29586 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 105 / Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Notices

ACTION: Notice of issuance of Letters of

Authorization to take marine mammals

incidental to oil and gas industry

activities.

SUMMARY: In accordance with section

101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal

Protection Act of 1972, as amended, and

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

implementing regulations [50 CFR

18.27(f)(3)], notice is hereby given that

Letters of Authorization to take polar

bears and Pacific walrus incidental to

oil and gas industry exploration

activities have been issued to the

following company:

Company Activity Location Date issued

BP Exploration (Alaska) ...................................................................................................... Exploration ....... Liberty ............... April 30, 2001.

WesternGeco ...................................................................................................................... Exploration ....... Beaufort Sea .... May 4, 2001.

Contact: Mr. John W. Bridges at the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine

Mammals Management Office, 1011 East

Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99503,

(800) 362–5148 or (907) 786–3810.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Letters of Authorization are issued in

accordance with U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service Federal Rules and Regulations

‘‘Marine Mammals; Incidental Take

During Specified Activities (65 FR

16828; March 30, 2000).’’

Dated: May 16, 2001.

David B. Allen,

Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 01–13592 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Publication, Final

Assessment Plan

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of publication.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service), on behalf of the

Department of the Interior (DOI), as a

natural resource trustee, announces the

publication of the Final Assessment

Plan (AP) for the Natural Resource

Damage Assessment and Restoration of

the August 27, 1998, Clinch River

Chemical Spill, Tazewell County,

Virginia. The Final AP describes the

DOI’s proposal to assess natural

resource injuries that resulted from this

chemical spill.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the

Final AP may be made to: John

Schmerfeld, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Virginia Field Office, 6669

Short Lane, Gloucester, Virginia 23061.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

Schmerfeld, Environmental

Contaminants Branch, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, Virginia Field Office,

6669 Short Lane, Gloucester, Virginia

23061. Interested parties may also call

804–693–6694. Ext. 107, or send e-mail

to john_schmerfeld@fws.gov for further

information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August

27, 1998, a tanker truck overturned on

U.S. Route 460 in Tazewell County,

Virginia. The truck released

approximately 1,350 gallons of Octocure

554-revised, a rubber accelerant, into an

unnamed tributary about 530 feet from

its confluence with the Clinch River.

Upon entry of the spill into the river,

the river turned a snowy-white color.

After the spilled substance passed

downstream, observers noted evidence

of an extensive fish kill and the

destruction of most aquatic organisms

from the area of the spill extending to

at least 6.6 miles downstream. The

Clinch River ecosystem ranks among the

top areas of freshwater biodiversity in

the world, and, prior to the spill, the

affected portion of the Clinch housed a

unique and diverse freshwater mussel

assemblage that included three species

that are federally listed as endangered.

Under the authority of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation and Liability

Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA),

‘‘natural resource trustees may assess

damages to natural resources resulting

from a discharge of oil or a release of a

hazardous substance * * * and may

seek to recover those damages.’’ Natural

resource damage assessments are

separate from the cleanup actions

undertaken at a hazardous waste or spill

site, and provide a process whereby the

natural resource trustees can determine

the proper compensation to the public

for injury to natural resources. The

natural resource damage assessment

process seeks to: (1) Determine whether

injury to, or loss of, trust resources has

occurred; (2) ascertain the magnitude of

the injury or loss; (3) calculate the

appropriate compensation for the injury,

including the cost of restoration; and (4)

develop a restoration plan that will

restore, rehabilitate, replace, and/or

acquire equivalent resources for those

resources that were injured or lost.

The Final AP presents the trustee’s

approaches for determining and

quantifying natural resource injuries

and calculating the damages associated

with those injuries. By developing an

AP, the trustee can ensure that the

natural resource damage assessment

will be completed at a reasonable cost

relative to the magnitude of damages.

This AP presents proposed assessment

methodologies to potentially

responsible parties, other trustees,

affected agencies, and to the public, so

that these groups can productively

participate in the assessment process.

The Final AP is being released in

accordance with the Natural Resource

Damage Assessment Regulations found

at title 43 of the Code of Federal

Regulations part 11.

A notice of availability of the Draft AP

was published in the Federal Register

on June 1, 2000, (volume 65, number

106, page 35120). The notice of

availability indicated that the 30-day

public comment period would end on

July 1, 2000; however, comments were

received and considered past that date.

Comments received concerning the

Draft AP are documented in chapter 8

of the Final AP.

The Draft AP indicated that a caged

mussel study would be conducted as

part of the damage assessment phase.

After some consideration, the trustee

determined that a pared-down

translocation study was more

appropriate due to a cost reduction of

approximately 50 percent, a decreased

probability of vandalism in the

populated area, and indications that the

sediment contaminant load in the

impacted river reach has lessened over

time. This change is considered to be

minor and not of sufficient magnitude to

warrant another 30 day public comment

period. Details of the translocation

study can be found in chapter 5 of the

Final AP.

Interested members of the public may

request copies of the Final AP from the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Virginia

Field Office at 6669 Short Lane,

Gloucester, Virginia 23061.

Additionally, the Final AP is available

for review at the Tazewell County Main

Library, 310 East Main Street, Tazewell,

Virginia 24651, and the Tazewell

County Library, Richlands Branch, 102

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 105 / Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Notices 29587

Suffolk Avenue, Richlands, Virginia

24641.

Author: The primary author of this

notice is John Schmerfeld, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, Virginia Field Office at

6669 Short Lane, Gloucester, Virginia

23061.

Authority: The authority for this action is

the Comprehensive Environmental Response,

Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as

amended (‘‘CERCLA’’), 42 U.S.C.

Dated: May 8, 2001.

Linda J. Repasky,

Acting Regional Director, Region 5, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 01–13652 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Marine Mammal Annual Report

Availability, Calendar Years 1997 and

1998

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of marine

mammal annual reports for calendar

years 1997 and 1998.

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service and the Biological

Resources Division of the U.S.

Geological Survey, have issued our 1997

and 1998 annual reports on marine

mammals under the jurisdiction of the

U.S. Department of the Interior, as

required by section 103(f) of the Marine

Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Our

reports are for January 1 to December

31, 1997, and January 1 to December 31,

1998. We submitted the reports to

Congress on May 2, 2001. By this notice,

we are informing you, the public, that

the reports are available and that copies

may be obtained on request to the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service.

ADDRESSES: You should submit written

requests for copies to: Publications Unit,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National

Conservation Training Center, Route 1,

Box 1666, Shepherd Grade Road,

Shepherdstown, WV 25443. You may

also contact that office by telephone at

(304) 876–7203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jeffrey L. Horwath, Division of Fish and

Wildlife Management Assistance in

Arlington, Virginia at telephone (703)

358–1718.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S.

Department of the Interior is responsible

for eight species of marine mammals, as

assigned by the Marine Mammal

Protection Act of 1972. These species

are polar bear, sea and marine otters,

walrus, three species of manatee, and

dugong. Administrative actions

discussed in our two reports include

appropriations, marine mammals in

Alaska, endangered and threatened

marine mammal species, law

enforcement activities, scientific

research and public display permits,

certificates of registration, research,

Outer Continental Shelf environmental

studies and international activities.

Dated: May 21, 2001.

Robert Batky,

Acting Assistant Director—Fisheries and

Habitat Conservation.

[FR Doc. 01–13591 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

[CA–160–1220–PG]

Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains

National Monument Advisory

Committee; Notice of Intent to

Establish and Call for Nominations

AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior; Forest Service, Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice of intent to establish and

call for nominations for the Santa Rosa

and San Jacinto Mountains National

Monument Advisory Committee under

the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto

Mountains National Monument Act of

2000, Public Law 106–351 (16 U.S.C.

431 note).

SUMMARY: The Santa Rosa and San

Jacinto Mountains National Monument

Act of 2000 (Act) requires the

Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to

establish a National Monument

Advisory Committee (Committee) to

advise them on resource management

issues associated with the Santa Rosa

and San Jacinto Mountains National

Monument. This notice requests the

public to submit nominations for

membership on the Committee. The

Committee will be managed under the

provisions of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act.

DATES: Submit nominations to one of

the addresses listed below no later than

July 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send nominations to:

Advisory Committee Nominations, Mr.

James G. Kenna, Bureau of Land

Management, P.O. Box 581260, North

Palm Springs, California 92258, 760–

251–4800 or Mr. Fran Colwell, Forest

Service, 1824 S. Commercenter Circle,

San Bernardino, California 92408, 909–

884–6634 x 3144.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

James G. Kenna, Bureau of Land

Management, 760–251–4800 or Mr. Fran

Colwell, Forest Service, 909–884–6634 x

3144.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As

directed by the Act, the Secretary of the

Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture

are jointly establishing an advisory

committee for the Santa Rosa and San

Jacinto Mountains National Monument

(Monument). The Committee’s purpose

is to advise the Secretaries with respect

to the preparation and implementation

of a management plan for the

Monument. The Committee will meet

periodically at the request of the

designated Federal officer, or his or her

designee, to gather and analyze

information, conduct studies and field

examinations, hear public testimony,

ascertain facts, and, in an advisory

capacity only, develop

recommendations concerning planning

for the management and uses of the

National Monument. The Committee

will normally meet twice annually, but

in no case less than once annually.

Additional meetings may be called by

the designated Federal officer or his or

her designee in connection with special

needs for advice. A Committee

Chairperson and Vice Chairperson will

be elected by the Committee from

among its members annually.

Any individual or organization may

nominate one or more persons to serve

on the Committee. Individuals may

nominate themselves for Committee

membership. You may obtain

nomination forms from the BLM or

Forest Service by contacting the

individuals listed in ADDRESSES above.

To make a nomination, you must submit

a completed nomination form, letters of

reference from the represented interests

or organizations, and any other

information that speaks to the

nominee’s qualifications, to the offices

listed above. You may make

nominations for the following categories

of interest, as specified in the Act: (1) A

representative with expertise in natural

science and research selected from a

regional college or university; (2) a

representative of the California

Department of Fish and Game or the

California Department of Parks and

Recreation; (3) a representative of the

County of Riverside, California; (4) a

representative from each of the

following cities: Palm Springs,

Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, La

Quinta, Palm Desert, and Indian Wells;

(5) a representative of the Agua Caliente