[Federal Register: December 17, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 242)]
[Notices]               
[Page 69615]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17de98-41]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 120798B]

 
Marine Mammals; File No. 259-1481

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr. Ronald J. Schusterman, Long 
Marine Laboratory, University of California Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer 
Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, has applied in due form for a permit to 
take California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), harbor seals (Phoca 
vitulina) and elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), for purposes of 
scientific research.
DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before 
January 19, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The application 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 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/
713-2289); and
    Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, National Marine Fisheries 
Service, NOAA, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 
90802-4213 (562/980-4001).
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this 
application should be mailed to the Chief, Permits and Documentation 
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 e-mail or by other 
electronic media.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara Shapiro or Ruth Johnson, 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).
    The applicant seeks authorization to continue studies on pinniped 
bioacoustics cognition using captive animals trained to participate in 
behavioral experiments. The acoustic experiments will use pure-tone 
detection and discrimination tasks and the cognitive studies will 
involve visual, auditory and cross-modal matching-to-sample tasks.
    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.
    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 11, 1998.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-33468 Filed 12-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F