[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 17 (Thursday, January 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 4999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01414]



[[Page 4999]]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


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

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permit modification request.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of requests to modify permits issued to conduct activities 
regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. This is the 
required notice of a requested permit modification.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to this permit application by February 26, 2024. 
Permit applications 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: Andrew Titmus, ACA Permit Officer, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower 
Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-292-4479; or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fcbdbfbd8c998e9195888fbc928f9ad29b938a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5a1b191b2a3f2837332e291a34293c743d352c">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-541), 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 as requiring special protection. The 
regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic 
Specially Protected Areas.
    Description of Permit Modification Requested: The Foundation issued 
a permit (ACA 2024-006) to Megan Cimino on August 14, 2023. The issued 
permit allows the permit holder and agents to enter Antarctic Specially 
Protected Areas (ASPAs), as well as engage in research activities that 
would result in Take, Harmful Interference, and Import into the USA. 
The permit holder and agents would conduct research as part of the 
Palmer Station Long-Term Ecological Research Program (Palmer LTER). The 
applicant would continue long term-research efforts to assess how 
annual environmental variability affects seabird diets, breeding 
success, growth rates, survival and recruitment, behavior, population 
trends, foraging success, and seasonal dispersal. The study species 
include the Adelie Penguin, Chinstrap Penguin, Gentoo Penguin, Brown 
Skua, South Polar Skua, Southern Giant Petrel, Blue-Eyed Shag, Kelp 
Gull, Snowy Sheathbill. All seabirds involved in this research would be 
released unharmed. Up to four timelapse cameras attached to poles on 
square bases anchored by rocks would be deployed to monitor penguin 
occupation patterns.
    Now, the permit holder proposes a permit modification to include 
incidental mortality during research activities given the risk 
associated with various techniques used on different species. Most of 
the permitted research activities are unlikely to result in an 
incidental mortality (e.g., censusing, mapping, collecting fecal 
samples) while other activities are higher risk (e.g., stomach lavage, 
deploying trackers). Handling alone is unlikely to result in a 
mortality but due to the unpredictable nature of animal behavior and/or 
human error, handling could result in an injury and subsequent 
mortality. Further, the act of attaching tracking devices to penguins, 
skuas and petrels is unlikely to result in mortality, but the device 
could influence the animal's behavior, including aero and 
hydrodynamics. The permit holder requests the following number of 
incidental mortalities by species: Adelie Penguin (2), Chinstrap 
Penguin (2), Gentoo Penguin (2), Brown Skua (2), South Polar Skua (2), 
Southern Giant Petrel (2), Blue-Eyed Shag 1), Kelp Gull (1), Snowy 
Sheathbill (1).
    Location: Palmer Station area, Antarctic Peninsula; ASPA 107, Dion 
Islands; ASPA 113, Litchfield Island; ASPA 115, Lagotellerie Island; 
ASPA 117, Avian Island; ASPA 139, Biscoe Point; ASPA 170, Charcot 
Island; and ASPA 176 Rosenthal Islands.

    Dates: October 1, 2023--September 30, 2028.
Kimiko S. Bowens-Knox,
Program Analyst, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2024-01414 Filed 1-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P


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