Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 18 / Thursday, January 27, 2022 / Notices 4225 

Small Numbers 

As noted above, only small numbers 

of incidental take may be authorized 

under sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of 

the MMPA for specified activities other 

than military readiness activities. The 

MMPA does not define small numbers 

and so, in practice, where estimated 

numbers are available, NMFS compares 

the number of individuals taken to the 

most appropriate estimation of 

abundance of the relevant species or 

stock in our determination of whether 

an authorization is limited to small 

numbers of marine mammals. When the 

predicted number of individuals to be 

taken is less than one third of the 

species or stock abundance, the take is 

considered to be of small numbers. 

Additionally, other qualitative factors 

may be considered in the analysis, such 

as the temporal or spatial scale of the 

activities. 

NMFS proposes to authorize 

incidental take (by Level B harassment 

only) of 15 marine mammal species 

(with 16 managed stocks). The total 

amount of takes proposed for 

authorization relative to the best 

available population abundance is less 

than 6 percent for all stocks (Table 9). 

Therefore, NMFS preliminarily finds 

that small numbers of marine mammals 

may be taken relative to the estimated 

overall population abundances for those 

stocks. 

Based on the analysis contained 

herein of the proposed activity 

(including the proposed mitigation and 

monitoring measures) and the 

anticipated take of marine mammals, 

NMFS preliminarily finds that small 

numbers of marine mammals will be 

taken relative to the population size of 

the affected species or stocks. 

Unmitigable Adverse Impact Analysis 

and Determination 

There are no relevant subsistence uses 

of the affected marine mammal stocks or 

species implicated by this action. 

Therefore, NMFS has determined that 

the total taking of affected species or 

stocks would not have an unmitigable 

adverse impact on the availability of 

such species or stocks for taking for 

subsistence purposes. 

Endangered Species Act 

Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973 (ESA: 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 Office of Protected 

Resources (OPR) consults internally 

whenever we propose to authorize take 

for endangered or threatened species. 

NMFS OPR is proposing to authorize 

the incidental take of four species of 

marine mammals which are listed under 

the ESA, including the North Atlantic 

right, fin, sei, and sperm whale, and has 

determined that this activity falls within 

the scope of activities analyzed in 

NMFS GARFO’s programmatic 

consultation regarding geophysical 

surveys along the U.S. Atlantic coast in 

the three Atlantic Renewable Energy 

Regions (completed June 29, 2021; 

revised September 2021). NMFS GARFO 

concurred with this determination. 

Proposed Authorization 

As a result of these preliminary 

determinations, NMFS proposes to issue 

an IHA to Atlantic Shores authorizing 

take, by Level B harassment incidental 

to conducting marine site 

characterization surveys off of New 

Jersey and New York from April 20, 

2022 through April 19, 2023, provided 

the previously mentioned mitigation, 

monitoring, and reporting requirements 

are incorporated. A draft of the 

proposed IHA can be found at https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/incidentaltake-authorizations-other-energyactivities-renewable. 

Request for Public Comments 

We request comment on our analyses, 

the proposed authorization, and any 

other aspect of this notice of proposed 

IHA for the proposed site 

characterization surveys. We also 

request at this time comment on the 

potential Renewal of this proposed IHA 

as described in the paragraph below. 

Please include with your comments any 

supporting data or literature citations to 

help inform decisions on the request for 

this proposed IHA or a subsequent 

Renewal IHA. 

On a case-by-case basis, NMFS may 

issue a one-time, one-year Renewal IHA 

following notification to the public 

providing an additional 15 days for 

public comments when (1) up to 

another year of identical or nearly 

identical, or nearly identical, activities 

as described in the Description of 

Proposed Activities section of this 

notification is planned or (2) the 

activities as described in the Description 

of Proposed Activities section of this 

notification would not be completed by 

the time the IHA expires and a Renewal 

would allow for completion of the 

activities beyond that described in the 

Dates and Duration section of this 

notification, provided all of the 

following conditions are met: 

• A request for Renewal is received 

no later than 60 days prior to the needed 

Renewal IHA effective date (recognizing 

that the Renewal IHA expiration date 

cannot extend beyond one year from 

expiration of the initial IHA); 

• The request for Renewal must 

include the following: 

(1) An explanation that the activities 

to be conducted under the requested 

Renewal IHA are identical to the 

activities analyzed under the initial 

IHA, are a subset of the activities, or 

include changes so minor (e.g., 

reduction in pile size) that the changes 

do not affect the previous analyses, 

mitigation and monitoring 

requirements, or take estimates (with 

the exception of reducing the type or 

amount of take); and 

(2) A preliminary monitoring report 

showing the results of the required 

monitoring to date and an explanation 

showing that the monitoring results do 

not indicate impacts of a scale or nature 

not previously analyzed or authorized. 

