Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 86 / Thursday, May 2, 1996 / Notices 19609

and findings or to terminate the

suspended investigations by the last day

of May 1996. Any submission to the

Department must contain the name and

case number of the proceeding and a

statement that explains how the

objecting party qualifies as a domestic

interested party under § 353.2(k) (3), (4),

(5), and (6) of the Department’s

regulations.

Seven copies of such objections

should be submitted to the Assistant

Secretary for Import Administration,

International Trade Administration,

Room B–099, U.S. Department of

Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230.

You must also include the pertinent

certification(s) in accordance with

§ 353.31(g) and § 353.31(i) of the

Department’s regulations. In addition,

the Department requests that a copy of

the objection be sent to Michael F.

Panfeld in Room 4203. This notice is in

accordance with 19 CFR 353.25(d)(4)(i).

Dated: April 26, 1996.

Joseph A. Spetrini,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Compliance.

[FR Doc. 96–10986 Filed 5–01–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 042696B]

Small Takes of Marine Mammals

Incidental to Specified Activities;

Lockheed Launch Vehicles at

Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of application

and proposed authorization for a small

take exemption; request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request

from the U.S. Air Force for continuation

of an authorization to take small

numbers of harbor seals by harassment

incidental to launches of Lockheed

launch vehicles (LLVs) at Space Launch

Complex 6 (SLC–6), Vandenberg Air

Force Base, CA (Vandenberg). Under the

Marine Mammal Protection Act

(MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments

on its proposal to continue to authorize

the incidental take, by harassment, of

small numbers of harbor seals in the

vicinity of Vandenberg for a period of 1

year.

DATES: Comments and information must

be received no later than June 3, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the

application should be addressed to

Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office

of Protected Resources, National Marine

Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. A

copy of the application and previous

Federal Register notices on this action

may be obtained by writing to this

address or by telephoning one of the

contacts listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth Hollingshead, Office of

Protected Resources at 301–713–2055,

or Irma Lagomarsino, Southwest

Regional Office at 310–980–4016.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) directs the Secretary

of Commerce to allow, upon request, the

incidental, but not intentional taking 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 and regulations are issued.

Permission may be granted if NMFS

finds that the taking will have a

negligible impact on the species or

stock(s); will not have an unmitigable

adverse impact on the availability of the

species or stock(s) for subsistence uses;

and the permissible methods of taking

and requirements pertaining to the

monitoring and reporting of such taking

are set forth.

Public Law 103–238, the Marine

Mammal Protection Act Amendments of

1994, added a new subsection

101(a)(5)(D) to the MMPA to establish

an expedited process by which citizens

of the United States can apply for an

authorization to incidentally take small

numbers of marine mammals by

harassment for a period of up to 1 year.

The MMPA defines ‘‘harassment’’ as:

‘‘ * * *any act of pursuit, torment, or

annoyance which (a) has the potential to

injure a marine mammal or marine mammal

stock in the wild; or (b) 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.’’

New subsection 101(a)(5)(D)

establishes a 45-day time limit for

NMFS review of an application

followed by a 30-day public notice and

comment period on any proposed

authorizations for the incidental

harassment of small numbers of marine

mammals. Within 45 days of the close

of the comment period, NMFS must

either issue or deny issuance of the

authorization.

Summary of Request

On April 1, 1996, NMFS received an

application from the U.S. Air Force,

Vandenberg, requesting continuation of

an authorization for the harassment of

small numbers of harbor seals incidental

to launches of LLVs at SLC–6,

Vandenberg. These launches would

place commercial payloads into low

earth orbit using its family of vehicles

(LLV–1, LLV–2 and LLV–3). Because of

the requirements for circumpolar

trajectories of the LLV and its payloads,

the use of SLC–6 is the only feasible

alternative within the United States. As

a result of the noise associated with the

launch itself and the resultant sonic

boom, these noises have the potential to

cause a startle response to those harbor

seals that haul out on the coastline

south and southwest of Vandenberg and

may be detectable to marine mammals

west of the Channel Islands. Launch

noise would be expected to occur over

the coastal habitats in the vicinity of

SLC–6 while low-level sonic booms

could be heard west of the Channel

Islands.

Description of Habitat and Marine

Mammals Affected by LLVs

The only marine mammal anticipated

to be incidentally harassed by LLV

launches is the harbor seal (Phoca

vitulina). A description of the Southern

California Bight population of harbor

seals was provided on May 10, 1995 (60

FR 24840) in conjunction with

publication of the previous notice of

application for this activity. Interested

reviewers are encouraged to refer to that

document for the appropriate

discussion. This document is available

from NMFS (see ADDRESSES).

