10312 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 14, 2001 / Notices

a LOA, 4 hours will be required for onsite monitoring activities, and 8 hours

will be required to complete each final

monitoring report. We estimate that

seven companies will be requesting

LOAs and submitting monitoring

reports annually for each of seven sites

in the region covered by the specific

regulations.

Title: Marine Mammals: Incidental

Take During Specified Activities.

Bureau form number: None.

Frequency of collection: Biannually.

Description of respondents: Oil and

gas industry companies.

Number of respondents: 7 for each of

7 active sites per year (49).

Estimated completion time: For the

one time request to promulgate the

procedural rule, a 200-hour application

burden is estimated. Annually for three

years, 8 hours per LOA, 4 hours for onsite monitoring, and 8 hours per final

monitoring reports are estimated for

each requesting company for seven

active sites (20 hours × 7 companies ×

7 sites = 980 hours × 3 years = 2,940

+ 200 = 3,140 hours burden for

three years).

Burden estimate: 3,140 hours.

Dated: February 9, 2001.

Rebecca A. Mullin,

Information Collection Officer, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 01–3735 Filed 2–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Receipt of Applications for

Permit

Endangered Species

The following applicants have

applied for a permit to conduct certain

activities with endangered species. This

notice is provided pursuant to Section

10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531, et

seq.). Written data or comments should

be submitted to the Director, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, Division of

Management Authority, 4401 North

Fairfax Drive, Room 700, Arlington,

Virginia 22203 and must be received by

the Director within 30 days of the date

of this publication.

Applicant: Joe Milton Thompson, Bonsall,

CA

PRT–038549

The applicant requests a permit to

import the sport-hunted trophy of one

male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus

dorcas) culled from a captive herd

maintained under the management

program of the Republic of South Africa,

for the purpose of enhancement of the

survival of the species.

Applicant: Diane C. Brumbelow, Dallas, TX

PRT–038559

The applicant requests a permit to

import the sport-hunted trophy of one

male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus

dorcas) culled from a captive herd

maintained under the management

program of the Republic of South Africa,

for the purpose of enhancement of the

survival of the species.

Applicant: Duke University, Durham, NC

PRT–038508

The applicant requests a permit to

export and re-import non-living

museum specimens of endangered and

threatened species of plants and animals

previously accessioned into the

permittee’s collection, for scientific

research. This notification covers

activities conducted by the applicant for

a five year period.

Marine Mammals

The public is invited to comment on

the following application(s) for a permit

to conduct certain activities with marine

mammals. The application(s) was

submitted to satisfy requirements of the

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,

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

the regulations governing marine

mammals (50 CFR 18).

Written data, comments or requests

for copies of these complete

applications or requests for a public

hearing on these applications should be

sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Division of Management

Authority, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room

700, Arlington, Virginia 22203,

telephone 703/358–2104 or fax 703/

358–2281. These requests must be

received within 30 days of the date of

publication of this notice. Anyone

requesting a hearing should give

specific reasons why a hearing would be

appropriate. The holding of such a

hearing is at the discretion of the

Director.

PRT–038448

Applicant: Iskande L. V. Larkin, University

of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Permit Type: scientific research.

Name and Number of Animals:

Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus),

5 females.

Summary of Activity to be

Authorized: The applicant requests a

permit to study the reproductive

physiology and indicators of stress by

taking and using urine, fecal, blood, and

vaginal smear samples from 4 captive

females and fecal samples from 1 wild

female to measure steroid and protein

reproductive hormone concentrations

and glucocorticosteroids.

Source of Marine Mammals: 2 captive

females at Miami Seaquarium; 2 captive

females at Living Seas, Epcot; 1 wild

female as identified and tagged by

Sirenia Project personnel.

Period of Activity: 1 year.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register, the

Division of Management Authority is

forwarding copies of the above

applications to the Marine Mammal

Commission and the Committee of

Scientific Advisors for their review.

Applicant: James Grookett, Rockledge, PA

PRT–037534

The applicant requests a permit to import

a polar bear (Ursus maritimus) sport hunted

prior to May 31, 2000, from the McClintock

Channel polar bear population in Canada for

personal use.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife has information

collection approval from OMB through

February 28, 2001. OMB Control Number

1018–0093. Federal Agencies may not

conduct or sponsor and a person is not

required to respond to a collection of

information unless it displays a current valid

OMB control number.

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, by any party who submits

a written request for a copy of such

documents to the following office within 30

days of the date of publication of this notice:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of

Management Authority, 4401 North Fairfax

Drive, Room 700, Arlington, Virginia 22203.

Phone: (703/358–2104); FAX: (703/358–

2281).

Dated: February 2, 2001.

Anna Barry,

Branch of Permits, Division of Management

Authority.

[FR Doc. 01–3753 Filed 2–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of the Final

Comprehensive Conservation Plans

and Finding of No Significant Impact

for Edwin B. Forsythe and Cape May

National Wildlife Refuges, the Jersey

Coast Refuges

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

has prepared Final Comprehensive

Conservation Plans, an associated

Environmental Assessment, and a

Finding of No Significant Impact for

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 14, 2001 / Notices 10313

both Edwin B. Forsythe and Cape May

National Wildlife Refuges in New

Jersey, collectively referred to as the

Jersey Coast Refuges. These documents

were prepared in compliance with the

National Wildlife Refuge System

Improvement Act of 1997, and the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969 and its implementing regulations.

The Acting Regional Director,

Northeast Regional Office, in making his

decision considered a reasonable range

of three management alternatives

discussed in the Environmental

Assessment. The three alternatives

were:

Alternative A. This was the No Action

Alternative requirement by the Council

of Environmental Quality’s regulations

on the implementation of the National

Environmental Policy Act. Under this

Alternative there would be no change

from our current management programs

and emphasis at both Refuges. Seasonal

travel and parking of motor vehicles

would continue to be allowed in the

Holgate Unit of the Brigantine

Wilderness Area, on lands above mean

high tide, in violation of the Wilderness

Act of 1964. The beach at the Two Mile

Beach Unit would continue to be closed

to access by the public.

Alternative B. This was the Service’s

Proposed Action. This Alternative

would initiate new wildlife population

and habitat management programs;

provide new wildlife-dependent

recreation opportunities; increase our

land protection efforts; and provide new

office and visitor facilities at both

Refuges. All lands above mean high tide

in the Holgate Unit of the Brigantine

Wilderness Area would be closed to

motor vehicles by the public year-round

in compliance with the Wilderness Act.

We would initiate efforts to establish a

seasonal boat concession to ferry anglers

and other Refuge visitors to the southern

tip of the Holgate Peninsula. The beach

at the Two Mile Beach Unit would be

open to seasonal access by the public.

Alternative C. This Alternative would

initiate new wildlife population and

habitat management programs; provide

new wildlife-dependent recreation

opportunities Refuge-wide; increase our

land protection efforts; and provide new

or remodeled office and visitor facilities

at both Refuges. All lands above mean

high tide in the Holgate Unit of the

Brigantine Wilderness Area would be

closed to motor vehicle access by the

public year-round in compliance with

the Wilderness Act. We would also seek

to further restrict motor vehicle access

at the Holgate Unit by obtaining a

license from the New Jersey Tidelands

Council to close State-owned riparian

lands below the mean high line. We

would initiate efforts to establish a

seasonal boat concession to ferry anglers

and other Refuge visitors to the southern

tip of the Holgate Peninsula. The beach

at the Two Mile Beach Unit would be

open year-round to access by the public.

Based on the analysis provided in the

Environmental Assessment and the

comments received from the public, the

Acting Regional Director selected

Alternative B (the Service’s Proposed

Action) to be enacted on the Refuges.

Alternative B was selected because it

best achieves Refuge purposes, vision

and goals; helps fulfill the mission of

the National Wildlife Refuge System;

maintains and, where appropriate,

restores the ecological integrity of both

Refuges and the Refuge System;

addresses the significant issues and

mandates; and is consistent with the

principles of sound fish and wildlife

management.

Based on his evaluation, the Acting

Regional Director determined that the

implementation of Alternative B would

not have a significant impact on the

quality of the human environment in

accordance with Section 102(2)(c) of the

National Environmental Policy Act and

concluded that an environmental

impact statement is not required.

However, since the proposed closure of

the Holgate Unit of the Brigantine

Wilderness Area to motor vehicle use by

the public above mean high tide has

been highly controversial, he decided to

provide a 30-day public review period

for this period for this Finding of No

Significant Impact prior to signing it.

The public review period will end 30

days after this Notice is published. This

public review period is in compliance

with Council of Environmental Quality

Regulation 1501.4(e)(2).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Copies of either Refuge Comprehensive

Conservation Plan, or the Finding of No

Significant Impact, may be obtained by

contacting: Mr. Stephen Atzert, Refuge

Manager, Ediwn B. Forsythe National

Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 72, Great

Creek Road, Oceanville, NJ 08231.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

National Wildlife Refuge System

Improvement Act of 1997 and Service

policy require that all lands within the

National Wildlife Refuge System be

managed in accordance with an

approved refuge Comprehensive

Conservation Plan. The Plan guides

management decisions and identifies

refuge goals, objectives, and strategies

for achieving refuge purposes. The

Service’s planning process considered

many elements, including habitat and

wildlife management, habitat protection

and land acquisition, wildlifedependent recreational uses, and

cultural resources. Public input into the

planning process also assisted in the

development of the Refuge

Comprehensive Conservation Plans,

Environmental Assessment, and Finding

of No Significant Impact. The Plans will

provide other agencies and the public

with a clear understanding of the

desired conditions for the Refuges and

how the Service will implement its

management strategies.

Dated: January 25, 2001.

G. Adam O’Hara,

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, Hadley, Massachusetts.

[FR Doc. 01–3691 Filed 2–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement

Act of 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) has published a Draft

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and

Environmental Assessment for Ohio

River Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

This plan describes how the Service

intends to manage the refuge over the

next 15 years. The refuge is composed

of all or part of 21 islands covering over

3,200 acres in four states (West Virginia,

Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Ohio).

DATES: A public meeting will be held in

each of the four states, with dates, times

and addresses to be announced later in

local newspapers and on the regional

website (http://northeast.fws.gov). The

meetings will provide an opportunity

for all interested parties to present oral

or written testimony on the draft

document. The public meetings will be

held in late February and early March.

All other comments should be sent by

either traditional or electronic mail, no

later than 45 days from date of this

publication, to: Thomas Bonetti,

Planning Team Leader, Northeast

Regional Office, 300 Westgate Center

Drive, Hadley, MA 01035–9589; or

FW5RWlCCP@fws.gov.

ADDRESSES: Additional information or

copies of the Draft CCP/EA may be

obtained by contacting Thomas Bonetti

at the above address, or by contacting

Ohio River Islands National Wildlife

Refuge, 3004 7th Street, Parkersburg,

WV 26102–1811, telephone 304/422–

0752.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and

Environmental Assessment fully