7138 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2022 / Notices 

Unmitigable Adverse Impact Analysis 

and Determination 

In order to issue an IHA, NMFS must 

find that the specified activity will not 

have an ‘‘unmitigable adverse impact’’ 

on the subsistence uses of the affected 

marine mammal species or stocks by 

Alaskan Natives. NMFS has defined 

‘‘unmitigable adverse impact’’ in 50 CFR 

216.103 as an impact resulting from the 

specified activity: (1) That is likely to 

reduce the availability of the species to 

a level insufficient for a harvest to meet 

subsistence needs by: (i) Causing the 

marine mammals to abandon or avoid 

hunting areas; (ii) Directly displacing 

subsistence users; or (iii) Placing 

physical barriers between the marine 

mammals and the subsistence hunters; 

and (2) That cannot be sufficiently 

mitigated by other measures to increase 

the availability of marine mammals to 

allow subsistence needs to be met. 

Alaska Native hunters in the 

Ketchikan vicinity do not traditionally 

harvest cetaceans (Muto et al., 2021). 

Harbor seals are the most commonly 

targeted marine mammal that is hunted 

by Alaska Native subsistence hunters 

within the Ketchikan area. In 2012 an 

estimated 595 harbor seals were taken 

for subsistence uses, with 22 of those 

occurring in Ketchikan (Wolfe et al., 

2013). This is the most recent data 

available. The harbor seal harvest per 

capita in both communities was low, at 

0.02 for Ketchikan. ADF&G subsistence 

data for Southeast Alaska shows that 

from 1992 through 2008, plus 2012, 

from zero to 19 Steller sea lions were 

taken by Alaska Native hunters per year 

with typical harvest years ranging from 

zero to five animals (Wolfe et al., 2013). 

In 2012, it is estimated 9 sea lions were 

taken in all of Southeast Alaska and 

only from Hoonah and Sitka. There are 

no known haulout locations in the 

project area. Both the harbor seal and 

the Steller sea lion may be temporarily 

displaced from the action area. 

However, neither the local population 

nor any individual pinnipeds are likely 

to be adversely impacted by the 

proposed action beyond noise-induced 

harassment or slight injury. The 

proposed project is anticipated to have 

no long-term impact on Steller sea lion 

or harbor seal populations, or their 

habitat no long term impacts on the 

availability of marine mammals for 

subsistence uses is anticipated. 

Based on the description of the 

specified activity, the measures 

described to minimize adverse effects 

on the availability of marine mammals 

for subsistence purposes, and the 

proposed mitigation and monitoring 

measures, NMFS has determined that 

there will not be an unmitigable adverse 

impact on subsistence uses from 

NOAA’s proposed activities. 

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 

proposed IHA qualifies to be 

categorically excluded from further 

NEPA review. 

Endangered Species Act 

Section 7(a)(2) of the 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 consults internally, in this 

case with the Alaska Regional Office, 

whenever we propose to authorize take 

for endangered or threatened species. 

NMFS is authorizing take of Mexico 

DPS of humpback whales which are 

listed under the ESA. The NMFS Alaska 

Regional Office Protected Resources 

Division issued a Biological Opinion 

under section 7 of the ESA, on the 

issuance of an IHA to NOAA under 

section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA by the 

NMFS Permits and Conservation 

Division. The Biological Opinion 

concluded that the proposed action is 

not likely to jeopardize the continued 

existence of Mexico DPS of humpback 

whales, and is not likely to destroy or 

adversely modify Mexico DPS of 

humpback whales critical habitat. 

Authorization 

NMFS has issued an IHA to NOAA for 

the potential harassment of small 

numbers of nine marine mammal 

species incidental to the NOAA Port 

Facility Project in Ketchikan, provided 

the previously mentioned mitigation, 

monitoring, and reporting requirements 

are followed. 

Dated: February 3, 2022. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–02633 Filed 2–7–22; 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; Collection of High Resolution 

Spatial and Temporal Fishery To 

Support Scientific Research 

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 October 29, 

2021 during a 60-day comment period. 

This notice allows for an additional 30 

days for public comments. 

Agency: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

Title: Collection of High Resolution 

Spatial and Temporal Fishery 

Dependent Data to Support Scientific 

Research. 

OMB Control Number: 0648–XXXX. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Request: Regular Submission 

(new information collection). 

Number of Respondents: 39. 

Average Hours per Response: 30 

minutes to complete registration, and 35 

minutes per day for vessels collecting 

trip level data. 

Total Annual Burden Hours: 908. 

Needs and Uses: Commercial fishers 

from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic 

will collaborate with NOAA Fisheries, 

Northeast Fisheries Science Center 

(NEFSC) Cooperative Research Branch 

to voluntarily collect detailed fishery 

dependent data during commercial 

fishing trips. Collection of information 

regarding fishing for commercial 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2022 / Notices 7139 

fisheries is necessary to fulfill the 

following statutory requirements: the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act (16 

U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 

Fishers will use the Fisheries Logbook 

Data Reporting Software (FLDRS) to 

collect high resolution information on 

fishing effort and catch. The goal is to 

enable fishers to collect more accurate 

and precise data on where and how 

many fish are caught, and how much 

effort was expended. This high 

resolution data will lead to improved 

accuracy of commercial fisheries data 

and better understanding of fishery 

dynamics. The FLDRS software was 

designed to record data at the haul 

(effort) level, similar to the level of data 

collected by the Northeast Fisheries 

Observer Program (NEFOP) but can be 

used to collect sub trip level data and 

is approved for federal eVTR. FLDRS 

can be integrated with Global 

Positioning Systems (GPS), Vessel 

Monitoring Systems (VMS), depth 

sounders and temperature/depth 

sensors. The FLDRS software can use 

the VMS to transmit a trip data file to 

NEFSC email account where it is 

ultimately uploaded to NEFSC database. 

Alternatively, the vessel operator can 

choose to manually upload trip files 

using the web-based application Vessel 

Electronic Reporting Web Portal (VERS). 

Temperature and Depth (TD) data will 

be collected opportunistically and 

dependent on fisher interest. TD probes 

will be used to monitor the duration of 

time gear is fished in addition to 

collecting temperature and depth data. 

The high resolution catch data in 

conjunction with temperature depth 

data can be used to validate 

oceanographic and habitat models to 

produce oceanographic and species 

density forecasts for fishers. These 

species specific density forecast can be 

used as a tool while fishing to maximize 

efficiency and avoid limited stocks. 

By collecting these data, we are 

improving the data available to support 

improved understanding of population, 

ecosystem, and fishery dynamics in the 

northeast region. These improved 

understandings help the Northeast 

Fisheries Science Center inform 

management so they can meet the 

standards laid out in the Magnuson 

Stevens Act. Without working with the 

fishing industry to collect these data we 

are severely restricting our access to the 

best available data to support needed 

research that informs management 

decisions. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Frequency: As needed. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. 

Legal Authority: Magnuson Stevens 

Act. 

This information collection request 

may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. 

Follow the instructions to view the 

Department of Commerce collections 

currently under review by OMB. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be 

submitted within 30 days of the 

publication of this notice on the 

following website www.reginfo.gov/ 

public/do/PRAMain. Find this 

particular information collection by 

selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day 

Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or 

by using the search function and 

entering the title of the collection. 

Sheleen Dumas, 

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of 

the Chief Information Officer, Commerce 

Department. 

[FR Doc. 2022–02602 Filed 2–7–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB757] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to Kitty Hawk 

Wind Marine Site Characterization 

Surveys, North Carolina and Virginia 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental 

harassment authorization; request for 

comments on proposed authorization 

and possible renewal. 

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request 

from Kitty Hawk Wind for authorization 

to take marine mammals incidental to 

marine site characterization surveys 

offshore and in state waters of North 

Carolina. Pursuant to the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS 

is requesting comments on its proposal 

to issue an incidental harassment 

authorization (IHA) to incidentally take 

marine mammals during the specified 

activities. NMFS is also requesting 

comments on a possible one-time, oneyear renewal that could be issued under 

certain circumstances and if all 

requirements are met, as described in 

Request for Public Comments at the end 

of this notice. NMFS will consider 

public comments prior to making any 

final decision on the issuance of the 

requested MMPA authorizations and 

agency responses will be summarized in 

the final notice of our decision. 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than March 10, 

2022. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should be 

addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief, 

Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service and should be 

submitted via email to ITP.Daly@

noaa.gov. 

Instructions: NMFS is not responsible 

for comments sent by any other method, 

to any other address or individual, or 

received after the end of the comment 

period. Comments, including all 

attachments, must not exceed a 25- 

megabyte file size. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted online at 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act without 

change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address) 

voluntarily submitted by the commenter 

may be publicly accessible. Do not 

submit confidential business 

information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jaclyn Daly, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. 

Electronic copies of the application and 

supporting documents, as well as a list 

of the references cited in this document, 

may be obtained online at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act. In case 

of problems accessing these documents, 

please call the contact listed above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The MMPA prohibits the ‘‘take’’ of 

marine mammals, with certain 

exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and 

(D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 

seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce 

(as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon 

request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and either regulations are 

issued or, if the taking is limited to 

harassment, a notice of a proposed 

incidental take authorization may be 

provided to the public for review. 

Authorization for incidental takings 

shall be granted if NMFS finds that the 

taking will have a negligible impact on 

the species or stock(s) and will not have 

an unmitigable adverse impact on the 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES