Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 54 / Thursday, March 20, 1997 / Notices 13367

to address issues affecting the habitat of

Council-managed species.

The Salmon Advisory Panel will

convene on Monday, April 7, at 9 a.m.,

and will continue to meet throughout

the week as necessary to address salmon

management items on the Council

agenda.

The Groundfish Advisory Panel will

convene on Monday, April 7, at 1 p.m.,

and will continue to meet throughout

the week as necessary to address

groundfish management items on the

Council agenda.

The Budget Committee will convene

on Monday, April 7, at 3 p.m., to

review the status of 1996 and 1997

Council budgets.

The Enforcement Consultants meet on

Tuesday, April 8, at 7 p.m., to address

enforcement issues related to Council

agenda items.

There will be a Salmon/Whiting

Industry Meeting on Wednesday, April

9, to discuss salmon bycatch avoidance

in the whiting fishery.

Detailed agendas for the above

advisory meetings will be available after

March 28, 1997.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Eric W. Greene at

(503) 326–6352 at least 5 days prior to

the meeting date.

Dated: March 13, 1997.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–6984 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 031397C]

Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of scientific research

permit 1030.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that on

March 12, 1997, NMFS issued Scientific

Research Permit 1030 to Sarah V.

Mitchell, of NOAA Gray’s Reef National

Marine Sanctuary (P625), to take listed

loggerhead sea turtles for the purpose of

scientific research subject to certain

conditions set forth therein.

ADDRESSES: The application, permit,

and related documents are available for

review by appointment in the following

offices:

Office of Protected Resources, F/PR3,

NMFS, 1315 East-West Hwy., Room

13307, Silver Spring, MD 20910–3226

(301–713–1401); and

Director, Southeast Region, NMFS,

NOAA, 9721 Executive Center Drive, St.

Petersburg, FL 33702–2432 (813–893–

3141).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice

was published on January 17, 1997 (62

FR 2656) that an application had been

filed by Sarah V. Mitchell, NOAA Gray’s

Reef National Marine Sanctuary (P625),

to take listed loggerhead sea turtles as

authorized by the Endangered Species

Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531–

1543) and NMFS regulations governing

listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR

parts 217–222).

Issuance of this permit allows the

applicant to take listed loggerhead sea

turtles (Caretta caretta) for examination,

tagging, observation, collection of

morphometric measurements, and

release. The purpose of the authorized

research, as stated in the application, is

to investigate population trends,

migrations, habitat, and diving behavior

of loggerhead turtles in the Gray’s Reef

National Marine Sanctuary.

Issuance of this permit, as required by

the ESA, was based on a finding that

such permit: (1) Was applied for in good

faith, (2) will not operate to the

disadvantage of the listed species that is

the subject of this permit, and (3) is

consistent with the purposes and

policies set forth in section 2 of the

ESA.

Dated: March 13, 1997.

Robert C. Ziobro,

Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–6983 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 031397B]

Marine Mammals; Scientific Research

Permit (PHF# 850–1342)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

Lucy W. Keith, Boston University

Marine Program, Broderick House/MBL,

Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, has

applied in due form for a permit to take

Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus

schauinslandi) for purposes of scientific

research.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before April 21, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The application and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following office(s):

Permits Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (301/713–2289);

Regional Administrator, Southwest

Region, 501 West Ocean Boulevard,

Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213

(310/980-4001); and

Protected Species Coordinator, Pacific

Area Office, 2570 Dole Street, Room

106, Honolulu, HI 96822–2396 (808/

973–2987).

Written data or views, or requests for

a public hearing on this request, should

be submitted to the Director, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 EastWest Highway, Room 13130, Silver

Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals

requesting a hearing should set forth the

specific reasons why a hearing on this

application would be appropriate.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application to the Marine Mammal

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject permit is requested under the

authority of the Marine Mammal

Protection Act of 1972, as amended (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 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and

the regulations governing the taking,

importing, and exporting of endangered

fish and wildlife (50 CFR 222.23).

