Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, 43258-43259 [2017-19505]

Download as PDF 43258 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2017 / Notices The National Science Foundation, as directed by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541, 45 CFR 670), 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 requiring special protection. The regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Application Details asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES Permit Application: 2018–008 1. Applicant: Jill Mikucki, Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN Activity for Which Permit Is Requested: Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA). The permit applicant proposes to enter ASPA 172, Lower Taylor Glacier and Blood Falls, as well as the Don Juan Pond restricted zone, to perform non-destructive geophysical surveys and to collect surface samples of brines, salts, and sediments. The applicant would use best-practice protocols to ensure the protection of the values of the areas and would use sterile sampling techniques. The applicant also plans to fly over the areas with using helicopter-borne electromagnetic survey technology to map resistivity of these hydrological regions. Location: ASPA 172, Lower Taylor Glacier and Blood Falls, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Victoria Land; ASMA 2, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Southern Victoria Land; Don Juan Pond. Dates: October 1, 2017–February 28, 2019. Permit Application: 2018–010 2. Applicant: David J. Smith, NASA Ames Research Center, M/S SCR– 261–3, Mofffett Field, CA 94035 Activity for Which Permit Is Requested: Introduce Non-Indigenous Species Into Antarctica. The permit applicant proposes to transport a containment device pre-loaded with dormant microbiological samples to Antarctica to be launched into the Earth’s stratosphere as part of NASA’s Long Duration Balloon program. The Exposing Microorganisms in the Stratosphere (E–MIST) payload contains five microbial strains: Bacillus pumilis SAFR032 (wild type), Bacillus pumilis SAFR032 (ISS flown), Acinetobacter pitti, Paenibacillus xerothermodurans, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The strains are all glued on in stasis; none VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:41 Sep 13, 2017 Jkt 241001 are actively growing or capable of dispersing. All the microbes inside the payload are in triple containment and will remain attached to the substrate before, during and after the balloon flight. The E–MIST payload itself will be attached to the balloon gondola prior to the launch of the balloon, will be recovered along with the main balloon payload, and will be returned to the USA and the home institution. Location: Ross Ice Shelf, Long Duration Balloon program launch and recovery sites, Antarctica. Dates: October 1, 2017–March 31, 2020. Permit Application: 2018–011 3. Applicant: Kenneth Sims, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Dept 3006, 1000 E. University Ave, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071–2000 Activity for Which Permit Is Requested: Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA). The permit applicant proposes to enter ASPA 124, Cape Crozier, to collect volcanic rock and tephra samples. The applicant would travel on foot within the ASPA to at least three sampling locations. Samples would be collected using a rock hammer and hand trowels. Location: ASPA 124, Cape Crozier, Ross Island. Dates: November 1–December 15, 2017. Nadene G. Kennedy, Polar Coordination Specialist, Office of Polar Programs. [FR Doc. 2017–19504 Filed 9–13–17; 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. 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 in the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications received. SUMMARY: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, or views with respect to this permit application by October 16, 2017. This DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit Office, address below. ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, Office 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. Phone number: 703–292–8224. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–541, 45 CFR 670), 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: 2018–013 1. Applicant: Linnea Pearson, California Polytechnic State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo CA 93407. Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Harmful Interference, Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA), Import Into USA. The applicant proposes to study the thermoregulatory strategies by which Weddell seal pups maintain euthermia in air and in water and examine the development of diving capability as the animals prepare for independent foraging. This study will take place in Erebus Bay, near McMurdo Station, and may require entry into ASPA 121, Cape Royds. Each year, ten pups will be handled at four time points between one and eight weeks of age. Protocols not requiring sedation (mass, morphometrics, core and surface temperatures, metabolic rates) and protocols requiring anesthesia (body composition, biopsies, blood volume analysis) will be conducted on five pups at all four time points under manual restraint. Metabolic and morphometric measurements will be conducted on a separate cohort of five pups at each of the four time points. The applicant will also conduct behavioral observations, imaging, and may disturb up to 350 Weddell seals. An additional seven Weddell seal pups, 15 Weddell seal adult females, and 20 crabeater seals may be disturbed during procedures on E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM 14SEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2017 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES study animals. Up to two pup mortalities are requested per year, not to exceed three over the course of two field seasons. The applicant also plans to collect tissues from Weddell seals (any age or gender) found dead from natural causes. The permit applicant has applied for a Marine Mammal Protection Act permit for the proposed activities. Location: Erebus Bay, McMurdo Sound; ASPA 121, Cape Royds. Dates: October 1, 2017–September 30, 2020. Permit Application: 2018–012 2. Applicant: Jay J. Rotella, Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717 Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Harmful Interference, Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area, Import Into USA. The permit applicant plans to continue long-term studies of Weddell seal populations in Erebus Bay and the McMurdo Sound region to evaluate how temporal variation in the marine environment affects individual life histories and population dynamics of a long-lived mammal. These studies may require the applicant and agents to enter into ASPAs in the area including ASPA 137, 155, 121, 157, 158, and 161. Research involves capture and release of up to 675 Weddell seal pups at one to four days after birth for flipper tagging per year. Up to 150 of the pups would also receive a temperature recording flipper tag, be weighed, and have a skin biopsy taken during the initial tagging. These pups would be re-captured at 20 days of age to be weighed, and again at weaning for weighing and removal of the temperature tags. The applicant proposes to capture up to 285 adult Weddell seals per year using a headbagging technique to place or replace flipper tags. Skin biopsies would be taken from up to 100 previously tagged adult Weddell seals. Up to 75 adult female Weddell seals would be photographed on the three occasions when their pups are weighed to obtain an estimate of body mass and 15 females will be physically weighed during the initial pup tagging to validate the photogrammetry results. The applicant requests two Weddell seal unintentional mortalities, one pup and one adult, per year. The applicant also plans to collect tissues from adult Weddell seals found dead from natural causes. During the course of the study, the applicant anticipates incidental disturbance of Weddell seals and a limited number of crabeater seals and leopard seals. The permit applicant has applied for a VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:41 Sep 13, 2017 Jkt 241001 Marine Mammal Protection Act permit for the proposed activities. Location: Erebus Bay, McMurdo Sound; ASPA 137, North-West White Island, McMurdo Sound; ASPA 155, Cape Evans; ASPA 121, Cape Royds; ASPA 157, Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 158, Hut Point, Ross Island; ASPA 161, Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea. Dates: October 1, 2017–September 30, 2022. Nadene G. Kennedy, Polar Coordination Specialist, Office of Polar Programs. [FR Doc. 2017–19505 Filed 9–13–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. MC2017–194 and CP2017–295; MC2017–195 and CP2017–296; MC2017–196 and CP2017–297; MC2017–197 and CP2017– 298; MC2017–198 and CP2017–299; CP2017–300] New Postal Products Postal Regulatory Commission. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing for the Commission’s consideration concerning negotiated service agreements. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps. DATES: Comments are due: September 20, 2017. ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission’s Filing Online system at https:// www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit comments electronically should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section by telephone for advice on filing alternatives. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at 202–789–6820. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Docketed Proceeding(s) I. Introduction The Commission gives notice that the Postal Service filed request(s) for the Commission to consider matters related to negotiated service agreement(s). The request(s) may propose the addition or removal of a negotiated service agreement from the market dominant or the competitive product list, or the modification of an existing product PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 43259 currently appearing on the market dominant or the competitive product list. Section II identifies the docket number(s) associated with each Postal Service request, the title of each Postal Service request, the request’s acceptance date, and the authority cited by the Postal Service for each request. For each request, the Commission appoints an officer of the Commission to represent the interests of the general public in the proceeding, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505 (Public Representative). Section II also establishes comment deadline(s) pertaining to each request. The public portions of the Postal Service’s request(s) can be accessed via the Commission’s Web site (https:// www.prc.gov). Non-public portions of the Postal Service’s request(s), if any, can be accessed through compliance with the requirements of 39 CFR 3007.40. The Commission invites comments on whether the Postal Service’s request(s) in the captioned docket(s) are consistent with the policies of title 39. For request(s) that the Postal Service states concern market dominant product(s), applicable statutory and regulatory requirements include 39 U.S.C. 3622, 39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3010, and 39 CFR part 3020, subpart B. For request(s) that the Postal Service states concern competitive product(s), applicable statutory and regulatory requirements include 39 U.S.C. 3632, 39 U.S.C. 3633, 39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3015, and 39 CFR part 3020, subpart B. Comment deadline(s) for each request appear in section II. II. Docketed Proceeding(s) 1. Docket No(s).: MC2017–194 and CP2017–295; Filing Title: Request of the United States Postal Service to Add First-Class Package Service Contract 80 to Competitive Product List and Notice of Filing (Under Seal) of Unredacted Governors’ Decision, Contract, and Supporting Data; Filing Acceptance Date: September 8, 2017; Filing Authority: 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 39 CFR 3020.30 et seq.; Public Representative: Curtis E. Kidd; Comments Due: September 20, 2017. 2. Docket No(s).: MC2017–195 and CP2017–296; Filing Title: Request of the United States Postal Service to Add Priority Mail & First-Class Package Service Contract 55 to Competitive Product List and Notice of Filing (Under Seal) of Unredacted Governors’ Decision, Contract, and Supporting Data; Filing Acceptance Date: September 8, 2017; Filing Authority: 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 39 CFR 3020.30 et seq.; Public Representative: Christopher C. E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM 14SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 177 (Thursday, September 14, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43258-43259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19505]


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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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 in 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 16, 2017. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Office 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. Phone number: 703-292-8224.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-541, 45 CFR 
670), 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: 2018-013

1. Applicant: Linnea Pearson, California Polytechnic State University, 
Department of Biological Sciences, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo CA 
93407.

    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Harmful Interference, 
Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA), Import Into USA. The 
applicant proposes to study the thermoregulatory strategies by which 
Weddell seal pups maintain euthermia in air and in water and examine 
the development of diving capability as the animals prepare for 
independent foraging. This study will take place in Erebus Bay, near 
McMurdo Station, and may require entry into ASPA 121, Cape Royds. Each 
year, ten pups will be handled at four time points between one and 
eight weeks of age. Protocols not requiring sedation (mass, 
morphometrics, core and surface temperatures, metabolic rates) and 
protocols requiring anesthesia (body composition, biopsies, blood 
volume analysis) will be conducted on five pups at all four time points 
under manual restraint. Metabolic and morphometric measurements will be 
conducted on a separate cohort of five pups at each of the four time 
points. The applicant will also conduct behavioral observations, 
imaging, and may disturb up to 350 Weddell seals. An additional seven 
Weddell seal pups, 15 Weddell seal adult females, and 20 crabeater 
seals may be disturbed during procedures on

[[Page 43259]]

study animals. Up to two pup mortalities are requested per year, not to 
exceed three over the course of two field seasons. The applicant also 
plans to collect tissues from Weddell seals (any age or gender) found 
dead from natural causes. The permit applicant has applied for a Marine 
Mammal Protection Act permit for the proposed activities.
    Location: Erebus Bay, McMurdo Sound; ASPA 121, Cape Royds.
    Dates: October 1, 2017-September 30, 2020.

Permit Application: 2018-012

2. Applicant: Jay J. Rotella, Ecology Department, Montana State 
University, Bozeman, Montana 59717
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Harmful Interference, 
Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area, Import Into USA. The permit 
applicant plans to continue long-term studies of Weddell seal 
populations in Erebus Bay and the McMurdo Sound region to evaluate how 
temporal variation in the marine environment affects individual life 
histories and population dynamics of a long-lived mammal. These studies 
may require the applicant and agents to enter into ASPAs in the area 
including ASPA 137, 155, 121, 157, 158, and 161. Research involves 
capture and release of up to 675 Weddell seal pups at one to four days 
after birth for flipper tagging per year. Up to 150 of the pups would 
also receive a temperature recording flipper tag, be weighed, and have 
a skin biopsy taken during the initial tagging. These pups would be re-
captured at 20 days of age to be weighed, and again at weaning for 
weighing and removal of the temperature tags. The applicant proposes to 
capture up to 285 adult Weddell seals per year using a head-bagging 
technique to place or replace flipper tags. Skin biopsies would be 
taken from up to 100 previously tagged adult Weddell seals. Up to 75 
adult female Weddell seals would be photographed on the three occasions 
when their pups are weighed to obtain an estimate of body mass and 15 
females will be physically weighed during the initial pup tagging to 
validate the photogrammetry results. The applicant requests two Weddell 
seal unintentional mortalities, one pup and one adult, per year. The 
applicant also plans to collect tissues from adult Weddell seals found 
dead from natural causes. During the course of the study, the applicant 
anticipates incidental disturbance of Weddell seals and a limited 
number of crabeater seals and leopard seals. The permit applicant has 
applied for a Marine Mammal Protection Act permit for the proposed 
activities.
    Location: Erebus Bay, McMurdo Sound; ASPA 137, North-West White 
Island, McMurdo Sound; ASPA 155, Cape Evans; ASPA 121, Cape Royds; ASPA 
157, Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 158, Hut Point, Ross 
Island; ASPA 161, Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea.
    Dates: October 1, 2017-September 30, 2022.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2017-19505 Filed 9-13-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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