Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 231 / Monday, December 2, 2024 / Notices 95187 

pursuit, torment, or annoyance which 

has the potential to injure a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild (16 U.S.C. 1362(18); 50 CFR 216.3). 

Level B harassment is defined as any act 

of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which 

has the potential to disturb a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild by causing disruption of behavioral 

patterns, including, but not limited to, 

migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, 

feeding, or sheltering (16 U.S.C. 

1362(18); 50 CFR 216.3). Section 

101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA and the 

implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 

216, subpart I authorize NMFS to 

propose and, if appropriate, promulgate 

regulations and issue associated LOA(s). 

NMFS promulgated regulations on 

October 23, 2024 (89 FR 84676) for the 

taking of marine mammals incidental to 

the construction of the Maryland 

Offshore Wind Project offshore of 

Maryland. The LOA authorizes US 

Wind, and those persons it authorizes or 

funds to conduct activities on its behalf, 

to take marine mammals incidental to 

specified activities during the 

construction of the Project and requires 

them to implement mitigation, 

monitoring, and reporting requirements. 

Summary of Request 

On October 23, 2024, NMFS 

promulgated a final rule (89 FR 84674) 

responding to a request from US Wind 

for authorization to take marine 

mammals (19 species comprising 20 

stocks) by Level B harassment (all 20 

stocks) and by Level A harassment (5 

stocks of the 20 stocks) incidental to 

construction activities occurring in 

Federal and State waters off of 

Maryland, specifically within and 

around the Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease 

of Submerged Lands for Renewable 

Energy Development on the Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Area 

OCS–A 0490 (collectively, ‘‘Lease 

Area’’) and along two export cable 

routes to sea-to-shore transition points 

(collectively referred to as the ‘‘Project 

Area’’), over the course of 5 years 

(January 1, 2025 through December 31, 

2029). The final rule included the 

following specified activities: the 

installation of up to 114 wind turbine 

generators (WTGs) on monopile 

foundations using impact pile driving; 

the installation of 4 offshore substations 

(OSSs) on jacket foundations consisting 

of post-piled pin piles using impact pile 

driving; the installation of one 

meteorological tower (Met Tower) on 

pin piles using impact pile driving; 

installation and subsequent removal of 

gravity cells to connect the offshore 

export cables to onshore facilities 

within Delaware Seashore State Park; 

high-resolution geophysical (HRG) 

marine site characterization surveys 

using active acoustic sources; fishery 

and ecological monitoring surveys; the 

placement of scour protection; the 

installation of the export cable routes 

from OSSs to shore-based converter 

stations and inter-array cables between 

turbines by trenching, laying, and burial 

activities; vessel transit within the 

specified geographical region to 

transport crew, supplies, and materials; 

and WTG operation. 

Marine mammals exposed to elevated 

noise levels during foundation impact 

pile driving may be taken by Level A 

harassment, and marine mammals 

exposed to elevated noise levels during 

impact pile driving and HRG site 

characterization surveys may be taken 

by Level B harassment. No mortality or 

serious injury of any marine mammal is 

anticipated or authorized. The number 

of takes, by species, authorized may be 

found in table 1 in the LOA, which is 

available at https://www.fisheries.

noaa.gov/permit/incidental-takeauthorizations-under-marine-mammalprotection-act. 

Authorization 

In accordance with the final rule (89 

FR 84674, October 23, 2024; see 50 CFR 

217.306), NMFS has issued a LOA to US 

Wind authorizing the take, by 

harassment, of marine mammals 

incidental to specified activities within 

the specified geographical region. As 

previously stated, no mortality or 

serious injury of any marine mammal 

species is anticipated or authorized. The 

incidental takes authorized herein are 

the same as those analyzed and 

authorized in the final rule (89 FR 

84674, October 23, 2024). Takes of 

marine mammals will be minimized 

through the following planned 

mitigation and monitoring measures, as 

applicable for each specified activity: (1) 

implementation of seasonal pile driving 

work restrictions; (2) use of multiple 

NMFS-approved Protected Species 

Observers (PSOs) to visually observe for 

marine mammals (with any detection 

within specifically designated zones 

triggering a delay or shutdown, as 

applicable); (3) use of NMFS-approved 

passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) 

operators to acoustically detect marine 

mammals, with a focus on detecting 

baleen whales (with any detection 

within designated zones triggering a 

delay or shutdown, as applicable); (4) 

implementation of clearance and 

shutdown zones; (5) use of soft-start 

upon commencement of impact pile 

driving and ramp-up of acoustic sources 

during HRG surveys; (6) use of noise 

attenuation technology during 

foundation pile driving; (7) use of 

situational awareness monitoring for 

marine mammal presence; (8) use of 

sound field verification monitoring; (9) 

use of PAM within the vessel transit 

corridor for Project vessels to travel over 

10 knots (11.5 miles per hour); and (10) 

implementation of several vessel strike 

avoidance measures to avoid vessel 

strikes, including but not limited to, 

vessel separation zones between marine 

mammals and project vessels. 

Additionally, NMFS may modify the 

LOA’s mitigation, monitoring, or 

reporting measures, based on new 

information. US Wind is also required 

to submit reports, as specified in the 

final rule. 

Based on the findings discussed in the 

preamble of the final rule, NMFS has 

determined that the take authorized in 

the LOA is of small numbers, will have 

a negligible impact on marine mammal 

stocks, will not have an unmitigable 

adverse impact on the availability of the 

affected marine mammal stock for 

subsistence uses, and the mitigation 

measures provide a means of affecting 

the least practicable adverse impact on 

the affected stocks and their habitat. 

Dated: November 26, 2024. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28215 Filed 11–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Draft Revised Management Plan for the 

Narragansett Bay National Estuarine 

Research Reserve 

AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, 

National Ocean Service, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is 

soliciting comments from the public 

regarding a proposed revision of the 

management plan for the Narragansett 

Bay National Estuarine Research 

Reserve (NBNERR). A management plan 

provides a framework to guide a 

reserve’s programs, track progress 

toward meeting its goals, and identify 

potential opportunities or changes in 

direction. It is also used to guide 

programmatic evaluations. Management 

plan revisions are required at least every 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
95188 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 231 / Monday, December 2, 2024 / Notices 

five years. This draft, revised 

management plan is intended to replace 

the NBNERR management plan 

approved in 2010. 

DATES: Comments must be received at 

the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES) 

on or before January 2, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: The draft revised 

management plan can be downloaded or 

viewed at: http://nbnerr.org/wp-content/ 

uploads/2024/08/NBNERR_

ManagementPlan_DRAFT_

PublicComment.pdf. It is also available 

by sending a written request to the point 

of contact identified below (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

You may submit comments by email 

to claudia.mazur@noaa.gov. Include 

‘‘Comments on draft Narragansett Bay 

National Estuarine Research Reserve 

Management Plan’’ in the subject line of 

the message. NOAA will accept 

anonymous comments; however, the 

written comments NOAA receives are 

considered part of the public record, 

and the entirety of the comment, 

including the name of the commenter, 

email address, attachments, and other 

supporting materials, will be publicly 

accessible. Sensitive, personally 

identifiable information, such as 

account numbers and Social Security 

numbers, should not be included. 

Comments that are not related to the 

management plan for NBNERR, or that 

contain profanity, vulgarity, threats, or 

other inappropriate language, will not 

be considered. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Claudia Mazur, claudia.mazur@

noaa.gov, or Betsy Nicholson, 

betsy.nicholson@noaa.gov, (617–894– 

0197) of NOAA’s Office for Coastal 

Management. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to 15 CFR 921.33(c), Rhode Island must 

revise the management plan for 

NBNERR at least every five years. If 

approved by NOAA, the revised 

management plan will replace the plan 

previously approved in 2010. 

Management plans outline a reserve’s 

strategic goals and objectives; 

administrative structure; programs for 

conducting research and monitoring, 

education, and training; resource 

protection, restoration, and 

manipulation plans; public access and 

visitor use plans; consideration for 

future land acquisition; and facility 

development to support reserve 

operations. In particular, this draft 

revised plan for NBNERR provides 

information on new staff positions and 

new staff hired, and describes the 

reserve’s updated position within the 

Rhode Island Department of 

Environmental Management. 

Since the last management plan, 

NBNERR has secured a land acquisition 

and expanded its boundary. 

Additionally, the updated plan 

describes strategic goals and objectives 

and identifies topic areas where 

additional planning will be conducted 

to identify and develop new goals and 

objectives over the next five years. The 

revised management plan, once 

approved, would serve as the guiding 

document for the reserve for the next 

five years. 

NOAA’s Office for Coastal 

Management analyzes the 

environmental impacts of the proposed 

approval of this management plan in 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq., and the Council on Environmental 

Quality Regulations for Implementing 

the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 

CFR 1500–1508 (2022). The public is 

invited to comment on the draft revised 

management plan. NOAA will take 

these comments into consideration 

when deciding whether to approve the 

revised management plan in whole or in 

part. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15 

CFR 921.33. 

Keelin S. Kuipers, 

Deputy Director, Office for Coastal 

Management, National Ocean Service, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28208 Filed 11–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–08–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

[Docket No.: ED–2024–SCC–0111] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget for Review 

and Approval; Comment Request; Carl 

D. Perkins Career and Technical 

Education Act State Plan Guide 

AGENCY: Office of Career, Technical, and 

Adult Education (OCTAE), Department 

of Education (ED). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 

1995, the Department is proposing a 

revision of a currently approved 

information collection request (ICR). 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before January 

2, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for proposed 

information collection requests should 

be submitted within 30 days of 

publication of this notice. Click on this 

link www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain to access the site. Find this 

information collection request (ICR) by 

selecting ‘‘Department of Education’’ 

under ‘‘Currently Under Review,’’ then 

check the ‘‘Only Show ICR for Public 

Comment’’ checkbox. Reginfo.gov 

provides two links to view documents 

related to this information collection 

request. Information collection forms 

and instructions may be found by 

clicking on the ‘‘View Information 

Collection (IC) List’’ link. Supporting 

statements and other supporting 

documentation may be found by 

clicking on the ‘‘View Supporting 

Statement and Other Documents’’ link. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

specific questions related to collection 

activities, please contact Braden Goetz, 

(202) 245–7405. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department is especially interested in 

public comment addressing the 

following issues: (1) is this collection 

necessary to the proper functions of the 

Department; (2) will this information be 

processed and used in a timely manner; 

(3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 

(4) how might the Department enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (5) how 

might the Department minimize the 

burden of this collection on the 

respondents, including through the use 

of information technology. Please note 

that written comments received in 

response to this notice will be 

considered public records. 

Title of Collection: Carl D. Perkins 

Career and Technical Education Act 

State Plan Guide. 

OMB Control Number: 1830–0029. 

Type of Review: Revision of a 

currently approved ICR. 

Respondents/Affected Public: State, 

Local, and Tribal Governments. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 54. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 1,026. 

Abstract: This information collection 

is used by the Department to request 

State Plans and annual revisions under 

the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 

Education Act of 2006. We are 

proposing to revise the ICR to provide 

data specifications for the numerators 

and denominators used to calculate the 

law’s performance indicators so that 

they are measured in a manner that is 

consistent with the statute, reduce the 

collection of potentially duplicative 

information, give States more time to 

report education and employment 

outcomes to improve the accuracy and 

completeness of these data, and to 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1