29934 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices

approval of the March 2001 meeting

minutes.

From 8:45–9:45 a.m., the Council will

hold a Public Scoping Meeting on: (1)

coral framework action to establish

additional Habitat Areas of Particular

Concern and (2) development of a

comprehensive FMP amendment

addressing permit renewal timeframes,

operator permits, a consolidated

controlled access system and the

Atlantic Coast Cooperative Statistics

Program’s permits and reporting.

Documents regarding these issues are

available from the Council office (see

ADDRESSES).

From 9:45–10:45 a.m., the Council

will hear a report from the Mackerel

Committee. Beginning at 9:45 a.m., a

public comment period will be held on

any proposed framework changes to the

Mackerel FMP. Following the public

comment period, decisions will be made

regarding (1) any proposed framework

actions, (2) Amendment 13 to the

Mackerel FMP (Gulf Council actions

relative to the Tortugas Sanctuary in the

Gulf of Mexico) and (3) Amendment 14

to the Mackerel FMP (Gulf Council

actions on a moratorium on charter

vessel permits in the Gulf of Mexico).

From 10:45–11:15 a.m., the Council

will hear a report from the Controlled

Access Committee regarding

Amendment 5 to the Shrimp FMP (rock

shrimp limited access) and make

modifications as appropriate.

From 11:15–11:45 a.m., the Council

will address red porgy issues including

current stock status, information from

fishermen and management measures

currently in place.

From 11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m., the

Council will hear a report from the

Shrimp Committee. A public comment

period will be held beginning at 11:45

a.m. regarding any proposed

modifications to the BRD Testing

Protocol Manual. Following the

comment period, the Council will make

a decision on any language/format

modifications to the manual as needed.

From 1:30–2 p.m., the Council will

hear a report from the Marine Protected

Areas Committee and modify the MOU

with Gray’s Reef if necessary. The

Council will also discuss the approach

and timing for Marine Protected Areas.

From 2–2:15 p.m., the Council will

hear a report from the Executive

Committee.

From 2:15–2:30 p.m., the Council will

hear a report from the Personnel

Committee.

From 2:30–2:45 p.m., the Council will

hear a report on the recent Chairmen’s

meeting.

From 2:45–3 p.m., the Council will

hear a report on the Atlantic Coastal

Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP)

Coordinating Council’s funding

recommendations.

From 3–3:30 p.m., the Council will

hear status reports from NMFS on the:

2000/2001 Mackerel Framework,

resubmitted Calico Scallop FMP,

resubmitted Sargassum FMP, Golden

Crab Amendment 3, and Dolphin

Emergency Rule request. The Council

will also hear NMFS status reports on

landing for Atlantic king mackerel, Gulf

king mackerel, Atlantic Spanish

mackerel, snowy grouper & golden

tilefish, wreckfish, greater amberjack

and south Atlantic octocorals.

From 3:30–4 p.m., the Council will

hear Agency and Liaison Reports,

discuss other business and upcoming

meetings.

Although non-emergency issues not

contained in this agenda may come

before this Council for discussion, those

issues may not be the subjects of formal

Council action during this meeting.

Council action will be restricted to those

issues specifically listed in this notice

and any issues arising after publication

of this notice that require 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 the Council office

(see ADDRESSES) 5 days prior to the

meeting date.

Dated: May 30, 2001.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–13968 Filed 6–1–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 052501C]

Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of an application for a

scientific research permit (1324);

Issuance of permits 1275, 1295, 1299

and modification #2 to permit 1198.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

following actions regarding permits for

takes of endangered and threatened

species for the purposes of scientific

research and/or enhancement under the

Endangered Species Act (ESA): NMFS

has received an application for a

scientific research permit from Dr.

Nancy Thompson, National Marine

Fisheries Service-Southeast Fisheries

Science Center; NMFS has issued

permit 1299 to Dr. Raymond Carthy of

the Florida Cooperative Fish & Wildlife

Research Unit (1299); NMFS has issued

permit 1295 to Dr. Michael P.

Sissenwine of Northeast Fisheries

Science Center (1295); NMFS has issued

permit 1275 to Mr. Joseph Hightower of

the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and

Wildlife Research Unit (1275); and,

NMFS has issued modification #2 to

permit 1198 to Dr. Allen Foley of the

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Commission (1198).

DATES: Comments or requests for a

public hearing on any of the new

applications or modification requests

must be received at the appropriate

address or fax number no later than 5

p.m. eastern standard time on July 5,

2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on any of

the new applications or modification

requests should be sent to the

appropriate office as indicated below.

Comments may also be sent via fax to

the number indicated for the application

or modification request. Comments will

not be accepted if submitted via e-mail

or the Internet. The applications and

related documents are available for

review in the indicated office, by

appointment:

Endangered Species Division, F/PR3,

1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (phone:301–713–1401, fax:

301–713–0376).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Terri Jordan, Silver Spring, MD (phone:

301–713–1401, fax: 301–713–0376, email: Terri.Jordan@noaa.gov)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

Issuance of permits and permit

modifications, as required by the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16

U.S.C. 1531–1543) (ESA), is based on a

finding that such permits/modifications:

(1) Are applied for in good faith; (2)

would not operate to the disadvantage

of the listed species which are the

subject of the permits; and (3) are

consistent with the purposes and

policies set forth in section 2 of the

ESA. Scientific research and/or

enhancement permits are issued under

Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 107 / Monday, June 4, 2001 / Notices 29935

Authority to take listed species is

subject to conditions set forth in the

permits. Permits and modifications are

issued in accordance with and are

subject to the ESA and NMFS

regulations governing listed fish and

wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222–226).

Those individuals requesting a

hearing on an application listed in this

notice should set out the specific

reasons why a hearing on that

application would be appropriate (see

ADDRESSES). The holding of such

hearing is at the discretion of the

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

NOAA. All statements and opinions

contained in the permit action

summaries are those of the applicant

and do not necessarily reflect the views

of NMFS.

Species Covered in This Notice

The following species are covered in

this notice:

Sea turtles

Threatened and endangered Green

turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Endangered Hawksbill turtle

(Eretmochelys imbricata)

Endangered Kemp’s ridley turtle

(Lepidochelys kempii)

Endangered Leatherback turtle

(Dermochelys coriacea)

Threatened Loggerhead turtle (Caretta

caretta)

Fish

Endangered Shortnose Sturgeon

(Acipenser brevirostrum)

New Applications Received

Application 1324

The Southeast Fisheries Science

Center (SEFSC) has applied for a twoyear permit to conduct sea turtle

bycatch reduction experiments

associated with longline fishing

techniques. The SEFSC proposes to

conduct experiments to focus on the

effectiveness of specific measures to

reduce the bycatch of sea turtles in the

Pelagic Longline fishery. The applicant

proposes to take 415 loggerhead, 301

leatherback, 2 Kemp’s ridley, 2 green

and 2 hawksbill turtles over the life of

the permit. Turtles taken by longline

gear during this experiment will be

handled, measured, flipper and PIT

tagged, have a skin biopsy collected and

be released. The applicant also requests

authorization to attach 20 conventional

satellite tags and 75 pop-up satellites to

a total of 95 of the already taken

loggerhead turtles. Any turtles brought

aboard the vessel dead will be removed

from marine environment for research

purposes. The application is available

for download and review from the

Office of Protected Resources permits

webpage: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/

prot—res/PR3/Permits/ESApermit.html.

Permits and Modified Permits Issued

Permit #1275

Notice was published on January 25,

2001 (66 FR 7742) that Mr. Joseph

Hightower, of North Carolina

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research

Unit applied for a scientific research

permit (1275). The applicant proposed

to conduct a two year survey of the

Neuse River to prepare a baseline study

of the possible existence of shortnose

sturgeon in the river. The research will

use the NMFS sampling protocols for

determining presence or absence of

shortnose sturgeon in a selected river.

The goals of the study are to determine

whether shortnose sturgeon are present

within the Neuse River system, and to

determine if suitable shortnose sturgeon

habitat is available within the river

system. Permit 1275 was issued on May

24, 2001 and expires December 31,

2002.

Permit #1295

Notice was published on March 5,

2001 (66 FR 13305) that Dr. Michael P.

Sissenwine, of Northeast Fisheries

Science Center applied for a scientific

research permit (1295). The goal of the

five-year plan for sea turtles in the

Northeast is to work cooperatively with

other regions to support and direct

research on sea turtles in order to

identify and assess the status of sea

turtle stocks, reduce the estimated

mortality associated with fishing

activities and other anthropogenic and

natural sources and to recover ESA

listed species. Permit 1295 was issued

on May 24, 2001, and expires May 31,

2006.

Permit #1299

Notice was published on March 9,

2001 (66 FR 14134) that Dr. Raymond

Carthy, of the Florida Cooperative Fish

& Wildlife Research Unit applied for a

scientific research permit (1299). The

applicant requested a three year permit

to take juvenile and adult turtles along

the St. Joseph Peninsula, in St. Joseph

Bay, Florida. The applicant proposes to

examine the internesting movements

and habitat usage of adult loggerhead

turtles along the northwestern coast of

Florida, while also examining species

composition, population densities and

habitat utilization in coastal bays in the

same area. Permit 1299 was issued on

May 24, 2001, and expires December 31,

2003.

Modification #2 to Permit #1198

The Florida Marine Research Institute

currently possesses a five-year scientific

research permit to take up to 700

loggerhead, 250 green, 5 leatherback, 25

hawksbill, and 100 Kemp’s ridley sea

turtles annually from Florida coastal

waters. Turtles captured will include all

life history stages from post-hatchling

through adult. Of the 700 loggerheads

authorized annually, 400 are hatchlings.

This research will further the

understanding of life histories, habitat

requirements, migratory behaviors, and

threats to these five species of sea turtles

occurring in Florida waters. The permit

holder currently has authorization to

capture turtles in tended, straight-set,

large-mesh tangle nets; tended, drifting

large-mesh tangle nets; tended,

encircling (strike) large-meshed nets;

dip nets; and by hand-capture. Captured

turtles are weighed, measured,

photographed, and flipper and PIT

tagged. Select turtles have blood and

stomach samples (via gastric lavage)

collected and receive radio, sonic, and/

or satellite transmitters. Additionally,

laparoscopy and tumor collection are

authorized to be performed on selected

turtles.

For modification #2, the applicant

requests the Dr. Allen Foley be

designated as permit holder in place of

Mr. J. Alan Huff, who is no longer

responsible for this permit activity. The

applicant also requests authorization to

use ten crittercams in lieu of ten

previously authorized radio/sonic

transmitters. Modification #2 to Permit

1198 was issued on May 18, 2001, and

permit 1198 expires March 31, 2004.

Dated: May 25, 2001.

Phil Williams,

Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–13969 Filed 6–1–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Preparation of a Programmatic

Environmental Impact Statement

(PEIS) on the Chemical and Biological

Defense Program (CBDP)

AGENCY: U.S. Army Medical Research

and Materiel Command, Department of

the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: The Department of the Army

announces its intention to prepare a

PEIS that will assesses the potential