[Federal Register: February 24, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 37)]
[Notices]               
[Page 9524-9525]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24fe06-50]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 021606C]

 
Endangered Species; File No. 1556

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, USA (CNMI), Division of Fish and Wildlife [Paul 
Hamilton, responsible official], P.O. Box 10007, Saipan, Mariana 
Islands 96950, has applied in due form for a permit to take green 
(Chelonia mydas), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles 
for purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before March 27, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    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) 427-2521; and
    Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, 
Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone (808) 973-2935; fax (808) 973-2941.
    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) 427-2521, 
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and 
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period.

[[Page 9525]]

    Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for 
providing email comments is NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: 
File No. 1556.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Swails or Patrick Opay, (301) 
713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of 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 
222-226).
    The CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife proposes to perform sea 
turtle surveys in the waters of the Mariana Islands, USA. The project 
would consist of shoreline/cliff line assessments, in-water tow dive 
assessments, and the hand capture of sea turtles. Turtles would be 
handled, measured, tissue-sampled, flipper tagged, passive integrated 
transponder tagged, and released. The applicant would capture 100 green 
and 40 hawksbill sea turtles annually. A subset of the turtles would be 
outfitted with a satellite tag. The permit would be issued for five 
years.

    Dated: February 17, 2006.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-2675 Filed 2-23-06; 8:45 am]

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