37852 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 134 /Tuesday, July 14, 1998 / Notices

For permits 1138, 1139, 1161, 1162,

1166, and 1167: Thomas Hablett,

Protected Resources Division, (707–

575–6066).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authority

Permits are requested under the

authority of section 10 of the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA)

(16 U.S.C. 1531–1543) and the NMFS

regulations governing ESA-listed fish

and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217–

227).

Those individuals requesting a

hearing on these requests for permits

should set out the specific reasons why

a hearing would be appropriate (see

ADDRESSES). The holding of such a

hearing is at the discretion of the

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

NOAA. All statements and opinions

contained in the below application

summaries are those of the applicant

and do not necessarily reflect the views

of NMFS.

Species Covered in this Notice

The following species are covered in

this notice: Chinook salmon

(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Coho

salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and

Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

New Applications Received

Jennifer Nielsen (1138) requests a

five-year permit to receive, possess, and

analyze, genetic tissue samples taken

from adult and juvenile salmonids, for

all species currently listed in California.

Tissue samples taken from live, noninvasively sampled fish, will consist

only of fin clips and scales. These and/

or skin tissue will be taken from

carcasses. The samples will be collected

in the field by participating

investigators who have been authorized

by NMFS to take and transfer tissue

samples for genetic study purposes. The

requested authorizations for California

include samples from: threatened coho

salmon in the southern Oregon/northern

California coast (SONCC) and central

California coast (CCC) Evolutionarily

Significant Units (ESUs); endangered

steelhead in the southern California

coast (SoCC) ESU; threatened steelhead

in the CCC, south-central Califonia coast

(SCCC), and central valley (CV) ESUs;

and endangered Sacramento River,

winter-run chinook salmon; associated

with ongoing genetic population

inventories throughout California.

WRAI (1139) requests a two-year

permit for takes of juvenile, threatened,

CCC coho salmon, and juvenile,

threatened CCC steelhead associated

with fish population and habitat studies

in the Petaluma River within the ESUs.

The studies consist of four assessment

tasks for which ESA-listed fish are

proposed to be taken: 1) Presence/

absence; 2) population estimates; 3) outmigrational surveys; and 4) habitat

quality evaluation. ESA-listed fish will

be observed or captured, anesthetized,

handled, allowed to recover from the

anesthetic, and released. Indirect

mortalities are also requested.

SWRCB (1161) requests a five-year

permit for takes of juvenile, threatened,

CCC coho salmon associated with fish

population and habitat studies in the

Noyo River within the ESU. The studies

consist of four assessment tasks for

which ESA-listed fish are proposed to

be taken: 1) Presence/absence; 2)

population estimates; 3) life history

patterns; and 4) habitat quality

evaluation. ESA-listed fish will be

observed or captured, anesthetized,

handled, allowed to recover from the

anesthetic, and released. Indirect

mortalities are also requested.

SPAWN (1162) requests a five-year

permit for takes of juvenile, threatened,

CCC coho salmon, and juvenile,

threatened CCC steelhead (O. mykiss)

associated with fish population and

habitat studies in the San Geronimo

Creek within the ESUs. The studies

consist of two assessment tasks for

which ESA-listed fish are proposed to

be taken: 1) Presence/absence; and 2)

habitat quality evaluation. In addition,

authorization is requested to move

stranded fish from isolated pools into

the mainstem of the watershed. ESAlisted fish will be observed or captured,

anesthetized, handled, allowed to

recover from the anesthetic, and

released. Indirect mortalities are also

requested.

AARA (1166) requests a five-year

permit for takes of: adult and juvenile,

threatened, SONCC and CCC coho

salmon; adult and juvenile, endangered,

SoCC steelhead; and adult and juvenile,

threatened, SCCC and CCC steelhead

associated with fish population and

habitat studies in coastal drainages

throughout California. The studies

consist of salmonid habitat and

biological inventories, and project

monitoring and evaluation studies for

which ESA-listed fish are proposed to

be taken. ESA-listed fish will be

captured, anesthetized, handled

(identified and measured), allowed to

recover from the anesthetic, and

released. ESA-listed salmon indirect

mortalities associated with the research

are also requested.

Peter Moyle (1167)requests a threeyear permit for takes of juvenile,

threatened, CCC coho salmon associated

with fish population and habitat studies

in the Navarro River and Indian Creek

watersheds within the ESU. The studies

involve surveying macroinvertebrate

and fish communities in selected stream

reaches, and consist of three assessment

tasks for which ESA-listed fish are

proposed to be taken: 1) Presence/

absence; 2) population estimates; and 3)

habitat quality evaluation. ESA-listed

fish will be observed during snorkeling

surveys.

Modification Request Received

IDFG requests a modification to

permit 1010, which authorizes annual

direct takes of adult and juvenile,

threatened, Snake River spring/summer

chinook salmon associated with a

captive rearing program for the upper

Salmon River tributaries of West Fork

Yankee Fork, upper East Fork, and

Lemhi River in ID. The captive rearing

program was initiated in 1995 when

NMFS allowed the collection of ESAlisted, naturally produced, juvenile fish

for the program under permit 972. For

modification 2, IDFG proposes to release

ESA-listed, captively-reared, mature fish

from the program into their respective

streams of origin for natural spawning.

The ESA-listed adult fish to be released

are proposed to be tagged with

radiotransmitters so that IDFG may

monitor fish movement and spawningrelated behavior. Subsequent to

spawning, carcasses of the ESA-listed

fish are proposed to be inspected and

sampled for tissues. Also for

modification 2, IDFG proposes to retain

ESA-listed adult fish in the hatcheries to

initiate a captive spawning program.

ESA-listed fish eggs produced from the

captive spawning program are proposed

to be distributed in their respective

streams of origin. Also for modification

2, IDFG requests incidental takes of

ESA-listed anadromous fish species that

would result from fish releases from the

captive rearing program. Modification 2

is requested to be valid for the duration

of the permit. Permit 1010 expires on

December 31, 2000.

Dated: July 8, 1998.

Patricia A. Montanio,

Deputy Director, Office of Protected

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–18734 Filed 7–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 070298F]

Marine Mammals; File No. 786–1463

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 134 /Tuesday, July 14, 1998 / Notices 37853

1Eligible jurisdictions are those that are eligible

to participate in the National Science Foundation’s

Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive

Research (EPSCoR): Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho,

Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi,

Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota,

Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont,

West Virginia, Wyoming and the Commonwealth of

Puerto Rico.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr.

Daniel Costa, Department of Biology and

Institute of marine Sciences, University

of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, has

applied in due form for a permit to take

northern elephant seals (Mirounga

angustirostris) and import samples from

northern and southern elephant seals

(Mirounga leonina) for purposes of

scientific research.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments

must be received on or before August

13, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The application and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following office(s):

Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130,

Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713–

2289); and

Regional Administrator, Southwest

Region, National Marine Fisheries

Service, NOAA, 501 West Ocean

Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA

90802–4213 (562/980–4001).

Written comments or requests for a

public hearing on this application

should be mailed to the Chief, Permits

and Documentation Division, F/PR1,

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705,

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.

Comments may also be submitted by

facsimile at (301) 713–0376, provided

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy

submitted by mail and postmarked no

later than the closing date of the

comment period. Please note that

comments will not be accepted by email or by other electronic media.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara

Shapiro or Ruth Johnson, 301/713–2289.

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.) and the

Regulations Governing the Taking and

Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR

part 216).

The applicant seeks authorization to

continue a long-term study on a broad

suite of behavioral, physiological, and

life history characteristics of northern

elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris).

The ultimate goal of the proposed

research is to understand the animal in

its natural habitat, how it makes a

living, and how it reproduces optimally.

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 this

application to the Marine Mammal

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

Dated: July 7, 1998.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–18735 Filed 7–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Technology Administration

[Docket No. 980317064–8064–01]

RIN 0692–ZA01

Announcement of Availability of

Funding for Competitions—

Experimental Program To Stimulate

Competitive Technology (EPSCoT)

AGENCY: Office of Technology Policy,

Technology Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Technology

Administration’s Office of Technology

Policy (OTP) announces the availability

of funding for the following competition

to be held in fiscal year 1998 under the

Experimental Program to Stimulate

Competitive Technology (EPSCoT). The

EPSCoT will support technology-based

economic growth in eligible

jurisdictions by promoting partnerships

between state and local governments,

universities, community colleges, nonprofit organizations and the private

sector. This notice provides general

information for the competition planned

for fiscal year 1998.

DATES: Complete applications for the

Fiscal Year 1998 EPSCoT grant program

must be mailed or hand-carried to the

address indicated below and received

by the Technology Administration no

later than 9:00 P.M. EST, August 25,

1998. Postmark date is not sufficient.

Applications which have been provided

to a delivery service will be accepted for

review if the applicant can document

that the application was provided to the

delivery service by August 24, 1998 with

delivery to the address listed below

guaranteed prior to the closing date and

time. Applications will not be accepted

via facsimile machine transmission or

electronic mail.

ADDRESSES: US Dept. of Commerce,

Technology Administration, attn:

EPSCoT Director, Anita Balachandra,

1401 Constitution Avenue NW, HCHB

Room 4418, Washington, DC 20230.

Note: Due to Departmental security

policies, hand carried packages must be

delivered to Rm. 1874.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Anita Balachandra, Director of the

Experimental Program to Stimulate

Competitive Technology, Telephone:

(202) 482–1320, Fax: (202) 219–8667,

Email: epscot@ta.doc.gov

Information on the EPSCoT is also

available at: http://www.ta.doc.gov/

epscot

For fax and email inquiries, please

include a name, mailing address, and

phone number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

The statutory authority for the

EPSCoT is the Federal Technology

Transfer Act (15 U.S.C. 3704(c)(11), (12)

and § 3706)

Program Description

The Experimental Program to

Stimulate Competitive Technology

(EPSCoT) will support technology-based

economic growth in eligible

jurisdictions by promoting partnerships

between state and local governments,

universities, community colleges, nonprofit organizations and the private

sector.1 Through these partnerships,

EPSCoT seeks to support local efforts to:

• Build state-wide institutional

capacity to support technology

commercialization

• Create the business climate that is

conducive to technology development,

deployment and diffusion

• Compete in Federal R&D programs

The EPSCoT parallels the National

Science Foundation’s Experimental

Program to Stimulate Competitive

Research (EPSCoR). While EPSCoR’s

primary emphasis is improving the

competitive performance of major

research universities of these

jurisdictions, EPSCoT seeks to support

state efforts to improve the commercial

environment for R&D.

Funding Availability

In fiscal year 1998,