18200 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 21, 2009 / Notices 

information. The Committee will hear 

presentations and discuss policies and 

guidance on the following topics: a 

strategic plan for seafood safety and 

quality; fishery disasters; ocean 

acidification; fisheries sustainability 

monitoring and measurement; NOAA 

and NMFS strategic planning; Regional 

Fishery Management Council 5–year 

programmatic plans; and progress on 

catch share programs. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Mark Holliday, 

MAFAC Executive Director; (301) 713– 

2239 x120 by 5 p.m. on May 1, 2009. 

Dated: April 15, 2009. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–9108 Filed 4–20–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XO77 

Nominations to the Marine Fisheries 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; request for 

nominations. 

SUMMARY: Nominations are being sought 

for appointment by the Secretary of 

Commerce to serve on the Marine 

Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC 

or Committee) beginning in October 

2009. MAFAC is the only Federal 

advisory committee with the 

responsibility to advise the Secretary of 

Commerce (Secretary) on all matters 

concerning living marine resources that 

are the responsibility of the Department 

of Commerce. The Committee makes 

recommendations to the Secretary to 

assist in the development and 

implementation of Departmental 

regulations, policies and programs 

critical to the mission and goals of the 

NMFS. Nominations are encouraged 

from all interested parties involved with 

or representing interests affected by 

NMFS actions in managing living 

marine resources. Nominees should 

possess demonstrable expertise in a 

field related to the management of living 

marine resources and be able to fulfill 

the time commitments required for two 

annual meetings. Individuals serve for a 

term of three years for no more than two 

consecutive terms if re-appointed. 

NMFS is seeking qualified nominees to 

fill upcoming vacancies being created 

by the expiration of existing 

appointments this October, thereby 

bringing the Committee to its full 

complement of 21 members. 

DATES: Nominations must be 

postmarked on or before June 5, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent 

to Dr. Mark Holliday, Executive 

Director, MAFAC, Office of Policy, 

NMFS F–14451, 1315 East-West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark Holliday, MAFAC Executive 

Director; (301) 713–2239 x120; e-mail: 

Mark.Holliday@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

establishment of MAFAC was approved 

by the Secretary on December 28, 1970, 

and subsequently chartered under the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. App. 2, on February 17, 1971. 

The Committee meets twice a year with 

supplementary subcommittee meetings 

as determined necessary by the 

Committee Chairperson. No less that 15 

and no more than 21 individuals may 

serve on the Committee. Membership is 

comprised of highly qualified 

individuals representing commercial 

and recreational fisheries interests, 

environmental organizations, academic 

institutions, governmental, tribal and 

consumer groups from a balance of U.S. 

geographical regions, including Puerto 

Rico and the Western Pacific and the 

U.S. Virgin Islands. 

A MAFAC member cannot be a 

Federal employee or a member of a 

Regional Fishery Management Council. 

Selected candidates must pass security 

checks and submit financial disclosure 

forms. Membership is voluntary, and 

except for reimbursable travel and 

related expenses, service is without pay. 

Each submission should include the 

submitting person or organization’s 

name and affiliation, a cover letter 

describing the nominee’s qualifications 

and interest in serving on the 

Committee, a curriculum vitae and or 

resume of the nominee, and no more 

than three supporting letters describing 

the nominee’s qualifications and 

interest in serving on the Committee. 

Self-nominations are acceptable. The 

following contact information should 

accompany each nominee’s submission: 

name, address, phone number, fax 

number, and e-mail address (if 

available). 

Nominations should be sent to (see 

ADDRESSES) and must be received by 

(see DATES). The full text of the 

Committee Charter and its current 

membership can be viewed at the 

NMFS’ web page at 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mafac.htm. 

Dated: April 15, 2009. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–9109 Filed 4–20–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XO75 

Marine Mammals; File No. 14483 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

Ocean World, 304 US Highway 101 

South, Crescent City, California 95531, 

has applied in due form for a permit to 

import three California sea lions 

(Zalophus californianus) for the 

purposes of public display. 

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments 

must be received on or before May 21, 

2009 

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review by 

selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public 

Comment’’ from the Features box on the 

Applications and Permits for Protected 

Species (APPS) home page, https:// 

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/index.cfm, and 

then selecting File No. 14483 from the 

list of available applications. 

The application and related 

documents are available for review 

upon written request or by appointment 

in the following offices: 

Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 

(301) 713–2289; fax (301) 427–2521; and 

Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West 

Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, 

CA 90802–4213; phone (562)980–4001; 

fax (562)980–4018. 

Written comments or requests for a 

public hearing on this application 

should be mailed to the Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 21, 2009 / Notices 18201 

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)427–2521, provided 

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy 

submitted by mail and postmarked no 

later than the closing date of the 

comment period. 

Comments may also be submitted by 

e-mail. The mailbox address for 

providing e-mail comments is 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line of the e-mail 

comment the following document 

identifier: File No. 14483. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Skidmore or Kristy Beard, 

(301)713–2289. 

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.), and the regulations 

governing the taking and importing of 

marine mammals (50 CFR part 216). 

The applicant requests authorization 

to import three female California sea 

lions from Zoo Tiergarten Nuremberg in 

Nuremberg, Germany to Ocean World, 

Crescent City, California. The applicant 

requests this import for the purpose of 

public display. The receiving facility, 

Ocean World, is: (1) open to the public 

on a regularly scheduled basis with 

access that is not limited or restricted 

other than by charging for an admission 

fee; (2) offers an educational program 

based on professionally accepted 

standards; and (3) holds an Exhibitor’s 

License, number 93–C–0389, issued by 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

under the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 

2131 – 59). 

In addition to determining whether 

the applicant meets the three public 

display criteria, NMFS must determine 

whether the applicant has demonstrated 

that the proposed activity is humane 

and does not represent any unnecessary 

risks to the health and welfare of marine 

mammals; that the proposed activity by 

itself, or in combination with other 

activities, will not likely have a 

significant adverse impact on the 

species or stock; and that the applicant’s 

expertise, facilities and resources are 

adequate to accomplish successfully the 

objectives and activities stated in the 

application. 

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: April 14, 2009. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–8998 Filed 4–20–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XO62 

Taking and Importing Marine 

Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals 

Incidental to Rocket Launches from 

Kodiak, AK 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; Issuance of a Letter of 

Authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA) and implementing regulations, 

notification is hereby given that a 1– 

year Letter of Authorization (LOA) has 

been issued to the Alaska Aerospace 

Development Corporation (AADC), to 

take Steller sea lions (Eumetopias 

jubatus) and Pacific harbor seals (Phoca 

vitulina richardsi) incidental to rocket 

launches from the Kodiak Launch 

Complex (KLC). 

DATES: Effective April 15, 2009, through 

April 14, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: The LOA and supporting 

documentation are available by writing 

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, by telephoning one of the 

contacts listed here (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT), or online at: 

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

incidental.htm. Documents cited in this 

notice may be viewed, by appointment, 

during regular business hours, at the 

aforementioned address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Howard Goldstein or Jaclyn Daly, Office 

of Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 

713–2289, or Brad Smith, Alaska 

Regional Office, NMFS, (907) 271–3023. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) directs the National 

Marine Fisheries Service (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. 

Authorization may be granted for 

periods up to five 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 

for monitoring and reporting of such 

taking. 

Regulations governing the taking of 

Steller sea lions and harbor seals, by 

harassment, incidental to rocket 

launches at KLC, became effective on 

February 27, 2006 (71 FR 4297), and 

remain in effect until February 28, 2011. 

For detailed information on this action, 

please refer to that document. These 

regulations include mitigation, 

monitoring, and reporting requirements 

for the incidental taking of marine 

mammals during rocket launches at 

KLC. 

Summary of Request 

NMFS received a request for an LOA 

pursuant to the aforementioned 

regulations that would authorize, for a 

period not to exceed 1 year, take of 

marine mammals incidental to rocket 

launches at KLC. 

Summary of Activity and Monitoring 

Under the Current LOA 

In compliance with the 2008 LOA, 

AADC submitted a report on the rocket 

launches at KLC. A summary of those 

reports (R&M Consultants, 2008) 

follows. 

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