66888 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 248 / Thursday, December 27, 2001 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 121801F]

Marine Mammals; File No. 1019–1657

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

Daniel J. Cox, Natural Exposures, 16595

Brackett Creek Road, Bozeman, Montana

59715 has applied in due form for a

permit to take Northern elephant seals

(Mirounga angustirostris) for purposes

of commercial/educational

photography.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments

must be received on or before January

28, 2002.

ADDRESSES: The application and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following office(s):

Permits, Conservation and Education

Division, Office of Protected Resources,

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone

(301) 713–2289; fax (301) 713–0376; and

Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West

Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach,

CA 90802–4213; phone (562) 980–4001;

fax (562) 980–4018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lynne Barre or Jill Lewandowski, (301)

713–2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject permit is requested under the

authority of the Marine Mammal

Protection Act of 1972, as amended

(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and the

Regulations Governing the Taking and

Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR

part 216). Section 104 (c)(6) of the

MMPA provides for photography

permits for educational or commercial

purposes involving non-endangered and

non-threatened marine mammals in the

wild. NMFS is currently working on

proposed regulations to implement this

provision. However, in the meantime,

NMFS has received and is processing

this request as a ‘‘pilot’’ application for

Level B Harassment of non-listed

marine mammals for photographic

purposes.

The applicant proposes to take up to

60 Northern elephant seals by close

approach during still photography

activities for a National Geographic

Magazine Photo Essay. Photography is

proposed along the coast of California

including San Simeon, Piedras Blancas,

Ano Nuevo State Reserve, Point Reyes

National Seashore and the Farallones

and Channel Islands and will take place

during January and February of 2002

and in January and February of 2003 as

well if additional photos are needed.

In compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial

determination has been made that the

activity proposed is categorically

excluded from the requirement to

prepare an environmental assessment or

environmental impact statement.

Written comments or requests for a

public hearing on this application

should be mailed to the Chief, Permits,

Conservation and Education Division,

F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources,

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those

individuals requesting a hearing should

set forth the specific reasons why a

hearing on this particular request would

be appropriate.

Comments may also be submitted by

facsimile at (301) 713–0376, provided

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy

submitted by mail and postmarked no

later than the closing date of the

comment period. Please note that

comments will not be accepted by email or by other electronic media.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application to the Marine Mammal

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

Dated: December 19, 2001.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education

Division, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–31833 Filed 12–26–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 120701A]

Marine Mammals; File No. 779–1633–00

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of permit.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Southeast Fisheries Science Center,

National Marine Fisheries Service, 75

Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149

(Principal Investigator: Dr. Keith D.

Mullin) has been issued a permit to take

marine mammals for purposes of

scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following office(s):

Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705,

Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone (301)

713–2289; fax (301) 713–0376;

Northeast Region, NMFS, One

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA

01930–2298; phone (978) 281–9200; fax

(978) 281–9371;

Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721

Executive Center Drive North, St.

Petersburg, FL 33702–2432; phone (727)

570–5301; fax (727) 570–5320.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth Johnson or Tammy Adams, (301

)713–2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August

16, 2001, notice was published in the

Federal Register (66 FR 42997) that a

request for a scientific research permit

to take marine mammals had been

submitted by the above-named

organization. The requested permit has

been issued under the authority of the

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the

Regulations Governing the Taking and

Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR

part 216), the Endangered Species Act of

1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531

et seq.), and the regulations governing

the taking, importing, and exporting of

endangered and threatened species (50

CFR parts 222–226).

Issuance of this permit, as required by

the ESA, was based on a finding that

such permit (1) was applied for in good

faith, (2) will not operate to the

disadvantage of the endangered species

which is the subject of this permit, and

(3) is consistent with the purposes and

policies set forth in section 2 of the

ESA.

Dated: December 19, 2001.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education

Division, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–31834 Filed 12–26–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Technology Administration

National Medal of Technology

Nomination Evaluation Committee

(NMTNEC)

AGENCY: Technology Administration,

U.S. Department of Commerce.