82990 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 15, 2024 / Notices 

method and the implementation of the 

planned mitigation measures (see 

Description of Mitigation, Monitoring 

and Reporting Measures section). 

The USACE’s pile driving project 

precludes the likelihood of serious 

injury or mortality. For all species and 

stocks, take would occur within a 

limited, confined area of the stock’s 

range. Level A and Level B harassment 

would be reduced to the level of least 

practicable adverse impact through use 

of mitigation measures described herein. 

The additional authorized takes of 

humpback whale and killer whale 

represent a minor increase in the 

percent of stock taken that was 

authorized in the initial year 2 IHA, and 

the anticipated impacts are identical to 

those described in the Federal Register 

notice of issuance of final IHA (87 FR 

51346, August 22, 2022). The increases 

in authorized takes by Level B 

harassment for humpback and killer 

whale are extremely small when 

compared to stock abundance. The 

increase in authorized take of humpback 

and killer whale by Level B harassment 

is less than 0.01 percent for the Central 

America/Southern Mexico DPS and no 

greater than 0.46 percent for the 

Mainland Mexico DPS. Therefore, this 

activity will not cause effects on annual 

rates of recruitment or survival. We 

have determined that the impacts 

resulting from this activity are not 

expected to adversely affect annual rates 

of recruitment or survival for humpback 

whale, killer whale or any other species 

where NMFS has authorized take. 

Based on the information contained 

here and in the referenced documents, 

NMFS has determined the following: (1) 

the required mitigation measures will 

effect the least practicable impact on 

marine mammal species or stocks and 

their habitat; (2) the authorized takes 

will have a negligible impact on the 

affected marine mammal species or 

stocks; (3) the authorized takes 

represent small numbers of marine 

mammals relative to the affected stock 

abundances; (4) the USACE’s activities 

will not have an unmitigable adverse 

impact on taking for subsistence 

purposes as no relevant subsistence uses 

of marine mammals are implicated by 

this action; and (5) appropriate 

monitoring and reporting requirements 

are included. 

Endangered Species Act 

Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

seq.) requires that each Federal agency 

insure that any action it authorizes, 

funds, or carries out is not likely to 

jeopardize the continued existence of 

any endangered or threatened species or 

result in the destruction or adverse 

modification of designated critical 

habitat. To ensure ESA compliance for 

the issuance of IHAs, NMFS consults 

internally whenever we propose to 

authorize take for endangered or 

threatened species, in this case with the 

West Coast Regional Office. 

As part of the original IHA, NMFS 

authorized incidental take of humpback 

whales from the California/Oregon/ 

Washington stock that was designated at 

the time, and which included whales 

from the ESA-listed Mexico and Central 

America DPSs. The effects of this 

Federal action were adequately 

analyzed in the NMFS West Coast 

Region’s Biological Opinion and 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

Essential Fish Habitat Response for the 

Sand Island Pile Dike Repair Project, 

dated June 14, 2022, which concluded 

that the action is not likely to adversely 

affect humpback whales from the 

Mexico and Central America DPSs or 

their designated critical habitat. This 

modification of the IHA does not change 

the existing analysis and, therefore, the 

prior determination remains unchanged. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

To comply with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 

216–6A, NMFS must review our 

proposed action (i.e., the issuance of an 

IHA) with respect to potential impacts 

on the human environment. 

This action is consistent with 

categories of activities identified in 

Categorical Exclusion B4 (IHAs with no 

anticipated serious injury or mortality) 

of the Companion Manual for NOAA 

Administrative Order 216–6A, which do 

not individually or cumulatively have 

the potential for significant impacts on 

the quality of the human environment 

and for which we have not identified 

any extraordinary circumstances that 

would preclude this categorical 

exclusion. Accordingly, NMFS has 

determined that the issuance of the 

modification of the IHA continues to 

qualify to be categorically excluded 

from further NEPA review. 

Authorization 

NMFS has issued a modified IHA to 

the USACE for conducting construction 

activities associated Sand Island Dikes 

Repair Project on the Columbia River 

that includes the previously explained 

mitigation, monitoring, and reporting 

requirements. 

Dated: October 8, 2024. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23681 Filed 10–11–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Request for Information; Data for 

Marine Spatial Studies in Maryland, 

New Jersey, and Delaware 

AGENCY: National Centers for Coastal 

Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), Department of 

Commerce (DOC). 

ACTION: Notice; request for information. 

SUMMARY: NOAA’s National Ocean 

Service (NOS) National Centers for 

Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), 

hereafter NOAA, in partnership with the 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

(BOEM), is working to build spatial 

planning capacity in the United States 

(U.S.) Central Atlantic region. Through 

this Request for Information, NOAA is 

seeking public input to identify coastal 

and marine spatial data or other critical 

information to inform marine spatial 

analyses in Maryland, New Jersey, and 

Delaware. The input we receive from 

the data development workshop 

meeting, as well as the responses to the 

items listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this document, 

will be used to inform potential coastal 

and ocean development activities in the 

U.S. Central Atlantic region, such as 

renewable energy development. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

provide input in response to this 

Request for Information through 

November 1, 2024. Late-filed input will 

be considered to the extent practicable. 

