus), humpback 

(Megaptera novaeangliae), North Pacific 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 5 / Monday, January 8, 2024 / Notices 907 

right (Eubalaena japonica), sei 

(Balaenoptera borealis), Southern 

Resident killer (Orcinus orca), and 

sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) 

whales. Surveys are authorized for a 

suite of methods: observations, counts, 

photography/videography (underwater, 

topside, and aerial), photogrammetry, 

photo-identification, biological 

sampling (exhaled air, feces, blubber 

and skin, sloughed skin, environmental 

DNA, and prey remains), invasive and 

non-invasive tagging, and active 

acoustics. Researchers may attach up to 

two tags on a whale at a time. Biological 

samples collected on the high seas may 

be imported to the United States. Up to 

nine species of pinnipeds may be 

unintentionally harassed during 

surveys. See the take tables for specific 

numbers and life stages authorized for 

each species. 

The permit holder is requesting the 

permit be amended to include 

authorization for blue, fin, gray, and 

humpback whales (adult and juvenile 

life stages) to receive up to three tags 

(suction-cup, dart/barb tag, and deep 

implant) at the same time. Deployment 

of three tags at a time will allow 

researchers to better understand whale 

movements and habitat use and to 

validate new sensors. The number of 

takes authorized for each species would 

not change. The amendment would be 

valid for the duration of the permit, 

which is set to expire October 31, 2026. 

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. 

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. 

Dated: January 3, 2024. 

Julia M. Harrison, 

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00139 Filed 1–5–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; Alaska Pacific Halibut: 

Subsistence 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit the following information 

collection request to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and clearance in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, on or after the date of publication 

of this notice. We invite the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

comment on proposed, and continuing 

information collections, which helps us 

assess the impact of our information 

collection requirements and minimize 

the public’s reporting burden. Public 

comments were previously requested 

via the Federal Register on August 11, 

2023, during a 60-day comment period 

(88 FR 54574). This notice allows for an 

additional 30 days for public comments. 

Agency: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

Title: Alaska Pacific Halibut: 

Subsistence. 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0512. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Request: Regular submission. 

Extension of a current information 

collection. 

Number of Respondents: 4,783. 

Average Hours per Response: 

Application for SHARC Rural Resident: 

10 minutes; Application for SHARC 

Alaska Native Tribal Member: 10 

minutes; Application for SHARC Alaska 

Native Tribe: 30 minutes; Subsistence 

Halibut Special Permits Application: 30 

minutes; Harvest logs: 30 minutes; 

Appeal for permit denial: 4 hours; Gear 

marking: 30 minutes. 

Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,673 

hours. 

Needs and Uses: The National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska 

Regional Office, is requesting extension 

of a currently approved information 

collection for the Alaska Subsistence 

Halibut Program. 

The International Pacific Halibut 

Commission (IPHC) promulgates 

regulations governing the North Pacific 

halibut fishery under the Convention 

between the United States and Canada 

for the Preservation of the Halibut 

Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean 

and Bering Sea (Convention). The 

IPHC’s regulations are subject to 

approval by the Secretary of State with 

the concurrence of the Secretary of 

Commerce. The Northern Pacific 

Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act; 16 

U.S.C. 773c(a)–(b)), provides the 

Secretary of Commerce with general 

responsibility for carrying out the 

Convention and the Halibut Act, 

including the authority to adopt 

regulations necessary to carry out the 

purposes and objectives of the 

Convention. The Halibut Act, 16 U.S.C. 

773c(c), also provides the North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

with authority to develop regulations, 

including limited access regulations, 

that are in addition to, and not in 

conflict with, IPHC regulations. 

Regulations the Council recommends 

may be implemented by NMFS only 

after approval by the Secretary of 

Commerce. The Council has exercised 

this authority in the development of 

subsistence halibut fishery management 

measures. NMFS has responsibility for 

managing the subsistence halibut 

fishery according to regulations 

approved by the Secretary. Regulations 

governing the subsistence halibut 

fishery are at 50 CFR 300.2, 300.4, and 

subpart E, and in the annual 

management measures published in the 

Federal Register pursuant to 50 CFR 

300.62. 

This information collection is 

necessary for NMFS to manage the 

Alaska Subsistence Halibut Program. 

Subsistence halibut means halibut 

caught by a rural resident or a member 

of an Alaska Native tribe for direct 

personal or family consumption as food, 

sharing for personal or family 

consumption as food, or customary 

trade. The Alaska Subsistence Halibut 

Program is intended to allow eligible 

persons to practice the long-term 

customary and traditional harvest of 

Pacific halibut for food in a noncommercial manner. This program 

provides NMFS the opportunity to 

enhance estimates of subsistence 

removals for stock assessment purposes. 

Before fishing under subsistence 

halibut regulations, a Subsistence 

Halibut Registration Certificate (SHARC) 

must be obtained. This information 

collection contains the forms used by 

participants in the subsistence halibut 

fishery to apply for SHARCs, apply for 

special use permits, and submit harvest 

information for special use permits. 

This information collection contains 

two collections for which no forms are 

used: the appeals process for denied 

permits and marking subsistence setline 

fishing gear. 

Information collected by the permit 

applications includes applicant 

information and depending on the 


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