Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 170 / Tuesday, September 2, 2008 / Notices 51277 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XK07 

U.S. Climate Change Science Program 

Synthesis and Assessment Product 

Draft Report 4.2 ‘‘Thresholds of 

Change in Ecosystems’’

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

request for public comments. 

SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration publishes 

this notice to announce a 45-day public 

comment period for the draft report 

titled, U.S. Climate Change Science 

Program Synthesis and Assessment 

Product 4.2‘‘Thresholds of Change in 

Ecosystems.’’

This draft report is being released 

solely for the purpose of predissemination peer review under 

applicable information quality 

guidelines. This document has not been 

formally disseminated by NOAA. It does 

not represent and should not be 

construed to represent any Agency 

policy or determination. After 

consideration of comments received on 

the draft report, a revised version along 

with the comments received will be 

published on the CCSP web site. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

October 17, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: The draft Synthesis and 

Assessment Product: 4.2 is posted on 

the CCSP Web site at: 

http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/ 

sap/sap4–2/default.php 

Detailed instructions for making 

comments on this draft report are 

provided on the CCSP web site. 

Comments must be prepared in 

accordance to these instructions and 

must be submitted to: 

4.2–threshold@climatescience.gov 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Fabien Laurier, Climate Change Science 

Program Office, 1717 Pennsylvania 

Avenue NW, Suite 250, Washington, DC 

20006, Telephone: (202) 419–3481. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CCSP 

was established by the President in 2002 

to coordinate and integrate scientific 

research on global change and climate 

change sponsored by 13 participating 

departments and agencies of the U.S. 

Government. The CCSP is charged with 

preparing information resources that 

promote climate-related discussions and 

decisions, including scientific synthesis 

and assessment analyses that support 

evaluation of important policy issues. 

Dated: August 25, 2008. 

William J. Brennan, 

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans 

and Atmosphere, and Director, Climate 

Change Science Program. 

[FR Doc. E8–20275 Filed 8–29–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–12–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XH04 

Incidental Takes of Marine Mammals 

During Specified Activities; Rat 

Population Eradication at Rat Island, 

AK 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of an incidental 

take authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA) regulations, NMFS has issued 

an Incidental Harassment Authorization 

(IHA) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (USFWS) for the take of marine 

mammals, by Level B harassment only, 

incidental to the eradication of nonnative rat populations at Rat Island, AK. 

DATES: The IHA is effective from 

September 1, 2008 through December 

31, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: A copy of the IHA and the 

application are available by writing to 

Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, 

Conservation, and Education Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910–3225, or by telephoning the 

contact listed here. A copy of the 

application containing a list of 

references used in this document may 

be obtained by writing to the address 

specified above, telephoning the contact 

listed below (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT), or online at: 

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ 

incidental.htm. Documents cited in this 

notice may be viewed, by appointment, 

during regular business hours, at the 

aforementioned address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Howard Goldstein or Ken Hollingshead, 

NMFS, (301) 713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the 

MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct 

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 either regulations are 

issued or, if the taking is limited to 

harassment, a notice of a proposed 

authorization is provided to the public 

for review. 

Authorization shall be granted if 

NMFS finds that the taking will have a 

negligible impact on the species or 

stock(s) and will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the species or stock(s) for 

certain subsistence uses, and if the 

permissible methods of taking and 

requirements pertaining to the 

mitigation, monitoring and reporting of 

such takings are set forth. NMFS has 

defined ‘‘negligible impact’’ in 50 CFR 

216.103 as ’’...an impact resulting from 

the specified activity that cannot be 

reasonably expected to, and is not 

reasonably likely to, adversely affect the 

species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival.’’

Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA 

established 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. Except 

with respect to certain activities not 

pertinent here, the MMPA defines 

‘‘harassment’’ as: any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance 

which (I) has the potential to injure a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild 

[Level A harassment]; or (ii) 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 

[Level B harassment]. 

Section 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 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 February 29, 2008, NMFS received 

a letter from the USFWS, requesting an 

IHA. The proposed 2008 IHA was 

published, and comments solicited on 

June 18, 2008 (73 FR 34705). The final 

IHA would authorize the take, by 

harassment only, of small numbers of 

Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), 

and Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina 

richardsi), incidental to non-native rat 


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