Verbal input will be accepted during 

a public meeting to be held in 

Columbia, Maryland on October 16–17, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to provide input using one of the 

following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit 

electronic written public comments via 

the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and enter 

NOAA–NOS–2024–0122 in the Search 

box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on www.regulations.gov 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 15, 2024 / Notices 82991 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NOAA will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

• Oral submission: NOAA will accept 

verbal input at a data development 

workshop. The meeting will be held at 

the Maryland Innovation Center in 

Columbia, Maryland on Wednesday, 

October 16, 2024 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 

p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 

Thursday, October 17, 2024 from 8:30 

a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST). There will be a 

registration window from 8:30 a.m. to 9 

a.m. (EST) each day before the start of 

the meeting. 

Reports of meeting results will also be 

published and made available to the 

public in the weeks following the 

meeting. If you are unable to provide 

electronic written comments or 

participate in the meeting, please 

contact Bryce O’Brien at bryce.obrien@

noaa.gov or (802) 331–0290 for 

alternative submission methods. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

James Morris, NOAA NCCOS, at 

james.morris@noaa.gov or 252–666– 

7433. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

NOAA is an agency of the United 

States Federal Government that works to 

conserve and manage coastal and 

marine ecosystems and resources. 

NOAA works to make fisheries 

sustainable and productive, provide safe 

seafood to consumers, conserve 

threatened and endangered species and 

other protected resources, and maintain 

healthy ecosystems. NOAA has 

jurisdiction and responsibility for its 

trust marine resources in the U.S. 

Central Atlantic region as well as 

significant interest in supporting the 

resilience of coastal and marinedependent communities and promoting 

equity and environmental justice. For 

these reasons, it is important for NOAA 

to invest in research that informs marine 

spatial studies in the U.S. Central 

Atlantic region, including 

socioeconomic research that ensures 

meaningful participation of local 

communities and supports equitable 

processes for planning and siting of new 

and existing marine industries and 

conservation areas. 

NOAA has been engaged with the 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

(BOEM) to support siting and 

environmental review for offshore wind 

energy areas in U.S. Federal waters 

(https://www.boem.gov/renewableenergy) to ensure protection of trust 

resources in any offshore development 

activities. 

II. Purpose of This Request for 

Information 

The purpose of this Request for 

Information is to promote data 

development to inform marine spatial 

studies in Maryland, New Jersey, and 

Delaware, with an emphasis on data 

needs for offshore wind energy. In 

addition to input received from the 

public through the electronic and verbal 

submissions, NOAA aims to inform the 

public about its coastal and ocean 

planning processes and capabilities, 

discuss the current data available for 

each ocean sector (e.g., national 

security, fisheries, industry, natural 

resources, cultural resources), and 

gather ideas for other data sources. 

NOAA hopes to come out of the 

meetings with a strengthened 

relationship with the public and a list 

of best available data and data gaps. 

III. Specific Information Requested To 

Inform Marine Spatial Studies in 

Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware 

Through this Request for Information, 

NOAA seeks written public input to 

inform marine spatial studies in the U.S. 

Central Atlantic region. NOAA is 

particularly interested in receiving 

input concerning the items listed below. 

Responses to this Request for 

Information are voluntary, and 

respondents need not reply to items 

listed. When providing input, please 

specify if you are providing general 

feedback on marine spatial studies and/ 

or if you are responding to one of the 

specific item number(s) below: 

1. Specific datasets related to ocean 

sectors, natural resources, and/or 

human activities you recommend 

NOAA use in marine spatial studies. 

2. Major concerns you have related to 

use of any specific datasets that may be 

used in marine spatial studies. 

3. Major concerns you have related to 

gaps in scientific knowledge or data that 

could impact marine spatial planning 

efforts. 

4. Specific data or information you 

recommend NOAA or other partners 

collect, if it is not currently available or 

has not been previously collected. 

5. Ways in which NOAA can better 

engage and collaborate with the public 

and local communities to promote 

economic, social, and ecological 

resilience as well as protect trust 

resources. 

6. Ways in which NOAA can build 

upon existing capacity and resources for 

regional ocean spatial planning. 

Sean Corson, 

Director, National Centers for Coastal Ocean 

Science, National Ocean Service, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23776 Filed 10–11–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE330] 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Draft Recovery Plan for the Giant 

Manta Ray (Mobula birostris); Notice of 

Initiation of a 5-Year Review for the 

Giant Manta Ray 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft 

recovery plan; request for comments; 

notice of initiation; request for 

information. 

SUMMARY: We, the National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS), announce the 

availability of a Draft Endangered 

Species Act (ESA) Recovery Plan (Draft 

Recovery Plan) for the threatened giant 

manta ray (Mobula birostris) for public 

review. We are soliciting review and 

comment from the public and all 

interested parties on the Draft Recovery 

Plan, and will consider all substantive 

comments received during the review 

period before submitting the Recovery 

Plan for final approval. We are also 

initiating a 5-year review of the giant 

manta ray and are requesting new 

information on its status. 

DATES: Comments on the Draft Recovery 

Plan must be received by December 16, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on the Draft Recovery Plan, identified 

by NOAA–NMFS–2024–0110 by any of 

the following methods: 

Electronic Submissions: Submit all 

electronic comments via the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal. Visit https://

www.regulations.gov and type NOAA– 

NMFS–2024–0110 in the Search box. 

Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete 

the required fields, and enter or attach 

your comments. 

Mail: Submit written comments to 

Endangered Species Division, Office of 

Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West 

Highway (SSMC3), Silver Spring, MD 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES