24530 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 85 / Monday, May 4, 1998 / Notices

Dated: April 27, 1998.

Maria Harris Tildon,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import

Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–11801 Filed 5–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 042798A]

Incidental Take of Marine Mammals;

Bottlenose Dolphins and Spotted

Dolphins

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of issuance of letters of

authorization.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Marine Mammal Protection Act

(MMPA) as amended, and implementing

regulations, notification is hereby given

that 1-year letters of authorization to

take bottlenose and spotted dolphins

incidental to oil and gas structure

removal activities were issued on

February 12, 1998, to Pogo Producing

Co.; and on April 1, 1998, to Burlington

Resources Offshore, Inc. and Apache

Corp, all of Houston TX; and, on April

24, 1998, to Chevron U.S.A. of New

Orleans, LA.

ADDRESSES: The applications and letters

are available for review in the following

offices: Office of Protected Resources,

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver

Spring, MD 20910 and the Southeast

Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center

Drive N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth R. Hollingshead, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 713–

2055 or Colleen Coogan, Southeast

Region (813) 570–5312.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C.

1361 et seq.) directs NMFS to allow, on

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 regulations are issued.

Under the MMPA, the term ‘‘taking’’

means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill or

to attempt to harass, hunt, capture or

kill marine mammals.

Permission may be granted for periods

up to 5 years if NMFS finds, after

notification and opportunity for public

comment, that the taking will have a

negligible impact on the species or

stock(s) of marine mammals and will

not have an unmitigable adverse impact

on the availability of the species or

stock(s) for subsistence uses. In

addition, NMFS must prescribe

regulations that include permissible

methods of taking and other means

effecting the least practicable adverse

impact on the species and its habitat,

and on the availability of the species for

subsistence uses, paying particular

attention to rookeries, mating grounds,

and areas of similar significance. The

regulations must include requirements

pertaining to the monitoring and

reporting of such taking. Regulations

governing the taking of bottlenose and

spotted dolphins incidental to oil and

gas structure removal activities in the

Gulf of Mexico were published on

October 12, 1995 (60 FR 53139), and

remain in effect until November 13,

2000.

Issuance of these letters of

authorization are based on a finding that

the total takings will have a negligible

impact on the bottlenose and spotted

dolphin stocks of the Gulf of Mexico.

Dated: April 29, 1998.

P. Michael Payne,

Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office of

Protected Resources, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–11780 Filed 5–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 042098C]

Marine Mammals; Permit No. 959

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 Cetacean Research Unit, P.O. Box

159, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930,

has requested an amendment to

scientific research Permit No. 959.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before June 3, 1998.

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 13705, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (301/713–2289);

Regional Administrator, Northeast

Region, National Marine Fisheries

Service, One Blackburn Drive,

Gloucester, MA 01930–2298 (508/281–

9250); and

Regional Administrator, Southeast

Region, National Marine Fisheries

Service, 9721 Executive Center Drive,

North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702–2432

(813/570–5301).

Written data or views, or requests for

a public hearing on this request should

be submitted to the Chief, Permits

Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected

Resources, National Marine Fisheries

Service, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those

individuals requesting a hearing should

set forth the specific reasons why a

hearing on this particular request would

be appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jeannie Drevenak, 301/713–2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject amendment 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).

The Permit Holder is currently

authorized to conduct photoidentification and observational studies

on 400 humpback whales(Megaptera

novaeangliae), 250 finback whales

(Balaenoptera physalus),50 sei whales

(Balaenoptera borealis), and 50 right

whales (Eubalaena glacialis) annually in

the waters of Maine, New Hampshire,

Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina,

Georgia, and Florida over a 5-year

period.

The Holder is now requesting that the

Permit be amended to authorize: (1)

biopsy sampling of up to 150 humpback

whales from the Gulf of Maine feeding

population, ranging from New York to

Nova Scotia; and (2) suction cup tagging

with time-depth recorders/VHF radio

tags of up to 50 humpback whales from

the same population, and 50 finback

whales from the New England feeding

population, over the remaining duration

of the permit. The biopsy samples will

be used for several purposes, including

an investigation into using skin collagen

tensile strength as a means to estimate

the age of a sampled whales, an

examination of its recent exposure to

human pathogens, and molecular

genetic studies. Time-depth recorders/

VHF radio tags multi-sensor packages

will be used in conjunction with sonar

traces to understand the feeding ecology

of endangered whales in New England.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application to the Marine Mammal
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 85 / Monday, May 4, 1998 / Notices 24531

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

Dated: April 28, 1998.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–11779 Filed 5–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

COMMITTEE FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE

AGREEMENTS

Amendment of Coverage of Import

Limits and Visa and Certification

Requirements for Certain PartCategories Produced or Manufactured

in Various Countries; Textile and

Apparel Categories With the

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the

United States: Changes to the 1998

Correlation; Corrections

April 28, 1998.

In the letter to the Commissioner of

Customs published in the Federal

Register on March 31, 1998 (63 FR

15387), 2nd column, in the table under

‘‘HTS change,’’ lines 10 and 11, correct

the 1st four digits of each HTS number

for Category 670–L from ‘‘4209’’ to

‘‘4202.’’

In the letter to the Commissioner of

Customs published in the Federal

Register on April 13, 1998 (63 FR

17993), 2nd column, in the table under

‘‘HTS Change’’ for Categories 369–L and

670–L, correct the 1st four digits of each

HTS number from ‘‘4209’’ to ‘‘4202.’’

In the notice published in the Federal

Register on April 13, 1998 (63 FR

17993), 3rd column, in the table, correct

the 1st four digits of each HTS number

from ‘‘4209’’ to ‘‘4202.’’

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 98–11727 Filed 5–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 11:00 a.m., Friday, May

29, 1998.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Surveillance

Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 98–11827 Filed 4–30–98; 10:29 am]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 11:00 a.m., Friday, May

22, 1998.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Surveillance

Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 98–11828 Filed 4–30–98; 10:29 am]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 11:00 a.m., Friday, May

15, 1998.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Surveillance

Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 98–11829 Filed 4–30–98; 10:29 am]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 11:00 a.m., Friday, May

8, 1998.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Surveillance

Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 98–11830 Filed 4–30–98; 10:29 am]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 11:00 a.m., Friday, May

1, 1998.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Surveillance

Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb. 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 98–11831 Filed 4–30–98; 10:29 am]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 2:00 p.m., Monday, May

25, 1998.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Adjudicatory Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 98–11832 Filed 4–30–98; 10:30 am]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 2:00 p.m., Monday, May

18, 1998.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.