52880 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2017 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

President’s Advisory Council on Doing 

Business in Africa 

AGENCY: International Trade 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of an open meeting. 

SUMMARY: The President’s Advisory 

Council on Doing Business in Africa 

(PAC–DBIA or Council) will meet to 

deliberate on analysis of the top three 

obstacles U.S. companies face in 

approaching African markets, 

competing for business opportunities, 

and operating business activities. Topics 

may include: Market risk, capital market 

development, market size, localization 

requirements, foreign government 

support to enable competitors, 

procurement practices, local skilled 

workforce availability, foreign exchange, 

trade facilitation, and infrastructure. 

The final agenda for the meeting will be 

posted at least one week in advance of 

the meeting on the Council’s Web site 

at http://trade.gov/pac-dbia. 

DATES: November 29, 2017, 9:30 a.m. 

(EST). 

ADDRESSES: The President’s Advisory 

Council on Doing Business in Africa 

meeting will be broadcast via live 

webcast on the Internet at http://

whitehouse.gov/live. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Giancarlo Cavallo or Ashley Bubna, 

Designated Federal Officers, President’s 

Advisory Council on Doing Business in 

Africa, Department of Commerce, 1401 

Constitution Ave. NW., Room 22004, 

Washington, DC 20230 telephone: 202– 

482–2091, email: dbia@trade.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background: The Council was 

established on November 4, 2014, to 

advise the President, through the 

Secretary of Commerce, on 

strengthening commercial engagement 

between the United States and Africa. 

The Council’s charter was renewed for 

a second, two-year term in September 

2017. The Council was established in 

accordance with the provisions of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 

Public Submissions: The public is 

invited to submit written statements to 

the Council. Statements must be 

received by 5:00 p.m. November 22, 

2017 by either of the following methods: 

a. Electronic Submissions 

Submit statements electronically to 

Giancarlo Cavallo and Ashley Bubna, 

Designated Federal Officers, President’s 

Advisory Council on Doing Business in 

Africa, via email: dbia@trade.gov. 

b. Paper Submissions 

Send paper statements to Giancarlo 

Cavallo and Ashley Bubna, Designated 

Federal Officers, President’s Advisory 

Council on Doing Business in Africa, 

Department of Commerce, 1401 

Constitution Ave. NW., Room 22004, 

Washington, DC 20230. 

Statements will be provided to the 

members in advance of the meeting for 

consideration and also will be posted on 

the Council Web site (http://trade.gov/ 

pac-dbia). Any business proprietary 

information should be cleared and 

designated as such. All statements 

received, including attachments and 

other supporting materials, are part of 

the public record and subject to public 

disclosure. 

Meeting minutes: Copies of the 

Council’s meeting minutes will be 

available within ninety (90) days of the 

meeting on the Council’s Web site at 

http://trade.gov/pac-dbia. 

Dated: November 8, 2017. 

Fred Stewart, 

Director, Office of Africa. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24664 Filed 11–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF100 

Draft National Procedure for Permit 

Applications To Retain Releasable 

Rehabilitated Marine Mammals for 

Public Display 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS) has developed 

a draft national Procedural Directive 

clarifying the process for eligible permit 

applicants to obtain releasable marine 

mammals for public display purposes 

under the Marine Mammal Protection 

Act (MMPA). Releasable marine 

mammals are those that were 

successfully rehabilitated by the Marine 

Mammal Health and Stranding 

Response Program’s network of 

stranding centers and have been 

determined by the rehabilitation 

facility’s attending veterinarian to be 

candidates for return to the wild. NMFS 

will no longer grant permits for the 

specific purpose of retaining releasable 

marine mammals for public display. 

Instead, applicants will now need to 

apply for a permit to take (collect) 

animals from the wild pursuant to the 

MMPA. Non-releasable animals, on the 

other hand, may still be obtained 

through NMFS’ administrative 

procedures. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

December 15, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: The draft Procedural 

Directive is available in electronic form 

via the Internet at http://

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/public

display_permit.htm. You may submit 

comments by including NOAA–NMFS– 

2017–0096 by either of the following 

methods: 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=

NOAA-NMFS-2017-0096, click the 

‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, complete the 

required fields, and enter or attach your 

comments. 

Mail: Send comments to: Chief, 

Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle 

Conservation Division, Office of 

Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910– 

3226, Attn: Releasable Rehabilitated 

Marine Mammal Procedural Directive. 

Instructions: NMFS may not consider 

comments if they are sent by any other 

method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the 

comment period ends. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted to http:// 

www.regulations.gov without change. 

All personal identifying information 

(e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential 

business information, or otherwise 

sensitive information submitted 

voluntarily by the sender is publicly 

accessible. NMFS will also accept 

anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in 

the required fields if you wish to remain 

anonymous). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jaclyn Taylor, NMFS, Office of 

Protected Resources, 301–427–8402, 

Jaclyn.Taylor@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

104 of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 

seq.) allows permits to be issued to take 

or import marine mammals for public 

display purposes, and section 109 

requires the release of rehabilitated 

marine mammals to their natural habitat 

whenever feasible. The MMPA 

regulations at 50 CFR 216.27(b)(4) allow 

the NMFS OPR Director to require the 

use of a rehabilitated marine mammal 

for public display (or research or 

enhancement) in lieu of a take from the 

wild. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2017 / Notices 52881 

From 2005–2016, NMFS issued three 

permits authorizing the retention of 

releasable marine mammals 

(rehabilitated animals cleared for release 

back to the wild) for public display 

purposes under section 104 of the 

MMPA and NMFS’ implementing 

regulations at 50 CFR part 216. A permit 

was required for placement of releasable 

stranded animals (as opposed to nonreleasable animals, which NMFS places 

in accordance with an administrative 

process rather than a permit) because 

NMFS views retention of a releasable 

marine mammal as the functional 

equivalent of a take from the wild (i.e., 

the animal would have otherwise been 

released and would presumably have 

contributed to the wild population). 

These three permits were based upon 

NMFS’ interpretation of the regulations 

at 50 CFR 216.27(b)(4), which state the 

NMFS OPR Director may require use of 

a rehabilitated marine mammal for 

public display purposes in lieu of 

animals taken from the wild. The three 

previous permit applicants were not 

required to request an actual ‘‘take’’ of 

animals from the wild, as the placement 

of a releasable animal was considered in 

lieu of such take. 

However, NMFS received numerous 

public comments on the three issued 

permits asserting that permits to retain 

releasable marine mammals are in direct 

contradiction to the purpose of Title IV 

and section 109(h) of the MMPA, which 

mandate the rescue and rehabilitation of 

stranded marine mammals with the goal 

of releasing the animals to the wild 

when feasible. Commenters specifically 

expressed concerns that the process for 

assessing the actual impact of a take 

from the wild was largely circumvented. 

After evaluation and reconsideration 

of this permit process and as a result of 

public comments on the three permits 

issued, NMFS has developed a new 

draft Procedural Directive to clarify its 

interpretation of MMPA regulations and 

procedures for authorizing releasable 

rehabilitated marine mammals to be 

retained for purposes of public display. 

In the Procedural Directive, NMFS is 

proposing to no longer issue permits for 

the specific purpose of obtaining 

releasable marine mammals from the 

National Stranding Network for public 

display. Instead, would-be applicants 

must apply for a permit to take (collect) 

from the wild pursuant to the MMPA. 

In the event NMFS decides to grant such 

a permit, the NMFS OPR Director may 

then, at his or her discretion, require 

that a releasable rehabilitated marine 

mammal be substituted for capturing an 

animal from the wild, in accordance 

with 50 CFR 216.27. 

NMFS believes this approach is more 

consistent with the statutory provisions 

governing rehabilitation and release of 

stranded marine mammals (MMPA 

section 109(h) and MMPA Title IV), 

which are separate and distinct from the 

provisions governing issuance of 

permits for the take of animals from the 

wild for purposes of public display 

(MMPA section 104). 

Dated: November 6, 2017. 

Donna S. Wieting, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24642 Filed 11–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF772 

Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee 

Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of open public meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the 

proposed schedule and agenda of a 

forthcoming meeting of the Marine 

Fisheries Advisory Committee 

(MAFAC). The members will discuss 

and provide advice on issues outlined 

under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

below. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

November 28 and 29, 2017, from 8:30 

a.m. to 5 p.m., and November 30, from 

8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel, 8777 

Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910; 

301–589–0800. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Heidi Lovett, MAFAC Assistant 

Director; 301–427–8034; email: 

Heidi.Lovett@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

required by section 10(a)(2) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. App. 2, notice is hereby given of 

a meeting of MAFAC. The MAFAC was 

established by the Secretary of 

Commerce (Secretary), and, since 1971, 

advises the Secretary on all living 

marine resource matters that are the 

responsibility of the Department of 

Commerce. The complete charter and 

summaries of prior meetings are located 

online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ 

ocs/mafac/. 

Matters To Be Considered 

This meeting time and agenda are 

subject to change. 

The meeting is convened to hear 

presentations and updates and to 

discuss policies and guidance on the 

following topics: The importance of 

timely data for fisheries resiliency; 

Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force 

efforts on the conservation and 

restoration of salmon and steelhead; 

aquaculture; citizen science; NMFS 

communications, outreach, and 

FishWatch; and the budget outlook for 

FY2018. MAFAC will discuss various 

administrative and organizational 

matters, and meetings of subcommittees 

and working groups will be convened. 

Special Accommodations 

The meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Heidi Lovett; 301–427–8034 by 

November 15, 2017. 

Dated: November 9, 2017. 

Jennifer Lukens, 

Director for the Office of Policy, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–24720 Filed 11–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF773 

Meeting of the Columbia Basin 

Partnership Task Force of the Marine 

Fisheries Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of open public meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the 

proposed schedule and agenda of a 

forthcoming meeting of the Marine 

Fisheries Advisory Committee’s 

(MAFAC’s) Columbia Basin Partnership 

Task Force (CBP Task Force). The CBP 

Task Force will discuss the issues 

outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION below. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

December 5, 2017, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

and on December 6, 2017, from 8 a.m. 

to 4 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 

Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane, WA 

99201; 509–458–3330. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES