11530 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 51 / Wednesday, March 18, 2009 / Notices 

Western Pacific Fishery Management 

Council, 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, 

Honolulu, HI 96813; telephone: (808) 

522–8220. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; 

telephone: (808) 522–8220. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PPT 

will meet between April 29 and May 1, 

2009 at the Council Conference Room to 

discuss the following agenda items: 

Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 8.30 a.m. 

1. Introduction 

2. Annual Report review 

a. Review 2008 Annual Report 

modules and recommendations 

i. CNMI 

ii. American Samoa 

iii. Guam 

iv. Hawaii 

v. International 

vi. Recreational 

b. 2008 Annual Report region wide 

recommendations 

Thursday & Friday, April 30–May 1, 

2009, 8.30 a.m. 

3. Summary of current Fishery 

Management Plan amendment actions 

4. Hawaii Swordfish Fishery Effort 

5. Bigeye tuna quota 

6. Conservation and Management 

Measures from Western and Central 

Pacific Fishery Commission 

7. Analysis of mahimahi and ono 

catch data 

8. Marine Mammal Advisory 

Committee Recommendations 

9. Offshore handline fishery limited 

entry program 

10. Recreational fisheries 

developments (Marine Recreational 

Fisheries Improvement Program) 

11. Other business 

12. Public comments 

13. Pelagic Plan Team 

Recommendations 

The order in which the agenda items 

are addressed may change. The PPT will 

meet as late as necessary to complete 

scheduled business. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before the PPT for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during these meetings. Plan Team 

action will be restricted to those issues 

specifically listed in this document and 

any issue arising after publication of 

this document that requires emergency 

action under section 305(c) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, 

provided the public has been notified of 

the Council(s intent to take final action 

to address the emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Kitty M. Simonds, 

(808) 522–8220 (voice) or (808) 522– 

8226 (fax), at least 5 days prior to the 

meeting date. 

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

Dated: March 13, 2009. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–5797 Filed 3–17–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XO08 

Taking and Importing Marine 

Mammals; Navy Training and 

Research, Development, Testing, and 

Evaluation Activities Conducted within 

the Mariana Islands Range Complex 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

letter of authorization; request for 

comments and information. 

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request 

from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for 

authorization to take marine mammals 

incidental to military readiness training 

activities and research, development, 

testing and evaluation (RDT&E) to be 

conducted in the Mariana Islands Range 

Complex (MIRC) for the period 

beginning December 2009 and ending 

December 2014. Pursuant to the 

implementing regulations of the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS 

is announcing our receipt of the Navy’s 

request for the development and 

implementation of regulations 

governing the incidental taking of 

marine mammals and inviting 

information, suggestions, and comments 

on the Navy’s application and request. 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than April 17, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on the 

application should be addressed to 

Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910–3225. The mailbox address for 

providing email comments is PR1.0648– 

XO08@noaa.gov. NMFS is not 

responsible for e-mail comments sent to 

addresses other than the one provided 

here. Comments sent via e-mail, 

including all attachments, must not 

exceed a 10–megabyte file size. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jolie 

Harrison, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, (301) 713–2289, ext. 166. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Availability 

A copy of the Navy’s application may 

be obtained by writing to the address 

specified above (See ADDRESSES), 

telephoning the contact listed above (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), or 

visiting the internet at: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ 

incidental.htm. The Navy’s Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 

for MIRC was made available to the 

public on January 30, 2009, and may be 

viewed at http:// 

www.marianasrangecomplexeis.com/. 

During the initial 45–day public 

comment period, the Navy hosted four 

public hearings. 

Background 

In the case of military readiness 

activities, sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) 

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

direct the Secretary of Commerce 

(Secretary) to allow, upon request, the 

incidental, but not intentional taking of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) if certain findings 

are made and regulations are issued or, 

if the taking is limited to harassment, 

notice of a proposed authorization is 

provided to the public for review. 

Authorization for incidental takings 

may be granted if NMFS finds that the 

taking will have no more than a 

negligible impact on the species or 

stock(s), will not have an unmitigable 

adverse impact on the availability of the 

species or stock(s) for subsistence uses, 

and that the permissible methods of 

taking and requirements pertaining to 

the mitigation, monitoring and reporting 

of such taking are set forth. 

NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible 

impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as: 

an impact resulting from the specified 

activity that cannot be reasonably expected 

to, and is not reasonably likely to, adversely 

affect the species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival. 

With respect to military readiness 

activities, the MMPA defines 

‘‘harassment’’ as: 

(i) any act that injures or has the significant 

potential to injure a marine mammal or 

marine mammal stock in the wild [Level A 


tjames on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 51 / Wednesday, March 18, 2009 / Notices 11531 

Harassment]; or (ii) any act that disturbs or 

is likely to disturb a marine mammal or 

marine mammal stock in the wild by causing 

disruption of natural behavioral patterns, 

including, but not limited to, migration, 

surfacing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or 

sheltering, to a point where such behavioral 

patterns are abandoned or significantly 

altered [Level B Harassment]. 

