BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE099]
Marine Mammals and Endangered Species
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of permits and permit amendments.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that permits or permit amendments have been
issued to the following entities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and
the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as applicable.
ADDRESSES: The permits and related documents are available for review upon written
request via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Hapeman (Permit No. 27973),
Jennifer Skidmore (Permit No. 27408), Shasta McClenahan, Ph.D. (Permit No. 27503),
Sara Young (Permit Nos. 22289-01 and 27499), Erin Markin, Ph.D. (Permit No. 2672701), and Carrie Hubard (Permit No. 26593-01); at (301) 427-8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notices were published in the Federal
Register on the dates listed below that requests for a permit or permit amendment had
been submitted by the below-named applicants. To locate the Federal Register notice
that announced our receipt of the application and a complete description of the activities,
go to https://www.federalregister.gov and search on the permit number provided in table
1 below.
Table 1 -- Issued Permits and Permit Amendments
Permit No.

RTID

Applicant

22289-01

0648-XG913

Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s
Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML),

Previous Federal Register
Notice
84 FR 34371, July 18, 2019

Issuance Date
June 21, 2019

26593-01

0648-XD551

26727-01

0648-XC758

0648-XD710

0648-XD710

0648-XD710

0648-XD829

7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle,
WA 98115 (Responsible Party: John
Bengtson)
Adam Pack, Ph.D., University of
Hawaii at Hilo, 200 West Kawili
Street, Hilo, HI 96720
Aaron Lynton, 986 Kupulau Drive,
Kihei, HI 96853
Alaska Sea Life Center, P.O. Box
1329, 301 Railway Avenue, Seward,
AK 99664 (Responsible Party: Wei
Ying Wong, Ph.D.)
Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s
MML, 7600 Sand Point Way NE,
Seattle, WA 98115 (Responsible
Party: John Bengston)
Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, P.O. Box 25526, Juneau, AK
99802 (Responsible Party: Michael
Rehberg)
Texas A&M University-Corpus
Christi, Tidal Hall 231, Corpus
Christi, TX 78412 (Responsible
Party: Dara Orbach, Ph.D.)

88 FR 82340, November
24, 2023

June 24, 2024

88 FR 8408, February 9,
2023
89 FR 8171, February 6,
May 6, 2024

89 FR 8171, February 6,
June 17, 2024

89 FR 8171, February 6,
June 17, 2024

89 FR 22127, March 29,
June 6, 2024

June 17, 2024

For permit Nos. 26593-01, 26727-01, and 27973, in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final determination has
been made that the activities proposed are categorically excluded from the requirement to
prepare an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS).
For Permit Nos. 22289-01, 27408, 27499, and 27503, a determination was made
that the activities authorized are consistent with the Preferred Alternative in the Final
Programmatic EIS for Steller Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal Research (NMFS 2007). A
supplemental EA (NMFS 2014) was prepared for the addition of unmanned aerial
surveys to the suite of research activities analyzed under the EIS and concluded that
issuance of the permits would not have a significant adverse impact on the human
environment. Environmental review memos were prepared to summarize these findings.
As required by the ESA, as applicable, issuance of these permit was based on a
finding that such permits: (1) were applied for in good faith; (2) will not operate to the

disadvantage of such endangered species; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and
policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA.
Authority: The requested permits have been issued under the MMPA 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 ESA of 1973, as amended (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), as applicable.
Dated: July 8, 2024.
Julia M. Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division,
Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-15350 Filed: 7/11/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 7/12/2024]