Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 212 / Wednesday, November 3, 2010 / Notices 67763 

Activity Number of annual 

responses 

Completion time per 

response (hours) 

Total annual burden hours 

Onsite Monitoring and Observation Reports ..................................................... 300 1 .5 450 

Final Monitoring Report ..................................................................................... 25 10 250 

TOTALS ...................................................................................................... 352 .................................. 1,500 

1 Occurs once every 5 years. 

Abstract: This revised information 

collection combines requirements 

associated with specified marine 

mammal activities in the Beaufort and 

Chukchi Seas. The Office of 

Management and Budget approved the 

information collection requirements 

associated with oil and gas exploration 

activities in the Chukchi Sea and 

assigned OMB Control No. 1018–0139, 

which expires June 30, 2011. If OMB 

approves this combined request, we will 

discontinue OMB Control No. 1018– 

0139. 

The Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA) of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 

1361 et seq.) imposed, with certain 

exceptions, a moratorium on the taking 

of marine mammals. Section 

101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA directs the 

Secretary of the Interior to allow, upon 

request by citizens of the United States, 

the taking of small numbers of marine 

mammals incidental to specified 

activities (other than commercial 

fishing) if the Secretary makes certain 

findings and prescribes specific 

regulations that, among other things, 

establish permissible methods of taking. 

Applicants seeking to conduct 

activities must request a Letter of 

Authorization (LOA) for the specific 

activity and submit onsite monitoring 

reports and a final report of the activity 

to the Secretary. This is a nonform 

collection. Regulations at 50 CFR 18.27 

outline the procedures and 

requirements for submitting a request. 

Specific regulations governing 

authorized activities in the Beaufort Sea 

are in 50 CFR 18, subpart J. Regulations 

governing authorized activities in the 

Chukchi Sea are in 50 CFR 18, subpart 

I. These regulations provide the 

applicant with a detailed description of 

information that we need to evaluate the 

proposed activity and determine 

whether or not to issue specific 

regulations and, subsequently, LOAs. 

We use the information to verify the 

finding required to issue incidental take 

regulations, to decide if we should issue 

an LOA, and, if issued, what conditions 

should be in the LOA. In addition, we 

will analyze the information to 

determine impacts to the marine 

mammals and the availability of those 

marine mammals for subsistence 

purposes of Alaska Natives. 

Comments: On July 20, 2010, we 

published in the Federal Register (75 

FR 42118) a notice of our intent to 

request that OMB approve this 

information collection. In that notice, 

we solicited comments for 60 days, 

ending on September 20, 2010. We 

received one comment. The commenter 

expressed opposition to authorization of 

activities for the oil and gas industry. 

We note the concerns raised by this 

individual; however, we do not grant 

authorization for industry activities. 

Instead, we are required under Section 

101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA to take 

certain actions with regard to the 

‘‘incidental taking’’ of marine mammals 

that may result from specified activities. 

The regulations at 50 CFR 18.27(c) 

define incidental, but not intentional, 

taking as ‘‘takings which are infrequent, 

unavoidable, or accidental. It does not 

mean that the taking must be 

unexpected.’’ The commenter did not 

address the information collection 

requirements, and we did not make any 

changes to our information collection. 

We again invite comments concerning 

this information collection on: 

• Whether or not the collection of 

information is necessary, including 

whether or not the information will 

have practical utility; 

• The accuracy of our estimate of the 

burden for this collection of 

information; 

• Ways to enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

• Ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents. 

Comments that you submit in 

response to this notice are a matter of 

public record. Before including your 

address, phone number, e-mail address, 

or other personal identifying 

information in your comment, you 

should be aware that your entire 

comment, including your personal 

identifying information, may be made 

publicly available at any time. While 

you can ask OMB in your comment to 

withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that it will be done. 

Dated: October 28, 2010. 

