Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, 62541-62542 [2016-21669]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 175 / Friday, September 9, 2016 / Notices
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received
Under the Antarctic Conservation Act
of 1978
National Science Foundation.
Notice of permit applications
received under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law
95–541.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Science
Foundation (NSF) is required to publish
a notice of permit applications received
to conduct activities regulated under the
Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.
NSF has published regulations under
the Antarctic Conservation Act at title
45 part 671 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. This is the required notice
of permit applications received.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to
submit written data, comments, or
views with respect to this permit
application by October 11, 2016. This
application may be inspected by
interested parties at the Permit Office,
address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to Permit Office, Room 755,
Division of Polar Programs, National
Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address or ACApermits@
nsf.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
National Science Foundation, as
directed by the Antarctic Conservation
Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541), as
amended by the Antarctic Science,
Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996,
has developed regulations for the
establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica and
designation of certain animals and
certain geographic areas a requiring
special protection. The regulations
establish such a permit system to
designate Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas.
SUMMARY:
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Application Details
Permit Application: 2017–013
1. Applicant: Dr. George Watters,
Director, AMLR Program,
Southwest Fisheries Science Center,
National Marine Fisheries Service,
8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla,
CA 92037.
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Waste Management Permit. This
permit application pertains to ship and
shore-based research and logistic
activities conducted by the National
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:11 Sep 08, 2016
Jkt 238001
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s (NOAA) Antarctic
Marine Living Resources (AMLR)
Program. The AMLR Program conducts
research from a vessel platform in the
Antarctic Peninsula region, collecting
environmental, oceanographic, primary
productivity, finfish and prey data
(zooplankton abundance and
distribution, particularly Antarctic krill
Euphausia superba). In addition, the
applicant conducts krill-dependent,
land-based predator investigations at
two temporary field camps in the South
Shetland Islands, Antarctica: Cape
Shirreff and Copacabana.
Cape Shirreff is a temporary, multiyear field camp on Livingston Island,
South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.
During each year of the proposed
permitting period (2016–2021), the field
camp will typically be occupied for less
than five months (≤150 days; normally
around 120 days) during the austral
spring/summers and will house 4–6
researchers. Semiannually for short
durations only (usually less than two
weeks), an additional group of two to
four researchers may reside in a
temporary tent structure; tent location
will be setup to minimize impact on
flora and fauna. In addition, the AMLR
Program utilizes an all-terrain vehicle
(ATV) that is stored at the Cape Shirreff
field camp.
Copacabana field camp is located in
Antarctic Specially Protected Area
(ASPA) Number 8 (Western Shore of
Admiralty Bay, King George Island,
South Shetland Islands). The
approximate coordinates of the camp
are 62°10′ South latitude by 58° 28′
West longitude. The camp consists of
four structures connected by walkways.
All buildings and equipment are
properly sealed and stored over the
winters such that they are inaccessible
to wildlife. The AMLR Program
recognizes the status of Copacabana as
an ASPA (No. 128) and adheres to all
protection afforded as such. During the
proposed permitting period (2016–
2021), the field camp may be occupied
for significantly shorter periods than
historically, typically less than one
month (≤30 days) during the austral
summer of each year.
Research equipment deployed near
both field will include a snow
measurement gauge and remote,
autonomous cameras and will be
removed from the field at the
conclusion of the work. The AMLR
program will also continue their use of
a vertical take-off and landing
unmanned aerial vehicle (VTOL–UAV)
for conducting census surveys of animal
colonies. The VTOL–UAV that the
applicant proposes to deploy has GPS
PO 00000
Frm 00072
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
62541
capability and will fly missions up to 30
minutes at altitudes between 75 and 300
feet. The aircraft are operated by
trained, experienced pilots and flight
crews. Observers will be used to
maintain visual line-of-sight with the
UAV any time the aircraft is more than
300 m from the pilot. Appropriate safety
measures will be in place and best
practices for operating in polar
environments will be employed.
Wastes and designated pollutants
associated with typical field camp
operations will be generated, released,
stored, and removed. The field camps
will release wastes to air in the form of
emissions resulting from the
combustion of gasoline, propane, and
charcoal. Releases of wastes to water
will be limited to greywater and human
sewage only. Sewage is disposed of
directly into the sea with appropriate
mixing. Wastes and designated
pollutants resulting from scientific
research include materials used to mark
animals (e.g. paints, dyes, tags) and
doubly-labeled water used to measure
energetics and body condition in fur
seals. All radioisotope materials will be
handled to minimize the risk of
inadvertent release.
Releases associated with camp
logistics and operations occur daily
throughout the period of camp
occupation. Releases resulting from
research activities occur episodically
throughout the field season. Other than
the above releases, all other wastes will
be packaged (or otherwise contained)
and removed from the site for proper
disposal under approved guidelines. As
far as possible, removal via transfer to
the AMLR research vessel will occur
annually. Waste awaiting retrograde will
be stored under cover (e.g., in buildings,
fish boxes, tents, or under tarps) to
ensure that it is isolated from wildlife
and is not scattered by wind.
Over the period 2017–2021, the
AMLR Program plans to conduct three
surveys including 30–90 days of vessel
operations in the Antarctic Peninsula
region annually during the austral
summer. The vessel follows a
standardized survey grid, and
depending on the focus any given year,
additional smaller sections of the region
are surveyed. During the surveys, the
Program deploys drifters and
expendable bathythermographs (XBTs)
and expendable conductivitytemperature and depth (XCTDS) probes
to collect hydrographic data within the
study area to better understand the
relationship between the target species
and their environment, and to help
partner programs (NOAA Global Drifter
Program) with deployment of their
instruments. The applicant plan annual
E:\FR\FM\09SEN1.SGM
09SEN1
62542
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 175 / Friday, September 9, 2016 / Notices
deployments up to 150 XBTs, 20 XCTDS
and 55 drifters. The U.S. AMLR Program
may deploy upwards of three mooring
arrays which will release up to 6 ferrous
weights (train wheels), at the recovery of
the mooring(s). Each mooring weight set
will weigh between 750 and 1500lbs,
depending on the magnitude of the
current speed in the vicinity of the
mooring locations. These mooring
weights will not be recovered. In
addition to drifters and XBTs, the
AMLR Program also deploys and
recovers a variety of gears that are not
intentionally released into the
environment. These may include both
oceanographic instruments and fishing
gears, for example: Conductivitytemperature-depth profilers (CTD),
plankton nets, commercial bottom
trawls, continuous plankton records,
winged optical particle counters, towed
current profilers, and acoustic buoys.
Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address or ACApermits@
nsf.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
National Science Foundation, as
directed by the Antarctic Conservation
Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541), as
amended by the Antarctic Science,
Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996,
has developed regulations for the
establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica and
designation of certain animals and
certain geographic areas a requiring
special protection. The regulations
establish such a permit system to
designate Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas.
Location
Permit Application: 2017–012
Applicant: Dr. George Watters, Director,
AMLR Program, Southwest Fisheries
Science Center, National Marine
Fisheries Service, 8901 La Jolla
Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037.
Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island;
Copacabana, western shore of Admiralty
Bay; Western Antarctic Peninsula
Dates: October 1, 2016–July 30, 2021.
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Division of
Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016–21669 Filed 9–8–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received
Under the Antarctic Conservation Act
of 1978
National Science Foundation.
Notice of permit applications
received under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law
95–541.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Science
Foundation (NSF) is required to publish
a notice of permit applications received
to conduct activities regulated under the
Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.
NSF has published regulations under
the Antarctic Conservation Act at title
45 part 670 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. This is the required notice
of permit applications received.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to
submit written data, comments, or
views with respect to this permit
application by October 11, 2016. This
application may be inspected by
interested parties at the Permit Office,
address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to Permit Office, Room 755,
Division of Polar Programs, National
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:11 Sep 08, 2016
Jkt 238001
Application Details
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Take, Harmful Interference, Enter
Antarctic Specially Protected Areas,
Import into USA. This permit
application pertains to research
activities conducted by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s (NOAA) Antarctic
Marine Living Resources (AMLR)
Program. The U.S. AMLR Program
proposes to take pinniped species in the
Antarctic Peninsula region, primarily at
Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, as part
of a long-term ecosystem monitoring
program established in 1986. Permission
is requested to take Antarctic fur seals
(Arctocephalus gazelle; 1203 adult/
juvenile; 6005 pups), southern elephant
seals (Mirounga leonine; 102 adult/
juvenile; 102 pups), crabeater seals
(Lobodon carcinophaga; census only),
leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx; 202
adult/juvenile), Ross seals
(Ommatophoca rossii; census only), and
Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii;
62 adult/juvenile; 42 pups) by
harassment associated with life-history
studies and surveys to census or
estimate abundance and distribution of
pinnipeds. Specific take activities
include capture/handling/release of
animals for studies of attendance
behavior (radio transmitter (VHF)),
diving (time-depth recorders; TDRs), atsea foraging locations (platform terminal
transmitter (PTT), geo-location light
loggers (GLS), or global positioning
system (GPS) instruments), energetics
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(doubly-labeled water studies using
stable and or radio-isotopes), diet
(including enema, milk collection for
fatty acid signature analysis, or tissues
for stable isotope analysis), age
determination (post-canine tooth
extraction), pathology (blood
collection), and population dynamics
(tagging). The U.S. AMLR Program does
not plan any lethal take; however,
accidental mortality as a direct result of
the studies is possible and thus
included as part of this application. All
methods to be used in the conduct of
the proposed studies have been used
extensively by U.S. AMLR researchers
and the marine mammal research
community, generally. All studies of
foraging ecology, population dynamics,
mark-recapture, census, reproductive
success and energetics are part of a longterm monitoring effort coordinated with
other Antarctic treaty nations under the
auspices of Convention for the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (CCAMLR).
The U.S. AMLR Program also
proposes continue studies of the
behavioral ecology and population
´
biology of the Adelie, gentoo, and
chinstrap penguins, as well as
interactions among these species and
their principal avian predators (skuas,
gulls, sheathbills and giant petrels).
These studies make use of permanent
marks (including flipper banding, pit
tagging, and genetic markers) to identify
individuals and track them accurately
over time. The applicant will continue
to study penguins’ foraging habits,
involving the use of VHF, PTT, GPS,
TDRs and GLS tags. These instruments
may be deployed on adults of all species
at any time during the breeding season
and on chicks of all species during the
fledging period. Another component of
the foraging behavior studies will
involve diet collections using the wet
offloading technique. The applicant
plans to stomach lavage adult penguins
at each site. The applicant will also
collect data on egg sizes and adult
weights of each species and weigh and
`
measure chicks at creche age (ca. 21
days of age) and fledging for
comparative annual growth indices in
all species. In addition, penguin
uropygial gland oil may be collected for
contaminant studies and unhatched
penguin eggs may be collected for lipid
analysis. Empty egg shells and feathers
(breast and tail) may also be collected
for isotopic and genetic studies.
Morphometric information to be
recorded includes bill (culmen) depth
and length and tarsus length. These
measurements are usually taken during
tag deployment, diet collection, or
E:\FR\FM\09SEN1.SGM
09SEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 175 (Friday, September 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62541-62542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21669]
[[Page 62541]]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of permit applications received under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at title 45 part 671
of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of
permit applications received.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments,
or views with respect to this permit application by October 11, 2016.
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit
Office, address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755,
Division of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address or ACApermits@nsf.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541), as amended
by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has
developed regulations for the establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and
certain geographic areas a requiring special protection. The
regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic
Specially Protected Areas.
Application Details
Permit Application: 2017-013
1. Applicant: Dr. George Watters, Director, AMLR Program, Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 8901 La
Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037.
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Waste Management Permit. This permit application pertains to ship
and shore-based research and logistic activities conducted by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Antarctic
Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program. The AMLR Program conducts
research from a vessel platform in the Antarctic Peninsula region,
collecting environmental, oceanographic, primary productivity, finfish
and prey data (zooplankton abundance and distribution, particularly
Antarctic krill Euphausia superba). In addition, the applicant conducts
krill-dependent, land-based predator investigations at two temporary
field camps in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica: Cape Shirreff
and Copacabana.
Cape Shirreff is a temporary, multi-year field camp on Livingston
Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. During each year of the
proposed permitting period (2016-2021), the field camp will typically
be occupied for less than five months (<=150 days; normally around 120
days) during the austral spring/summers and will house 4-6 researchers.
Semiannually for short durations only (usually less than two weeks), an
additional group of two to four researchers may reside in a temporary
tent structure; tent location will be setup to minimize impact on flora
and fauna. In addition, the AMLR Program utilizes an all-terrain
vehicle (ATV) that is stored at the Cape Shirreff field camp.
Copacabana field camp is located in Antarctic Specially Protected
Area (ASPA) Number 8 (Western Shore of Admiralty Bay, King George
Island, South Shetland Islands). The approximate coordinates of the
camp are 62[deg]10' South latitude by 58[deg] 28' West longitude. The
camp consists of four structures connected by walkways. All buildings
and equipment are properly sealed and stored over the winters such that
they are inaccessible to wildlife. The AMLR Program recognizes the
status of Copacabana as an ASPA (No. 128) and adheres to all protection
afforded as such. During the proposed permitting period (2016-2021),
the field camp may be occupied for significantly shorter periods than
historically, typically less than one month (<=30 days) during the
austral summer of each year.
Research equipment deployed near both field will include a snow
measurement gauge and remote, autonomous cameras and will be removed
from the field at the conclusion of the work. The AMLR program will
also continue their use of a vertical take-off and landing unmanned
aerial vehicle (VTOL-UAV) for conducting census surveys of animal
colonies. The VTOL-UAV that the applicant proposes to deploy has GPS
capability and will fly missions up to 30 minutes at altitudes between
75 and 300 feet. The aircraft are operated by trained, experienced
pilots and flight crews. Observers will be used to maintain visual
line-of-sight with the UAV any time the aircraft is more than 300 m
from the pilot. Appropriate safety measures will be in place and best
practices for operating in polar environments will be employed.
Wastes and designated pollutants associated with typical field camp
operations will be generated, released, stored, and removed. The field
camps will release wastes to air in the form of emissions resulting
from the combustion of gasoline, propane, and charcoal. Releases of
wastes to water will be limited to greywater and human sewage only.
Sewage is disposed of directly into the sea with appropriate mixing.
Wastes and designated pollutants resulting from scientific research
include materials used to mark animals (e.g. paints, dyes, tags) and
doubly-labeled water used to measure energetics and body condition in
fur seals. All radioisotope materials will be handled to minimize the
risk of inadvertent release.
Releases associated with camp logistics and operations occur daily
throughout the period of camp occupation. Releases resulting from
research activities occur episodically throughout the field season.
Other than the above releases, all other wastes will be packaged (or
otherwise contained) and removed from the site for proper disposal
under approved guidelines. As far as possible, removal via transfer to
the AMLR research vessel will occur annually. Waste awaiting retrograde
will be stored under cover (e.g., in buildings, fish boxes, tents, or
under tarps) to ensure that it is isolated from wildlife and is not
scattered by wind.
Over the period 2017-2021, the AMLR Program plans to conduct three
surveys including 30-90 days of vessel operations in the Antarctic
Peninsula region annually during the austral summer. The vessel follows
a standardized survey grid, and depending on the focus any given year,
additional smaller sections of the region are surveyed. During the
surveys, the Program deploys drifters and expendable bathythermographs
(XBTs) and expendable conductivity-temperature and depth (XCTDS) probes
to collect hydrographic data within the study area to better understand
the relationship between the target species and their environment, and
to help partner programs (NOAA Global Drifter Program) with deployment
of their instruments. The applicant plan annual
[[Page 62542]]
deployments up to 150 XBTs, 20 XCTDS and 55 drifters. The U.S. AMLR
Program may deploy upwards of three mooring arrays which will release
up to 6 ferrous weights (train wheels), at the recovery of the
mooring(s). Each mooring weight set will weigh between 750 and 1500lbs,
depending on the magnitude of the current speed in the vicinity of the
mooring locations. These mooring weights will not be recovered. In
addition to drifters and XBTs, the AMLR Program also deploys and
recovers a variety of gears that are not intentionally released into
the environment. These may include both oceanographic instruments and
fishing gears, for example: Conductivity-temperature-depth profilers
(CTD), plankton nets, commercial bottom trawls, continuous plankton
records, winged optical particle counters, towed current profilers, and
acoustic buoys.
Location
Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island; Copacabana, western shore of
Admiralty Bay; Western Antarctic Peninsula
Dates: October 1, 2016-July 30, 2021.
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Division of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016-21669 Filed 9-8-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P