65840 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 213 / Thursday, November 2, 2000 / Notices

public and other Federal agencies to

take this opportunity to comment on

proposed and/or continuing information

collections, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before January 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Madeleine Clayton, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 6086, 14th and

Constitution Avenue NW, Washington

DC 20230 (or via Internet at

MClayton@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to Joanne Swanson/Herb

White, 1325 East West Highway SSMC

II Room 13202, Silver Spring, MD

20910.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The National Weather Service (NWS)

is undertaking an acquisition effort to

replace the existing voice technology

used for automation of the NOAA

Weather Radio. The current text-tospeech voice technology has been found

to be of questionable understandability

and acceptability to the public, and new

technology has emerged that can better

serve the nation’s interests in receipt of

broadcast weather warnings, watches,

and forecasts from NOAA Weather

Radio. The NWS seeks to assess

candidates for the voice replacement

with the listening public and marine

community prior to selecting and

acquiring the new technology.

II. Method of Collection

It is intended that multiple focus

groups will be formed and canvassed by

playing the candidate voices speaking a

variety of products and assessing the

public reaction to each. In addition,

some form of Web-based voluntary

assessment and feedback may be

offered, along with voice evaluation

teams comprised of affected broadcast

and public agencies.

III. Data

OMB Number: None.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households; business and other forprofit organizations; not-for-profit

institutions; farms; Federal, State, Local,

or Tribal government.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

800.

Estimated Time Per Response: 2 hours

for focus groups; 5 minutes for Web

surveys.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 860.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to

Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval of this information collection;

they also will become a matter of public

record.

Dated: October 26, 2000

Madeleine Clayton,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of the Chief Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–28156 File 11–1–00; 8:45am]

BILLING CODE 3510–KE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D.102600D]

Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for a

enhancement permit (1268) and

issuance of permit (1259).

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

following actions regarding permits for

takes of endangered and threatened

species for the purposes of scientific

research and/or enhancement: NMFS

has received a permit application from

The National Aquarium in Baltimore

(1268) and NMFS has issued an

incidental take permit to the North

Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

(NCDMF) that authorizes incidental take

of Endangered Species Act-listed sea

turtles, incidental to the operation and

management of the large mesh gillnet

fishery in southeastern Pamlico Sound,

subject to certain conditions set forth

therein (1259).

DATES: Comments or requests for a

public hearing on any of the new

applications or modification requests

must be received at the appropriate

address or fax number no later than 5

p.m. eastern standard time on December

4, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on any of

the new applications should be sent to

the appropriate office as indicated.

Comments may also be sent via fax to

the number indicated for the application

or modification request. Comments will

not be accepted if submitted via e-mail

or the Internet. The applications and

related documents are available for

review in the indicated office, by

appointment:

For permits 1268 & 1259: Endangered

Species Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910 301-

713-1401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Terri Jordan, Silver Spring, MD (ph:

301-713-1401, fax: 301-713-0376, e-mail:

Terri.Jordan@noaa.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

Issuance of permits and permit

modifications, as required by the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16

U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on a

finding that such permits/modifications:

(1) are applied for in good faith; (2)

would not operate to the disadvantage

of the listed species which are the

subject of the permits; and (3) are

consistent with the purposes and

policies set forth in section 2 of the

ESA. Authority to take listed species is

subject to conditions set forth in the

permits. Permits and modifications are

issued in accordance with, and are

subject to, the ESA and NMFS

regulations governing listed fish and

wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222-226).

Those individuals requesting a

hearing on an application listed in this

notice should set out the specific

reasons why a hearing on that

application would be appropriate (see

ADDRESSES). The holding of such

hearing is at the discretion of the

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

NOAA. All statements and opinions

contained in the permit action

summaries are those of the applicant

and do not necessarily reflect the views

of NMFS.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 213 / Thursday, November 2, 2000 / Notices 65841

Species Covered in This Notice

The following species are covered in

this notice:

Sea Turtles

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys

kempii)

Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys

coriacea)

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)

Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys

imbricata)

Fish

Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser

brevirostrum).