Hope Grey, 

Information Collection Clearance Officer, 

Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–27694 Filed 11–2–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R1–R–2010–N187; 1265–0000–10137 

S3] 

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, 

Washington and Yamhill Counties, OR 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a 

comprehensive conservation plan and 

environmental assessment; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), intend to 

prepare a comprehensive conservation 

plan (CCP) for Tualatin River National 

Wildlife Refuge (refuge) in Sherwood, 

Oregon. We will also prepare an 

environmental assessment (EA) to 

evaluate the potential effects of various 

CCP alternatives. We provide this notice 

in compliance with our CCP policy to 

advise other Federal and State agencies, 

Tribes, and the public of our intentions 

and to obtain suggestions and 

information on the scope of issues to 

consider during the CCP planning 

process. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, please 

send your written comments by January 

10, 2011. We will announce 

opportunities for public input in local 

news media, through mailings of 

planning updates, and by postings on 

the refuge’s Web site throughout the 

CCP planning process. 

ADDRESSES: Send your comments or 

requests for more information by any of 

the following methods: 

E-mail: TualatinCCP@fws.gov. Include 

‘‘Tualatin River CCP/EA’’ in the subject 

line of the message. 

Fax: Attn: Project Leader, (503) 625– 

5947. 

U.S. Mail: Attn: Project Leader, 

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
67764 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 212 / Wednesday, November 3, 2010 / Notices 

19255 SW Pacific Highway, Sherwood, 

OR 97140. 

In-Person Drop-off: You may drop off 

comments during regular business hours 

(8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at 19255 SW Pacific 

Highway, Sherwood, OR 97140. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ralph Webber, Project Leader, (503) 

625–5944. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction 

With this notice, we initiate our 

process for developing a CCP for the 

Tualatin River Refuge. This notice 

complies with our CCP policy to (1) 

advise the public, other Federal and 

State agencies, Tribes, and other 

organizations of our intention to 

conduct comprehensive conservation 

planning for this refuge, and (2) obtain 

suggestions and information on the 

scope of issues to consider in the 

environmental document and during 

development of the CCP. 

Background 

The CCP Process 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 

668dd–668ee) (Refuge Administration 

Act), as amended by the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 

Act of 1997, requires us to develop a 

CCP for each national wildlife refuge. 

The purpose for developing a CCP is to 

provide refuge managers with a 15-year 

plan for achieving refuge purposes and 

contributing toward the mission of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System, 

consistent with sound principles of fish 

and wildlife management, conservation, 

legal mandates, and our policies. In 

addition to outlining broad management 

direction on conserving wildlife and 

their habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities 

available to the public, including 

opportunities for hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation and photography, 

and environmental education and 

interpretation. We will review and 

update the CCP at least every 15 years 

in accordance with the Refuge 

Administration Act. 

Each unit of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System was established for 

specific purposes. These purposes are 

the foundation for developing and 

prioritizing the conservation and 

management goals and objectives for 

each refuge within the National Wildlife 

Refuge System mission, and 

determining compatible public uses of a 

refuge. The planning process is a way 

for us and the public to evaluate 

management goals and objectives that 

will insure the best possible approach to 

wildlife, plant, and habitat 

conservation, while providing for 

wildlife-dependent recreational 

opportunities that are compatible with 

the refuge’s establishing purposes and 

the mission of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System. 

Our CCP process provides 

participation opportunities for Tribal, 

State, and local governments; agencies; 

organizations; and the public. At this 

time we encourage input in the form of 

issues, concerns, ideas, and suggestions 

for the future management of Tualatin 

River Refuge. 

We will conduct an environmental 

review of this project and prepare an EA 

in accordance with the requirements of 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.); NEPA regulations (40 CFR 

parts 1500–1508); other appropriate 

Federal laws and regulations; and our 

policies and procedures for compliance 

with those laws and regulations. 

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 

Established in 1992 under guidelines 

of the Service’s Urban Refuge Policy, 

Tualatin River Refuge is one of a 

handful of urban refuges in the country. 

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 

and the satellite Wapato Lake Unit are 

both located within the midsection of 

the Tualatin River basin at the northern 

portion of the Willamette Valley in 

Washington and Yamhill Counties, 

Oregon. The refuge preserves a wetland 

ecosystem and provides a wildlife 

center in the shadow of Oregon’s largest 

metropolitan area, Portland. The 

overarching refuge purpose of 

establishment cited in the Land 

Protection Plan (1992) is to ‘‘protect, 

enhance, and manage upland, wetland, 

and riparian habitats for a variety of 

migratory birds and resident fish and 

wildlife, as well as for the enjoyment of 

people.’’ 

The satellite Wapato Lake Unit was 

established in 2007. The Wapato Lake 

Unit serves a similar refuge purpose for 

establishment and supports many of the 

same types of habitats found within core 

management units at Tualatin River 

Refuge. However, there is a greater 

emphasis on maintaining and enhancing 

biological diversity as well as providing 

habitats for migratory waterfowl, with a 

special emphasis placed on wintering 

tundra swan populations. The approved 

refuge acquisition boundary consists of 

7,370 acres of primarily floodplain 

habitats, of which 4,310 acres make up 

the Wapato Lake Unit. 

The refuge manages landscapes made 

up of predominately flat bottomland 

bordered by uplands. Habitats consist of 

rivers and streams; seasonal, scrubshrub, and forested wetlands; riparian 

forests; wet and dry meadows; oak and 

pine savanna; and mixed forested 

uplands. The refuge is home to nearly 

200 species of birds; more than 50 

species of mammals; 25 species of 

reptiles and amphibians; and a wide 

variety of insects, fish, and plants. The 

refuge opened to the public in 2006, and 

now nearly 100,000 annual visitors 

come to the refuge and participate in 

wildlife-dependent activities such as 

environmental education, resource 

interpretation, wildlife observation, and 

wildlife photography. 

Scoping: Preliminary Issues, Concerns, 

and Opportunities 

We have identified preliminary 

issues, concerns, and opportunities that 

may warrant consideration in the CCP. 

The following questions are presented 

to help express the types of matters 

under consideration. The public scoping 

process may identify additional issues. 

Habitat Management and Restoration: 

What actions should the Service take to 

sustain and restore priority species and 

habitats over the next 15 years? What 

abiotic and biologic data is needed to 

accomplish these actions? How much 

should the refuge rely on existing 

periods of flooding to manage 

floodplain habitats where natural 

hydrology and landscape conditions 

have been altered by manmade 

influences? Should fire be used to 

maintain relic habitats as part of the 

management of imperiled landscapes 

and recovery of listed and/or rare 

species occupying these sites? What 

other management efforts should be 

considered to expand control of exotic 

species such as carp, bull frogs, nutria, 

and other feral animals? How should the 

Service manage external threats to the 

refuge, such as urban development, 

stormwater runoff, and wildlife 

disturbance? How are species, such as 

mosquitoes or browsing Canada geese, 

affecting property or people beyond the 

refuge boundaries? Should the refuge 

use cooperative farming as an interimonly form of management, or should it 

also be considered a long-term 

management strategy for managing 

waterfowl populations? 

Public Use and Access: What type and 

level of recreation opportunities should 

be provided? When refuge access points 

and uses are developed, are they 

adequate and appropriate? Do current 

public-use programs have an 

unacceptable level of impact on refuge 

wildlife and habitat resources? Which 

areas of the refuge should be managed 

as undisturbed sanctuary areas and 

which areas should be open to public 

use? 


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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 212 / Wednesday, November 3, 2010 / Notices 67765 

Invasive Species Control: How do 

invasive species affect functioning 

native systems, and what actions should 

be taken to reduce the incidence and 

spread of invasive species, especially in 

a future of climate change? 

Wapato Lake: What interim actions 

should the refuge take to minimize 

impacts to water quality of the Tualatin 

River? Can natural hydrology options be 

employed for restoring the lakebed 

without compromising water quality to 

riverine systems and down stream 

users? How should the refuge approach 

landscape-level restoration activities to 

enhance listed salmonid and other 

native fish habitat, particularly in regard 

to Wapato Lake? By what set of criteria 

and which means should the refuge 

consider active management strategies 

to control elk populations residing on 

the refuge? 

Public Meetings 

We will give the public opportunities 

to provide input at public open houses 

and informational meetings, and by 

submitting written comments. We will 

distribute mailings, news releases, and 

announcements when we have 

confirmed dates for the public open 

houses, meetings, and other public 

involvement opportunities. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Dated: October 28, 2010. 

Theresa E. Rabot, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, 

Oregon. 

[FR Doc. 2010–27720 Filed 11–2–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R2–ES–2010–N221; 20124–1113– 

0000–F5] 

Endangered and Threatened Species 

Permit Applications 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications; 

request for public comment. 

SUMMARY: The following applicants have 

applied for scientific research permits, 

or the Fish and Wildlife Service is 

amending their existing permit, to 

conduct certain activities with 

endangered species under the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (Act). The Act requires that we 

invite public comment on these permit 

applications. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, written 

comments must be received on or before 

December 3, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be submitted to the Chief, Endangered 

Species Division, Ecological Services, 

P.O. Box 1306, Room 6034, 

Albuquerque, NM 87103. Documents 

and other information submitted with 

these applications are available for 

review, subject to the requirements of 

the Privacy Act and Freedom of 

Information Act. Documents will be 

available for public inspection, by 

appointment only, during normal 

business hours at the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, 500 Gold Ave. SW., 

Room 6034, Albuquerque, NM 87102. 

Please refer to the respective permit 

number for each application when 

submitting comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Endangered 

Species Division, P.O. Box 1306, 

Albuquerque, NM 87103; (505) 248– 

6920. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Permit TE–24623A 

Applicant: Miller Park Zoo, 

Bloomington, Illinois. 

Applicant requests a new permit for 

research and recovery purposes to hold 

Mount Graham red squirrels 

(Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis) 

in captivity. The applicant’s intended 

purpose is breeding, including (but not 

limited to) husbandry, maintenance, 

and transportation, at the Miller Park 

Zoo. 

Permit TE–24625A 

Applicant: Wendy Leonard, San 

Antonio, Texas. 

Applicant requests a new permit for 

research and recovery purposes to 

conduct presence/absence surveys for 

golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica 

chrysoparia) and black-capped vireo 

(Vireo atricapilla) within Texas. 

Permit TE–088197 

Applicant: High Mesa Research, Valdez, 

New Mexico. 

Applicant requests an amendment to 

a current permit for research and 

recovery purposes to conduct presence/ 

absence surveys for southwestern 

willow flycatcher (Empidonax trailii 

extimus) within Arizona, California, 

Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. 

Permit TE–821577 

Permittee: Arizona Game and Fish 

Department, Phoenix, Arizona. 

The Service is amending Arizona 

Game and Fish Department’s current 

permit for research and recovery 

purposes for the range of activities they 

undertake, including, but not limited to 

presence/absence surveys, research, and 

reestablishment of the following species 

within Arizona and adjacent portions of 

California, Nevada, Utah, and New 

Mexico: Kanab ambersnail (Oxyloma 

haydeni kanabensis), Mexican longnosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis), 

masked bobwhite (Colinus virginianus 

ridgwayi), bonytail chub (Gila elegans), 

Gila chub (Gila intermedia), humpback 

chub (Gila cypha), Colorado 

pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius), 

Quitobaquito pupfish (Cyprinodon 

eremus), Virgin River chub (Gila 

seminuda), woundfin (Plagopterus 

argentissimus),Yaqui chub (Gila 

purpurea), Yaqui topminnow 

(Poeciliopsis occidentalis sonoriensis), 

California condor (Gymnogyps 

californianus), thick-billed parrot 

(Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha), blackfooted ferret (Mustela nigripes), 

southwestern willow flycatcher 

(Empidonax traillii extimus), jaguar 

(Pathera onca), ocelot (Leopardus 

pardalis), desert pupfish (Cyprinodon 

macularius), Sonoran tiger salamander 

(Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi), Mount 

Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus 

hudsonicus grahamensis), razorback 

sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), Gila 

topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis), 

and Hualapai Mexican vole (Microtus 

mexicanus hualpaiensis). 

Permit TE–25446A 

Applicant: Gerald Monks, Flagstaff, 

Arizona. 

Applicant requests a new permit for 

research and recovery purposes to 

conduct presence/absence surveys for 

southwestern willow flycatcher 


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