Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 77103 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE303] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 27543 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

Marine Ecology and Telemetry 

Research, 2468 Camp McKenzie Trl 

NW, Seabeck WA 98380 (Responsible 

Party: Greg Schorr), has applied in due 

form for a permit to conduct research on 

and import specimens of 47 marine 

mammal species including the 

following endangered species and 

Distinct Population Segments (DPSs): 

blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), 

bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), 

Main Hawaiian Islands Insular DPS of 

false killer whale (Pseudorca 

crassidens), fin whale (Balaenoptera 

physalus), Western DPS of gray whale 

(Eschrichtius robustus), Western North 

Pacific DPS and Central America DPS of 

humpback whale (Megaptera 

novaeangliae), Southern Resident DPS 

of killer whale (Orcinus orca), North 

Pacific right whale (Eubalaena 

japonica), sei whale (Balaenoptera 

borealis), and sperm whale (Physeter 

macrocephalus). 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before October 21, 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. 27543 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. 27543 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 Sara Young, (301) 

427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject permit is requested under the 

authority of the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act of 1972, as amended 

(MMPA; 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.), 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.). 

The applicant proposes to assess the 

biology and ecology of cetaceans in U.S. 

and international waters along the U.S. 

west coast south to the Baja California 

Peninsula, Hawaii and Alaska. The 

main research objectives are to 

investigate cetacean (1) distribution, 

abundance, stock structure, habitat use 

and demographics, (2) behavioral 

ecology, (3) population health and 

exposure to potential stressors, and (4) 

behavioral responses to military sound 

sources. Research would be conducted 

from vessel and aerial platforms 

(manned and unmanned aircraft 

systems), for: counts, sample collection 

(prey remains, fecal, sloughed skin, skin 

and blubber biopsy, breath), 

observations, acoustic recordings, 

acoustic playbacks, photo-identification, 

videography, photogrammetry, tagging, 

and tracking. Researchers may attach up 

to two tag types (suction-cup, dart/barb, 

or deep implant) at a time to some 

animals. Researchers may 

unintentionally disturb seven pinniped 

species, including the endangered 

Western DPS of Steller sea lion 

(Eumetopias jubatus) and Hawaiian 

monk seals (Neomonachus 

schauinslandi), during studies. 

Biological samples collected in 

international waters may be imported 

and re-exported. See the application for 

take numbers requested. The permit 

would be valid for 5 years. 

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 the 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors. 

Dated: September 17, 2024. 

Julia M. Harrison, 

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21524 Filed 9–19–24; 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; Deep Seabed Mining 

Exploration Licenses 

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 May 14, 

2024 during a 60-day comment period. 

This notice allows for an additional 30 

days for public comments. 

Agency: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, 

Commerce 

Title: Deep Seabed Mining 

Exploration Licenses. 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0145. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Request: Regular submission 

(extension of a currently approved 

collection). 

Number of Respondents: 1. 

Average Hours per Response: Annual 

report: 20 hours. For those years in 

which an extension request must be 

made, the estimated total annual burden 

is 270 hours. 

Total Annual Burden Hours: With 

there being only one license holder/ 

respondent, the estimated total annual 

burden is 20 hours for the preparation 

of the annual report. In those years 

when a license extension request must 

be made, the estimated total burden for 

the license holder is 270 hours. 

Needs and Uses: This request is for 

the extension of the currently approved 

information collection. No changes have 

been made to the collection 

requirements. NOAA’s regulations at 15 

CFR 970 govern the issuing and 


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