Summary of Request 

In August 2008, NMFS received an 

application from the Navy requesting 

authorization to take individuals of 28 

species of marine mammals (all 

cetaceans) incidental to upcoming 

training and RDT&E activities to be 

conducted in the MIRC over the course 

of 5 years. The Navy provided an 

addendum to the application in 

February 2009. NMFS subsequently 

requested additional information, which 

was received in March 2009. These 

training and RDT&E activities are 

classified as military readiness 

activities. The Navy states that these 

training activities may expose some of 

the marine mammals present in the area 

to sound from various active tactical 

sonar sources or to pressure from 

underwater detonations. The Navy 

requests authorization to take 

individuals of 28 species of cetaceans by 

Level B Harassment. Further, the Navy 

requests authorization to take 9 

individual beaked whales (of any of the 

following species: Blainville’s beaked 

whale, Cuvier’s beaked whale, Ginkgotoothed whale, Longman’s beaked 

whale) and one pantropical spotted 

dolphin by serious injury or mortality 

over the course of the 5–year rule. 

Specified Activities 

In the application submitted to 

NMFS, the Navy requests authorization 

to take marine mammals incidental to 

conducting training events and RDT&E 

utilizing mid- and high frequency active 

sonar sources and explosive 

detonations. These sonar and explosive 

sources will be utilized during Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) Tracking and 

Torpedo Exercises, ASW Major 

Exercises (Multi Strike Group Exercises, 

Joint Expeditionary Exercises, and 

others), Extended Echo Ranging and 

Improved Extended Echo Ranging (EER/ 

IEER) events, Missile Exercises, 

Gunnery Exercises, Bombing Exercises, 

Sinking Exercises, and Demolitions. 

Table 1–3 in the application lists the 

activity types, the equipment and 

platforms involved, and the duration 

and potential locations of the activities. 

Information Solicited 

Interested persons may submit 

information, suggestions, and comments 

concerning the Navy’s request (see 

ADDRESSES). All information, 

suggestions, and comments related to 

the Navy’s MIRC request and NMFS’ 

potential development and 

implementation of regulations 

governing the incidental taking of 

marine mammals by the Navy’s MIRC 

activities will be considered by NMFS 

in developing, if appropriate, the most 

effective regulations governing the 

issuance of letters of authorization. 

Dated: March 12, 2009. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Division of Permits, Conservation, and 

Education, Director, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–5891 Filed 3–17–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Telecommunications and 

Information Administration 

Notice: Broadband Grant Programs 

Meetings 

AGENCY: National Telecommunications 

and Information Administration (NTIA), 

U.S. Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of Meetings, 

Clarification. 

SUMMARY: On February 24, 2009, the 

National Telecommunications and 

Information Administration (NTIA) 

published a Notice in the Federal 

Register announcing its intention to 

begin holding meetings on March 2, 

2009, in connection with the broadband 

grant programs described in the 

Broadband Data Services Improvement 

Act, Public Law No. 110–385, and the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), Public Law 

No. 111–5 (collectively, ‘‘Broadband 

Grant Programs’’). This Notice provides 

clarification regarding those meetings. 

DATES: March 16, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: U.S. Department of 

Commerce, National 

Telecommunications and Information 

Administration, 1401 Constitution 

Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20230. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Barbara Brown at (202) 482–4374 or 

bbrown@ntia.doc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

February 24, 2009, NTIA published a 

Notice announcing a joint public 

meeting with the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) and the Federal 

Communications Commission (FCC) to 

discuss the Broadband Initiatives 

contained in the Recovery Act. See Joint 

Notice of Public Meeting, 74 Fed. Reg. 

8914 (Feb. 27, 2009) (announcing a joint 

public meeting on March 10, 2009). At 

the same time, NTIA published a Notice 

announcing its intention to begin 

holding meetings on March 2, 2009 in 

response to numerous requests received 

from individuals and groups interested 

in the program. See Notice of Meetings, 

74 Fed. Reg. 8233 (Feb. 24, 2009). This 

Notice explained the manner in which 

individuals and groups could request 

meetings and the treatment of such 

meetings as ex parte presentations. 

Since the publication of these Notices, 

NTIA has received over 2,500 requests 

for meetings from interested parties. 

Subsequently, NTIA and USDA’s 

Rural Utilities Service announced that 

the agencies would hold six public 

meetings on March 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 

and 24, 2009, about the new broadband 

grants, loans, and loan guarantees 

funded by the Recovery Act and accept 

written comments about the programs 

through April 13, 2009. See Joint 

Request for Information and Notice of 

Public Meetings, 74 Fed. Reg. 10716 

(March 12, 2009). These public meetings 

will be conducted as roundtables, will 

be open to the public, and also will be 

webcast. Transcripts and all written 

comments received also will be 

available. Participation in the public 

meetings and the filing of written 

comments is encouraged. For further 

information about these meetings and to 

submit and view written comments, 

please see NTIA’s website at http:// 

www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/. 

As a result of the overwhelming 

demand from interested parties for 

meetings and the expedited time frames 

in the Recovery Act for making the 

broadband grant, loan, and loan 

guarantee funds available, NTIA will 

not able to accommodate all meeting 

requests received. The agency, however, 

does reserve the right to schedule such 

ex parte meetings as necessary to fulfill 

the needs of the Broadband Grant 

Program. All other information provided 

in the Notice of Meetings remains 

unchanged. 

Dated: March 13, 2009. 

Kathy D. Smith, 

Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications 

and Information Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–5838 Filed 3–13–09; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–60–S 

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND 

COMMUNITY SERVICE 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Corporation for National and 

Community Service. 


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