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###### Department of Commerce

###### National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

          - RIN 0648-XO86

# AGENCY:

 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

# ACTION:

 Notice; receipt of application.

# SUMMARY:

 Notice is hereby given that The Mirage Casino-Hotel, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109, has applied in due form for a permit to import two bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) for the purposes of public display. 

# DATES:

 Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before May 27, 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*, and then selecting File No. 14497 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 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.go*                        v. Include in the subject line of the e-mail                               ( print page 19069)                            comment the following document identifier: File No. 14497.                    

# 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 two male adult captive-born bottlenose dolphins from Dolphin Quest in Hamilton, HM FX, Bermuda to The Mirage Casino-Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The applicant requests this import for the purpose of public display. The receiving facility, The Mirage, 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 88-C-0074, 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 22, 2009.

P. Michael Payne,

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. E9-9563 Filed 4-24-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-S