New Applications Received

Application 1268: The applicant

requests a 5-year permit to continue to

maintain 1 adult shortnose sturgeon in

captivity for enhancement purposes.

The applicant currently possesses an

adult shortnose sturgeon received from

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

hatchery at Bears Bluff, SC in February

1997, under scientific research permit

ι986. Permit 986 will expire on

December 31, 2000, and the permit

holder does not wish to renew the

enhancement aspects of his permit. As

a direct result, the National Aquarium

in Baltimore is applying for an

individual permit to continue

maintenance of this fish.

Permits Issued

Notice was published on August 3,

2000 (65 FR 47715), that an application

had been filed by NCDMF for an

incidental take permit. Permit 1259 was

issued to NCDMF on October 5, 2000.

Permit 1259 authorizes the incidental

take of threatened loggerhead and green

sea turtles and endangered Kemp’s

ridley, hawksbill, and leatherback sea

turtles. NCDMF’s covered activities

include the management of the fall 2000

season of the large mesh gillnet fishery

in a specified area in southeastern

Pamlico Sound and the prosecution of

that fishery by North Carolina fishermen

in compliance with NCDMF’s

implementing regulations. The activities

are described in NCDMF’s June 21,

2000, permit application and

conservation plan (plan) and the

associated Draft Environmental

Assessment (EA), Final EA and Finding

of No Significant Impact, and the

permit. Issuance of the permit was

based on a finding that NCDMF had met

the permit issuance criteria of 50 CFR

222.307(c). Permit 125 9 was effective

upon issuance and expires on December

16, 2000.

Dated: October 27, 2000.

Craig Johnson,

Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–28155 Filed 11–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 101200C]

Marine Mammals; File No. 376-1520-01

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of permit amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr.

James H.W. Hain, Holder/Principal

Investigator, Associated Scientists of

Woods Hole, Box 721, 3 Water Street,

Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, has

been issued an amendment to permit

no. 376-1520 to take marine mammals

for purposes of scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The permit 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 13705,

Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713-

2289);

Regional Administrator, Northeast

Region, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive,

Gloucester, MA 01930, (978/281-9250);

and

Regional Administrator, Southeast

Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center

Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-

2432 (813/570-5312).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Simona Roberts or Ruth Johnson, 301/

713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June

23, 1999, Notice was published in the

Federal Register (64 FR 33470) that a

request for a scientific research permit

to take various cetacean species, harbor

and grey seals, and sea turtles during

aerial/vessel surveys, collect stomach

contents and baleen, and conduct

passive acoustic activities had been

submitted by the above-named

individual. A modified version of the

permit request was issued on March 20,

2000 under 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 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531

et seq.), and the regulations governing

the taking, importing, and exporting of

endangered and threatened species (50

CFR parts 222-227). The take of right

whales, sea turtles, and stomach

contents/baleen was not issued in the

original permit.

This amendment now authorizes the

permit holder to conduct aerial surveys

and behavioral studies on right whales

in the western North Atlantic Ocean

from a blimp platform at a minimum

altitude of 500 feet directly above and

a minimum altitude of 350 feet slant

range. The expiration date has also been

extended to March 31, 2005.

Issuance of this amendment, as

required by the ESA, was based on a

finding that such permit (1) was applied

for in good faith, (2) will not operate to

the disadvantage of the endangered

species which is the subject of this

permit, and (3) is consistent with the

purposes and policies set forth in

section 2 of the ESA.

Dated: October 26, 2000.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–28157 Filed 11–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 051500C]

Guidelines for Economic Analysis of

Fishery Management Actions

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Guidelines for Economic

Analysis of Fishery Management

Actions (Guidelines) provide guidance

on meeting the procedural and

analytical requirements of Executive

Order (E.O.) 12866 and the Regulatory

Flexibility Act(RFA)for regulatory

actions of federally managed fisheries.

Specifically, the guidelines include a

general framework for conducting

economic analyses of regulatory actions;

recommend that a preliminary

regulatory economic evaluation be

conducted early in the regulatory

process to provide information on the

impacts of proposed measures to the

public and decision makers; outline the

process for doing the regulatory impact