The application requests

authorization to capture, physically

restrain, and radio tag (and possibly

recapture for tag removal) up to 20

immature monk seals of either gender

(10 weaned pups, and 10 juveniles up

to 3 years of age) over an eight month

period in 1997. The applicant also

requests authorization to inadvertently

harass up to 10 additional seals of any

age and gender during the course of the

tagging activities. Research activities

will involve population assessment,

disease assessment, recovery action, and

pelagic ecology studies.

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.
13368 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 54 / Thursday, March 20, 1997 / Notices

Dated: March 13, 1997.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–6975 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 031397D]

Marine Mammals; Scientific Research

Permit (PHF# 662–1345)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

Dena Matkin, Box 22, Gustavus, Alaska

99826, has applied in due form for a

permit to take killer whales (Orcinus

orca) and humpback whales (Megaptera

novaengliae) for purposes of scientific

research.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before April 21, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The application and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following office(s):

Permits Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (301/713–2289); and

Regional Administrator, Alaska

Region, P.O. Box 21688, Juneau, AK

99802–1668 (907/586–7221).

Written data or views, or requests for

a public hearing on this request, should

be submitted to the Director, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 EastWest Highway, Room 13130, Silver

Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals

requesting a hearing should set forth the

specific reasons why a hearing on this

application would be appropriate.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application to the Marine Mammal

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject permit is requested under the

authority of the Marine Mammal

Protection Act of 1972, as amended (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 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and

the regulations governing the taking,

importing, and exporting of endangered

fish and wildlife (50 CFR part 222.23).

The application requests

authorization to unintentionally harass

up to 400 killer whales and 100

humpback whales annually over a five

year period. The purpose of the research

is to continue long-term, year-round

photo-identification work in

Southeastern Alaska to define the

population size, structure and range of

killer whales; and to obtain

identification of photographs of

humpback whales opportunistically in

conjunction with the killer whale

research.

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.

Dated: March 14, 1997.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–7056 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 031397A]

Marine Mammals; Permit No. 957

(P771#71)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for

amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the National Marine Mammal

Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science

Center, NMFS,7600 Sand Point Way

NE., BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115–

0070, has requested a amendment to

permit No. 957.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before April 21, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The amendment request

and related documents are available for

review upon written request or by

appointment in the following office(s):

Permits Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (301/713–2289); and

Regional Administrator, Alaska

Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau,

AK 99802–1668 (907/586–7221).

Written data or views, or requests for

a public hearing on this request should

be submitted to the Director, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 EastWest Highway, Room 13130, Silver

Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals

requesting a hearing should set forth the

specific reasons why a hearing on this

particular amendment request would be

appropriate.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application to the Marine Mammal

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The subject amendment to permit no.

957, issued on May 31, 1995 (60 FR

30065) is requested under the authority

of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of

1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et

seq.) and the Regulations Governing the

Taking and Importing of Marine

Mammals (50 CFR part 216).

Permit no. 957 authorizes the permit

holder to: satellite tag up to 50 beluga

whales (Delphinapterus leucas) over a

5-year period, but not more than 10 in

any one year; and to unintentionally

harass up to 900 annually. Activities are

authorized to occur in Cook Inlet and

along the western Alaska coastline.

The permit holder requests

authorization to increase the number of

animals taken to 30 annually for the

next 3 years (1997 through 1999).

Dated: March 14, 1997.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–7057 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers

Columbia River System Operation

Review, Selection of a System

Operation Strategy (Record of

Decision (ROD))

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Record

of Decision.

SUMMARY: In 1990, the three Federal

agencies responsible for management of

the Federal Columbia River Power

System; the Corps of Engineers, the

Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville

Power Administration; began the

System Operation Review (SOR) for the

purpose of developing and

implementing a coordinated system

operating strategy for managing the

multiple uses of the system while