Potential Effects of LLV Launches on

Marine Mammals

The effect on harbor seals would be

disturbance by sound which is

anticipated to result in a negligible

short-term impact to small numbers of

harbor seals that are hauled out at the

time of LLV launches. No impacts are

anticipated to animals that are in the

water at the time of launch. Detailed

descriptions of the expected impact

from rocket launches on harbor seals

and other marine mammals have been

provided in previous notices (60 FR

24840, May 10, 1995; 60 FR 38308, July

26, 1995; 60 FR 43120, August 18, 1995;

60 FR 52653, October 10, 1995; and 61

FR 10727, March 15, 1996) and are not

repeated here. These documents are

available from NMFS (see ADDRESSES).

Conclusions

Based upon information provided by

the applicant, and previous reviews of

the incidental take of harbor seals by

this activity, NMFS believes that the

short-term impact of the launching of
19610 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 86 / Thursday, May 2, 1996 / Notices

LLVs is expected to result at worst, in

a temporary reduction in utilization of

the haulout as seals leave the beach for

the safety of the water. The launching is

not expected to result in any reduction

in the number of harbor seals, and they

are expected to continue to occupy the

same area. In addition, there will not be

any impact on the habitat itself. Based

upon studies conducted for previous

space vehicle launches at Vandenberg,

significant long-term impacts on harbor

seals at Vandenberg are unlikely.

Proposed Authorization

NMFS proposes to issue an incidental

harassment authorization for 1 year for

launches of LLVs at SLC–6 provided the

monitoring and reporting requirements

currently in effect are continued. NMFS

has preliminarily determined that the

proposed launches of LLVs at SLC–6

would result in the harassment taking of

only small numbers of harbor seals, will

have a negligible impact on the harbor

seal stock and will not have an

unmitigable adverse impact on the

availability for subsistence uses.

Information Solicited

NMFS requests interested persons to

submit comments, information, and

suggestions concerning this request (see

ADDRESSES).

Dated: April 25, 1996.

Patricia A. Montanio,

Acting Office Director, Office of Protected

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–10867 Filed 5–1–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 042296B]

Pacific Fishery Management Council;

Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

convene a public meeting of its salmon

stock review team for Puget Sound

chinook and Strait of Juan de Fuca coho

salmon stocks.

DATES: The meeting will be held on May

15, 1996, beginning at 10 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Point-No-Point Treaty Council

office, 7999 NE Salish Lane, Kingston,

WA 98346; telephone: (360) 297–3422.

Council address: Pacific Fishery

Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth

Avenue, Suite 224, Portland, OR 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

Coon, Fishery Management Coordinator

(Salmon); telephone: (503) 326–6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of this meeting is to complete

a review of the status of some Puget

Sound chinook and Strait of Juan de

Fuca coho stocks as required under the

Council’s salmon fishery management

plan when a stock fails to meet its

spawning escapement objective for three

consecutive years. This meeting will

focus on Strait of Juan de Fuca coho.

Special Accommodations

The meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to

Lawrence D. Six at (503) 326–6352 at

least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: April 24, 1996.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–10842 Filed 5–1–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 042396A]

Pacific Fishery Management Council;

Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

convene a public meeting of an ad-hoc

work group to review, prioritize and

recommend a schedule for developing

amendments to the salmon fishery

management plan.

DATES: The meeting will be held on May

13, 1996, beginning at 10 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Council office.

Council address: Pacific Fishery

Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth

Avenue, Suite 224, Portland, OR 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

Coon, Fishery Management Coordinator

(Salmon); telephone: (503) 326–6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Several

potential amendments to the salmon

fishery management plan were raised

during a scoping session at the

Council’s April 1996 meeting. Due to

the number and complexity of the issues

and the limited time available, the

Council elected to convene a work

group to provide an initial review of the

amendment issues and provide

recommendations to the Council at the

next Council meeting. The amendment

issues include:

(1) incorporating formal management

objectives for stocks listed under the

Endangered Species Act;

(2) allowing the landing of salmon

caught incidentally in the Pacific

whiting trawl fishery for the purpose of

monitoring the bycatch;

(3) updating the framework plan;

(4) responding to requirements

resulting from the reauthorization of the

Magnuson Fishery Conservation and

Management Act;

(5) review of the overfishing

definition; and

(6) consideration of management

recommendations from the recent

National Research Council report on

salmon.

Special Accommodations

The meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to Eric

Greene at (503) 326–6352 at least 5 days

prior to the meeting date.

Dated: April 23, 1996.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–10843 Filed 5–1–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 042496A]

South Atlantic Fishery Management

Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

hold a joint public meeting of its

Snapper Grouper Committee, Controlled

Access Committee, Snapper Grouper

Advisory Panel; and a joint meeting of

its Executive and Finance Committees.

DATES: The meetings will be held on

May 20–22, 1996. See SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION for specific dates and

times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the Town and Country Inn, 2008

Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC

29407; telephone: (803) 571-1000.

Council address: South Atlantic

Fishery Management Council, One

Southpark Circle, Suite 306; Charleston,

SC 29407-4699.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan Buchanan, Public Information