[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 222 (Thursday, November 16, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 69287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-29413]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 091300A]


Small Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; 
Explosives Testing at Eglin Air Force Base, FL

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal of a request for a small take exemption 
authorization.

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SUMMARY: On October 26, 2000, NMFS was notified by the U.S. Air Force 
that it was withdrawing its request for an authorization under the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to take small numbers of bottlenose 
and spotted dolphins, by harassment, incidental to explosive testing of 
obstacle and mine clearance systems at Eglin Air Force Base, FL 
(Eglin).

ADDRESSES: A copy of the application and/or letter of withdrawal may be 
obtained by writing to Donna Wieting, Chief, Marine Mammal Conservation 
Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910, or by telephoning the contact listed here.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Hollingshead 301-713-2055 ext. 
128.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 6, 2000, NMFS received a small 
take application, under section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA, from the U.S. 
Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The Air Force, in cooperation 
with the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Coastal Systems Station, U.S. 
Navy, requested, on that date, an authorization to take, by harassment 
and non-serious injury, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and 
spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), incidental to explosive testing 
of an obstacle clearance system at Eglin. Eglin is located in the 
Florida Panhandle approximately midway between the cities of Pensacola 
and Panama City, FL. The location of the proposed action is on the 
beach areas on Santa Rosa Island, approximately 27 kilometers (17 mi) 
west of Destin, FL.
    A notice of receipt of the application and proposed incidental 
harassment authorization (IHA) under the MMPA was published on October 
20, 2000 (65 FR 63059), and a 30-day public comment period was provided 
on the application and proposed authorization. Please refer to that 
document for additional information on the Air Force request.
    On October 26, 2000, NMFS received a letter from the Air Force at 
Eglin noting that the U.S. Navy does not support the acoustic modeling 
that was performed for the Biological Assessment under section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act or the application for an IHA; in particular, a 
marine mammal injury threshold criterion of 5 pounds/inch2-
milliseconds. The Navy believes that the methodologies and criteria 
developed by acousticians, energetic scientists, and independent 
scientific review for the SEAWOLF ship shock trial (63 FR 66069, 
December 1, 1998), as updated in the shock trial of the USS WINSTON 
CHURCHILL (65 FR 11542, March 3, 2000), are the appropriate means to 
establish harassment to marine mammals. As a result, the Air Force has 
requested NMFS to withdraw the application. The Air Force will inform 
NMFS if the Navy requests to use Eglin to conduct this or other tests 
in the future.

    Dated: November 6, 2000.
Phil Williams,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of protected Resourses, National marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-29413 Filed 11-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE: 3510-22-S