Upon review of the request for 

Renewal, the status of the affected 

species or stocks, and any other 

pertinent information, NMFS 

determines that there are no more than 

minor changes in the activities, the 

mitigation and monitoring measures 

will remain the same and appropriate, 

and the findings in the initial IHA 

remain valid. 

Dated: January 21, 2022. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–01557 Filed 1–26–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB749] 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of web conference. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council’s (Council) 

Scallop Plan Team will meet February 

16, 2022. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Wednesday, February 16, 2022, from 9 

a.m. to 5 p.m., Alaska Time. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
4226 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 18 / Thursday, January 27, 2022 / Notices 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be a web 

conference. Join online through the link 

at https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/ 

Details/2755. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 1007 W 

3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501–2252; 

telephone: (907) 271–2809. Instructions 

for attending the meeting via video 

conference are given under 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sarah Rheinsmith, Council staff; phone: 

(907) 271–2809; email: 

sarah.rheinsmith@noaa.gov. For 

technical support, please contact our 

admin Council staff, email: 

npfmc.admin@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda 

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 

The Council’s Scallop Plan Team will 

update the status of the Alaska 

weathervane scallop stocks and the 

Stock Assessment and Fishery 

Evaluation (SAFE) report, including 

OFL/ABC recommendations for the 

2022 fishing year. Additionally, there 

will be discussion of 2021 survey 

results, stock assessment development, 

EFH updates, survey plans for 2022, a 

review of research priorities, and other 

business. The agenda is subject to 

change, and the latest version will be 

posted at https://meetings.npfmc.org/ 

Meeting/Details/2755 prior to the 

meeting, along with meeting materials. 

Connection Information 

You can attend the meeting online 

using a computer, tablet, or smart 

phone; or by phone only. Connection 

information will be posted online at: 

https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/ 

Details/2755. 

Public Comment 

Public comment letters will be 

accepted and should be submitted 

electronically to https://

meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/ 

2755. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: January 24, 2022. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–01657 Filed 1–26–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB740] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 26285 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

The Whale Museum, P.O. Box 924, 

Friday Harbor, Washington 98250 

(Jenny Atkinson, Responsible Party) has 

applied in due form for a permit to 

conduct research or enhancement on 

marine mammals. 

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email 

comments must be received on or before 

February 28, 2022. 

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 (APPS) home page, 

https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then 

selecting File No. 26285 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. 26285 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: 

Shasta McClenahan, Ph.D. or Courtney 

Smith, Ph.D., (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 conduct 

research for the Soundwatch Boater 

Education Program in the in-land waters 

of Washington State to evaluate vessel 

regulations and guidelines, characterize 

vessel trends, and prevent vessel 

disturbances to marine mammals. The 

primary target species are Southern 

Resident and transient killer whales 

(Orcinus orca), but additional species 

taken during research may include fin 

(Balaenoptera physalus), gray 

(Eschrichtius robustus), humpback 

(Megaptera novaeangliae), and minke 

(B. acutorostrata) whales; Dall’s 

(Phocoenoides dalli) and harbor 

(Phocoena phocoena) porpoises. Up to 

50 whales of each killer whale stock and 

20 individuals of each of the other 

cetacean species may be taken annually 

during vessel surveys including 

photography, photo-identification, 

video recording, and behavioral 

observations. Five species of non-listed 

pinnipeds may be unintentionally 

harassed during research activities. See 

the application for complete numbers of 

animals requested by species. The 

permit is requested for five 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: January 24, 2022. 

Julia M. Harrison, 

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–01600 Filed 1–26–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control 

Program: Proposal To Find That 

Louisiana Has Satisfied All Conditions 

of Approval Placed on Its Coastal 

Nonpoint Pollution Control Program 

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, and U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1