8354 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 37 / Monday, February 26, 2007 / Notices 

United States ratify the Convention and 

enact implementing legislation (notice 

published October 19, 2005, at 70 FR 

60795). With the enactment of 

implementing legislation in the form of 

the WCPFCIA in January 2007, and, 

following action by the President, the 

need to fulfill the immediate obligations 

of the United States under the 

Convention, NMFS seeks to build on the 

earlier scoping process and is accepting 

additional comments on the scope of 

issues to be included in this EA. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 

5501 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 973 et seq.; Pub. L. 

109–479, 120 Stat. 3575. 

Dated: February 20, 2007. 

James P. Burgess, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–3240 Filed 2–23–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 011107D] 

Incidental Take of Marine Mammals; 

Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental 

to Conducting Precision Strike 

Weapons Testing and Training by 

Eglin Air Force Base in the Gulf of 

Mexico 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of issuance of a letter of 

authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with provisions 

of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), as amended, notification is 

hereby given that a letter of 

authorization (LOA) to take four species 

of marine mammals, by harassment, 

incidental to testing and training during 

Precision Strike Weapons (PSW) tests in 

the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), a military 

readiness activity, has been issued to 

Eglin Air Force Base (AFB). 

DATES: This authorization is effective 

from February 20, 2007, through 

February 19, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: The application and LOA 

are available for review in the Permits, 

Conservation, and Education Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 

1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 

MD 20910 or by contacting one of the 

individuals mentioned below (See FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kenneth Hollingshead or Candace 

Nachman, NMFS, (301) 713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 

1361 et seq.) directs NMFS to allow, 

upon 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 by NMFS 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, in the form of annual 

LOAs, 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 

pertaining to the monitoring and 

reporting of such taking. Regulations 

governing the taking of marine 

mammals incidental to PSW testing and 

training within the Eglin Gulf Test and 

Training Range in the GOM, were 

published on November 24, 2006 (71 FR 

67810) and remain in effect from 

December 26, 2006 through December 

27, 2011. The four species that Eglin 

AFB may take in small numbers during 

PSW testing and training are Atlantic 

bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops 

truncatus), Atlantic spotted dolphins 

(Stenella frontalis), dwarf sperm whales 

(Kogia simus), and pygmy sperm whales 

(Kogia breviceps). 

Issuance of the annual LOA to Eglin 

AFB is based on findings made in the 

preamble to the final rule that the total 

takings by this project would result in 

no more than a negligible impact on the 

affected marine mammal stocks or 

habitats and would not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on 

subsistence uses of marine mammals. 

NMFS also finds that the applicant will 

meet the requirements contained in the 

implementing regulations and LOA, 

including monitoring and reporting 

requirements. Without any mitigation 

measures, a small possibility exists for 

one bottlenose dolphin and one spotted 

dolphin to be exposed to blast levels 

from the PSW testing sufficient to cause 

mortality. Additionally, less than two 

cetaceans might be exposed to noise 

levels sufficient to induce Level A 

harassment (injury) annually, and as 

few as 31 or as many as 52 cetaceans 

(depending on the season and water 

depth) could potentially be exposed 

(annually) to noise levels sufficient to 

induce Level B harassment in the form 

of temporary (auditory) threshold 

shift(TTS). 

While none of these impact estimates 

consider the proposed mitigation 

measures that will be employed by Eglin 

AFB to minimize potential impacts to 

protected species, NMFS has authorized 

Eglin AFB to lethally take one marine 

mammal, two marine mammals by Level 

A harassment, and up to 53 marine 

mammals by Level B harassment (TTS) 

annually. However, the proposed 

mitigation measures described in the 

final rule (71 FR 67810, November 24, 

2006) and the LOA are anticipated to 

reduce potential impacts to marine 

mammals in both numbers and degree 

of severity. These measures include a 

conservative safety range for marine 

mammal exclusion; incorporation of 

aerial and shipboard survey monitoring 

efforts in the program both prior to and 

after detonation of explosives; and a 

prohibition on detonations whenever 

marine mammals are detected within 

the safety zone, may enter the safety 

zone at the time of detonation, or if 

weather and sea conditions preclude 

adequate aerial surveillance. This LOA 

will be renewed annually based on a 

review of the activity, completion of 

monitoring requirements, and receipt of 

reports required by the LOA. 

Dated: February 20, 2007. 

James H. Lecky, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–3242 Filed 2–23–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Science Advisory Board (SAB); 

Meeting 

AGENCY: Office of Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Research (OAR), National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting. 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 37 / Monday, February 26, 2007 / Notices 8355 

SUMMARY: The Science Advisory Board 

(SAB) was established by a Decision 

Memorandum dated September 25, 

1997, and is the only Federal Advisory 

Committee with responsibility to advise 

the Under Secretary of Commerce for 

Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies 

for research, education, and application 

of science to operations and information 

services. SAB activities and advice 

provide necessary input to ensure that 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA) science 

programs are of the highest quality and 

provide optimal support to resource 

management. 

Times and Dates: The meeting will be 

held Tuesday March 6, 2007, from 10:30 

a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday March 

7, 2007, from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. These 

times and the agenda topics described 

below are subject to change. Please refer 

to the Web page http:// 

www.sab.noaa.gov/Meetings/ 

meetings.html for the most up-to-date 

meeting agenda. 

Place: The meeting will be held both 

days tentatively at the Hilton 

Washington DC/Silver Spring, 8727 

Colesville Road, Silver Spring, 

Maryland 20910, pending approval of a 

purchase order. Please check the SAB 

Web site http://www.sab.noaa.gov for 

confirmation of the venue. 

Status: The meeting will be open to 

public participation with a 30-minute 

public comment period on March 6 

(check Web site to confirm time). The 

SAB expects that public statements 

presented at its meetings will not be 

repetitive of previously submitted 

verbal or written statements. In general, 

each individual or group making a 

verbal presentation will be limited to a 

total time of five (5) minutes. Written 

comments (at least 35 copies) should be 

received in the SAB Executive Director’s 

Office by March 2, 2007, to provide 

sufficient time for SAB review. Written 

comments received by the SAB 

Executive Director after March 2, 2007, 

will be distributed to the SAB, but may 

not be reviewed prior to the meeting 

date. Seats will be available on a firstcome, first-served basis. 

Matters to be Considered: The 

meeting will include the following 

topics: (1) NOAA’s Regional 

Collaboration Initiative; (2) NOAA’s 

Role in Research on Ocean 

Acidification; (3) Monitoring the 

Performance of Research in NOAA; (4) 

update on the NOAA Response to the 

Reports of the Hurricane Intensity 

Research Working Group (HIRWG); (5) 

update on the NOAA Response to the 

Report of the External Ecosystem Task 

Team (EETT); (6) Report on the Review 

of the Cooperative Institute for Climate 

Applications and Research (CICAR); and 

(7) Report on the Review of the 

Cooperative Institute for Oceanographic 

Satellite Studies (CIOSS). There will 

also be a joint meeting of the SAB and 

the NOAA Research Council. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Cynthia Decker, Executive Director, 

Science Advisory Board, NOAA, Rm. 

11230, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 

Spring, Maryland 20910 (Phone: 301–

734–1156, Fax: 301–713–1459, E-mail: 

Cynthia.Decker@noaa.gov); or visit the 

NOAA SAB Web site at http:// 

www.sab.noaa.gov. 

Dated: February 21, 2007. 

Mark E. Brown, 

Chief Financial Officer and Chief 

Administrative Officer, Office of Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 07–866 Filed 2–23–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–KD–P 

PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO) will submit 

to the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for clearance the following 

proposal for collection of information 

under the provisions of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). 

Agency: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO). 

Title: Initial Patent Applications. 

Form Number(s): PTO/SB/01–01A, 

PTO/SB/02A–02B, PTO/SB/02LR, PTO/ 

SB/03–03A, PTO/SB/04–07, PTO/SB/ 

13PCT, PTO/SB/14, PTO/SB/16–19, 

PTO/SB/29–29A, PTO/SB/101–110, 

EFS-Web Original New Utility, Design, 

and Provisional Application Forms. 

Agency Approval Number: 0651–

0032. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Burden: 10,677,624 hours annually. 

Number of Respondents: 543,591 

responses per year. 

Avg. Hours Per Response: The USPTO 

estimates that it takes between 24 

minutes to 30 hours to gather the 

information, prepare, and submit the 

various paper and electronic 

applications in this collection, 

depending on the situation and the 

amount of information that needs to be 

submitted. Since EFS-Web is still 

relatively new, the USPTO does not yet 

have a good indication of how much 

time is saved by filing applications or 

documents electronically via EFS-Web. 

Accordingly, the USPTO has estimated 

the same time to complete the 

electronically-filed applications as it 

does to complete those submitted in 

paper form. As experience with EFSWeb grows, the USPTO will reevaluate 

the time required for electronically-filed 

versus paper-filed applications and 

documents. The USPTO estimates that it 

takes between 30 minutes to 1 hour to 

gather the information, prepare, and 

submit the petitions in this collection. 

Needs and Uses: This collection of 

information is required by 35 U.S.C. 131 

and 37 CFR 1.16 through 1.84. An 

applicant must provide sufficient 

information to allow the USPTO to 

properly examine the application or 

petition to determine whether it meets 

the requirements outlined in the patent 

statutes and regulations. The various fee 

and application transmittal forms, the 

declarations, the cover sheets, and the 

petitions permit applicants to supply all 

of the information necessary to process 

the application and enables the USPTO 

to ensure that all of the information has 

been provided in order to process the 

application. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households; business or other for-profit; 

not-for-profit institutions, farms, the 

Federal Government, and State, Local, 

or Tribal Governments. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain or retain benefits. 

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, 

(202) 395–3897. 

Copies of the above information 

collection proposal can be obtained by 

any of the following methods: 

• E-mail: Susan.Fawcett@uspto.gov. 

Include ‘‘0651–0032 copy request’’ in 

the subject line of the message. 

• Fax: 571–273–0112, marked to the 

attention of Susan Brown. 

• Mail: Susan K. Brown, Records 

Officer, Office of the Chief Information 

Officer, Architecture, Engineering and 

Technical Services, Data Architecture 

and Services Division, U.S. Patent and 

Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, 

Alexandria, VA 22313–1450. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent on 

or before March 28, 2007 to David 

Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room 

10202, New Executive Office Building, 

725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 

20503. 

Dated: February 20, 2007. 

Susan K. Brown, 

Records Officer, USPTO, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer, Architecture, 

Engineering and Technical Services, Data 

Architecture and Services Division. 

[FR Doc. E7–3182 Filed 2–23–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES