43258 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2017 / Notices 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

National Science Foundation, as 

directed by the Antarctic Conservation 

Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541, 45 CFR 

670), as amended by the Antarctic 

Science, Tourism and Conservation Act 

of 1996, has developed regulations for 

the establishment of a permit system for 

various activities in Antarctica and 

designation of certain animals and 

certain geographic areas requiring 

special protection. The regulations 

establish such a permit system to 

designate Antarctic Specially Protected 

Areas. 

Application Details 

Permit Application: 2018–008 

1. Applicant: Jill Mikucki, Department 

of Microbiology, University of 

Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 

Activity for Which Permit Is 

Requested: Enter Antarctic Specially 

Protected Area (ASPA). The permit 

applicant proposes to enter ASPA 172, 

Lower Taylor Glacier and Blood Falls, 

as well as the Don Juan Pond restricted 

zone, to perform non-destructive 

geophysical surveys and to collect 

surface samples of brines, salts, and 

sediments. The applicant would use 

best-practice protocols to ensure the 

protection of the values of the areas and 

would use sterile sampling techniques. 

The applicant also plans to fly over the 

areas with using helicopter-borne 

electromagnetic survey technology to 

map resistivity of these hydrological 

regions. 

Location: ASPA 172, Lower Taylor 

Glacier and Blood Falls, McMurdo Dry 

Valleys, Victoria Land; ASMA 2, 

McMurdo Dry Valleys, Southern 

Victoria Land; Don Juan Pond. 

Dates: October 1, 2017–February 28, 

2019. 

Permit Application: 2018–010 

2. Applicant: David J. Smith, NASA 

Ames Research Center, M/S SCR– 

261–3, Mofffett Field, CA 94035 

Activity for Which Permit Is 

Requested: Introduce Non-Indigenous 

Species Into Antarctica. The permit 

applicant proposes to transport a 

containment device pre-loaded with 

dormant microbiological samples to 

Antarctica to be launched into the 

Earth’s stratosphere as part of NASA’s 

Long Duration Balloon program. The 

Exposing Microorganisms in the 

Stratosphere (E–MIST) payload contains 

five microbial strains: Bacillus pumilis 

SAFR032 (wild type), Bacillus pumilis 

SAFR032 (ISS flown), Acinetobacter 

pitti, Paenibacillus xerothermodurans, 

and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The 

strains are all glued on in stasis; none 

are actively growing or capable of 

dispersing. All the microbes inside the 

payload are in triple containment and 

will remain attached to the substrate 

before, during and after the balloon 

flight. The E–MIST payload itself will 

be attached to the balloon gondola prior 

to the launch of the balloon, will be 

recovered along with the main balloon 

payload, and will be returned to the 

USA and the home institution. 

Location: Ross Ice Shelf, Long 

Duration Balloon program launch and 

recovery sites, Antarctica. 

Dates: October 1, 2017–March 31, 

2020. 

Permit Application: 2018–011 

3. Applicant: Kenneth Sims, Department 

of Geology and Geophysics, Dept 

3006, 1000 E. University Ave, 

University of Wyoming, Laramie, 

WY 82071–2000 

Activity for Which Permit Is 

Requested: Enter Antarctic Specially 

Protected Area (ASPA). The permit 

applicant proposes to enter ASPA 124, 

Cape Crozier, to collect volcanic rock 

and tephra samples. The applicant 

would travel on foot within the ASPA 

to at least three sampling locations. 

Samples would be collected using a 

rock hammer and hand trowels. 

Location: ASPA 124, Cape Crozier, 

Ross Island. 

Dates: November 1–December 15, 

2017. 

Nadene G. Kennedy, 

Polar Coordination Specialist, Office of Polar 

Programs. 

[FR Doc. 2017–19504 Filed 9–13–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7555–01–P 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Notice of Permit Applications Received 

Under the Antarctic Conservation Act 

of 1978 

AGENCY: National Science Foundation. 

ACTION: Notice of permit applications 

received. 

SUMMARY: The National Science 

Foundation (NSF) is required to publish 

a notice of permit applications received 

to conduct activities regulated under the 

Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. 

NSF has published regulations under 

the Antarctic Conservation Act in the 

Code of Federal Regulations. This is the 

required notice of permit applications 

received. 

DATES: Interested parties are invited to 

submit written data, comments, or 

views with respect to this permit 

application by October 16, 2017. This 

application may be inspected by 

interested parties at the Permit Office, 

address below. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should be 

addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 

Office of Polar Programs, National 

Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 

Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at 

the above address or ACApermits@

nsf.gov. Phone number: 703–292–8224. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

National Science Foundation, as 

directed by the Antarctic Conservation 

Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–541, 45 CFR 

670), as amended by the Antarctic 

Science, Tourism and Conservation Act 

of 1996, has developed regulations for 

the establishment of a permit system for 

various activities in Antarctica and 

designation of certain animals and 

certain geographic areas a requiring 

special protection. The regulations 

establish such a permit system to 

designate Antarctic Specially Protected 

Areas. 

Application Details 

Permit Application: 2018–013 

1. Applicant: Linnea Pearson, California 

Polytechnic State University, 

Department of Biological Sciences, 

1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo 

CA 93407. 

Activity for Which Permit is 

Requested: Take, Harmful Interference, 

Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area 

(ASPA), Import Into USA. The applicant 

proposes to study the thermoregulatory 

strategies by which Weddell seal pups 

maintain euthermia in air and in water 

and examine the development of diving 

capability as the animals prepare for 

independent foraging. This study will 

take place in Erebus Bay, near McMurdo 

Station, and may require entry into 

ASPA 121, Cape Royds. Each year, ten 

pups will be handled at four time points 

between one and eight weeks of age. 

Protocols not requiring sedation (mass, 

morphometrics, core and surface 

temperatures, metabolic rates) and 

protocols requiring anesthesia (body 

composition, biopsies, blood volume 

analysis) will be conducted on five pups 

at all four time points under manual 

restraint. Metabolic and morphometric 

measurements will be conducted on a 

separate cohort of five pups at each of 

the four time points. The applicant will 

also conduct behavioral observations, 

imaging, and may disturb up to 350 

Weddell seals. An additional seven 

Weddell seal pups, 15 Weddell seal 

adult females, and 20 crabeater seals 

may be disturbed during procedures on 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2017 / Notices 43259 

study animals. Up to two pup 

mortalities are requested per year, not to 

exceed three over the course of two field 

seasons. The applicant also plans to 

collect tissues from Weddell seals (any 

age or gender) found dead from natural 

causes. The permit applicant has 

applied for a Marine Mammal 

Protection Act permit for the proposed 

activities. 

Location: Erebus Bay, McMurdo 

Sound; ASPA 121, Cape Royds. 

Dates: October 1, 2017–September 30, 

2020. 

Permit Application: 2018–012 

2. Applicant: Jay J. Rotella, Ecology 

Department, Montana State 

University, Bozeman, Montana 

59717 

Activity for Which Permit is 

Requested: Take, Harmful Interference, 

Enter Antarctic Specially Protected 

Area, Import Into USA. The permit 

applicant plans to continue long-term 

studies of Weddell seal populations in 

Erebus Bay and the McMurdo Sound 

region to evaluate how temporal 

variation in the marine environment 

affects individual life histories and 

population dynamics of a long-lived 

mammal. These studies may require the 

applicant and agents to enter into 

ASPAs in the area including ASPA 137, 

155, 121, 157, 158, and 161. Research 

involves capture and release of up to 

675 Weddell seal pups at one to four 

days after birth for flipper tagging per 

year. Up to 150 of the pups would also 

receive a temperature recording flipper 

tag, be weighed, and have a skin biopsy 

taken during the initial tagging. These 

pups would be re-captured at 20 days of 

age to be weighed, and again at weaning 

for weighing and removal of the 

temperature tags. The applicant 

proposes to capture up to 285 adult 

Weddell seals per year using a headbagging technique to place or replace 

flipper tags. Skin biopsies would be 

taken from up to 100 previously tagged 

adult Weddell seals. Up to 75 adult 

female Weddell seals would be 

photographed on the three occasions 

when their pups are weighed to obtain 

an estimate of body mass and 15 females 

will be physically weighed during the 

initial pup tagging to validate the 

photogrammetry results. The applicant 

requests two Weddell seal unintentional 

mortalities, one pup and one adult, per 

year. The applicant also plans to collect 

tissues from adult Weddell seals found 

dead from natural causes. During the 

course of the study, the applicant 

anticipates incidental disturbance of 

Weddell seals and a limited number of 

crabeater seals and leopard seals. The 

permit applicant has applied for a 

Marine Mammal Protection Act permit 

for the proposed activities. 

Location: Erebus Bay, McMurdo 

Sound; ASPA 137, North-West White 

Island, McMurdo Sound; ASPA 155, 

Cape Evans; ASPA 121, Cape Royds; 

ASPA 157, Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, 

Ross Island; ASPA 158, Hut Point, Ross 

Island; ASPA 161, Terra Nova Bay, Ross 

Sea. 

Dates: October 1, 2017–September 30, 

2022. 

Nadene G. Kennedy, 

Polar Coordination Specialist, Office of Polar 

Programs. 

[FR Doc. 2017–19505 Filed 9–13–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7555–01–P 

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION 

[Docket Nos. MC2017–194 and CP2017–295; 

MC2017–195 and CP2017–296; MC2017–196 

and CP2017–297; MC2017–197 and CP2017– 

298; MC2017–198 and CP2017–299; 

CP2017–300] 

New Postal Products 

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a 

recent Postal Service filing for the 

Commission’s consideration concerning 

negotiated service agreements. This 

notice informs the public of the filing, 

invites public comment, and takes other 

administrative steps. 

DATES: Comments are due: September 

20, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments 

electronically via the Commission’s 

Filing Online system at http://

www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit 

comments electronically should contact 

the person identified in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section by 

telephone for advice on filing 

alternatives. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at 

202–789–6820. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

I. Introduction 

II. Docketed Proceeding(s) 

I. Introduction 

The Commission gives notice that the 

Postal Service filed request(s) for the 

Commission to consider matters related 

to negotiated service agreement(s). The 

request(s) may propose the addition or 

removal of a negotiated service 

agreement from the market dominant or 

the competitive product list, or the 

modification of an existing product 

currently appearing on the market 

dominant or the competitive product 

list. 

Section II identifies the docket 

number(s) associated with each Postal 

Service request, the title of each Postal 

Service request, the request’s acceptance 

date, and the authority cited by the 

Postal Service for each request. For each 

request, the Commission appoints an 

officer of the Commission to represent 

the interests of the general public in the 

proceeding, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505 

(Public Representative). Section II also 

establishes comment deadline(s) 

pertaining to each request. 

The public portions of the Postal 

Service’s request(s) can be accessed via 

the Commission’s Web site (http://

www.prc.gov). Non-public portions of 

the Postal Service’s request(s), if any, 

can be accessed through compliance 

with the requirements of 39 CFR 

3007.40. 

The Commission invites comments on 

whether the Postal Service’s request(s) 

in the captioned docket(s) are consistent 

with the policies of title 39. For 

request(s) that the Postal Service states 

concern market dominant product(s), 

applicable statutory and regulatory 

requirements include 39 U.S.C. 3622, 39 

U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3010, and 39 

CFR part 3020, subpart B. For request(s) 

that the Postal Service states concern 

competitive product(s), applicable 

statutory and regulatory requirements 

include 39 U.S.C. 3632, 39 U.S.C. 3633, 

39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3015, and 

39 CFR part 3020, subpart B. Comment 

deadline(s) for each request appear in 

section II. 

II. Docketed Proceeding(s) 

1. Docket No(s).: MC2017–194 and 

CP2017–295; Filing Title: Request of the 

United States Postal Service to Add 

First-Class Package Service Contract 80 

to Competitive Product List and Notice 

of Filing (Under Seal) of Unredacted 

Governors’ Decision, Contract, and 

Supporting Data; Filing Acceptance 

Date: September 8, 2017; Filing 

Authority: 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 39 CFR 

3020.30 et seq.; Public Representative: 

Curtis E. Kidd; Comments Due: 

September 20, 2017. 

2. Docket No(s).: MC2017–195 and 

CP2017–296; Filing Title: Request of the 

United States Postal Service to Add 

Priority Mail & First-Class Package 

Service Contract 55 to Competitive 

Product List and Notice of Filing (Under 

Seal) of Unredacted Governors’ 

Decision, Contract, and Supporting 

Data; Filing Acceptance Date: 

September 8, 2017; Filing Authority: 39 

U.S.C. 3642 and 39 CFR 3020.30 et seq.; 

Public Representative: Christopher C. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES