Department of Commerce June 17, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS has received an application from PGS Onshore, Inc. (PGS) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to an exploratory three-dimensional (3D) marine seismic survey in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, utilizing an ocean bottom cable/ transition zone (OBC/TZ) technique in summer 2008. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to PGS to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of several species of marine mammals between July and September, 2008, during the aforementioned activity.

ITA is soliciting projects to strengthen U.S. competitiveness to be conducted by eligible entities for periods of up to three years. Project award periods normally begin between October 1, 2008 and January 1, 2009, but may begin as late as April 1, 2009. MDCP awards help to underwrite the start-up costs of new competitiveness- strengthening ventures that industry groups are often reluctant to undertake without federal support. MDCP aims to develop, maintain and expand foreign markets for non-agricultural goods and services produced in the United States.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.