60-day FRN

73380

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 206 / Tuesday, October 25, 2016 / Notices

The meeting will be held
Thursday, October 27, 2016 from 9:00
a.m. EST to 3:00 p.m. EST. These times
and the agenda topics described below
are subject to change.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Hall of States, Room 383/385, 444
North Capitol St. NW., Washington, DC
20001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Veva Deheza, NIDIS Executive Director,
David Skaggs Research Center, Room
GD102, 325 Broadway, Boulder CO
80305. Email: [email protected];
or visit the NIDIS Web site at
www.drought.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
National Integrated Drought Information
System (NIDIS) was established by
Public Law 109–430 on December 20,
2006, and reauthorized by Public Law
113–86 on March 6, 2014, with a
mandate to provide an effective drought
early warning system for the United
States; coordinate, and integrate as
practicable, Federal research in support
of a drought early warning system; and
build upon existing forecasting and
assessment programs and partnerships.
See 15 U.S.C. 313d. The Public Law also
calls for consultation with ‘‘relevant
Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local
government agencies, research
institutions, and the private sector’’ in
the development of NIDIS. 15 U.S.C.
313d(c). As such, the NIDIS Program
Office is working to reconstitute a NIDIS
Executive Council.
Status: This meeting will be open to
public participation. Individuals
interested in attending should register at
https://joss.ucar.edu/meetings/2016/
nidis-executive-council. Please refer to
this Web page for the most up-to-date
meeting times and agenda. Seating at
the meeting will be available on a firstcome, first-served basis.
Special Accommodations: This
meeting is physically accessible to
people with disabilities. Requests for
special accommodations may be
directed no later than 12:00 p.m. on
October 24, 2016, to Elizabeth
Ossowski, Program Coordinator, David
Skaggs Research Center, Room GD102,
325 Broadway, Boulder CO 80305;
Email: [email protected].
Matters To Be Considered: The
meeting will include the following
topics: (1) an orientation around NIDIS,
including its history and evolution, (2)
connections between the NIDIS program
and the aims of individual
organizations/agencies represented on
the Council, (3) updates to the
implementation of the 2006 and 2014
NIDIS Public Laws, including the role of
consultation in the development of

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NIDIS, (4) opportunities to strengthen
the integration of information and
activities that address drought and
water scarcity, and (5) defining how the
Executive Council will function.
Dated: October 18, 2016.
Jason Donaldson,
Chief Financial Officer, Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research.
[FR Doc. 2016–25676 Filed 10–24–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–KB–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Proposed Information Collection;
Comment Request; Atlantic Mackerel,
Squid, and Butterfish Amendment 14
Data Collection
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

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.
DATES: Written comments must be
submitted on or before December 27,
2016.
SUMMARY:

Direct all written comments
to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer,
Department of Commerce, Room 6616,
14th and Constitution Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20230 (or via the
Internet at [email protected]).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection
instrument and instructions should be
directed to Daniel Luers, Greater
Atlantic Region, Sustainable Fisheries
Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930, (978) 282–8457,
or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:

I. Abstract
This request is for extension of a
current information collection. Under
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, the
Secretary of Commerce has the
responsibility for the conservation and
management of marine fishery
resources. Much of this responsibility
has been delegated to NOAA’s National

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Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
Under this stewardship role, the
Secretary was given certain regulatory
authorities to ensure the most beneficial
uses of these resources. One of the
regulatory steps taken to carry out the
conservation and management
objectives is to collect information from
users of the resources.
This collection requires vessel trip
reports (VTRs) to be submitted weekly
for all mackerel, squid, and butterfish
permit holders. In addition, all limited
access mackerel and longfin squid/
butterfish moratorium permit holders
must maintain a VMS unit on their
vessels and declare intent to target
Atlantic mackerel or longfin squid and
submit daily catch reports via VMS.
They must also submit daily catch
reports via VMS. Vessels that land over
20,000 lb of mackerel must notify NMFS
Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) via
VMS of the time and place of offloading
at least 6 hours prior to crossing the
VMS demarcation line on their return
trip to port, or if the vessel does not fish
seaward of the VMS demarcation line, at
least 6 hours prior to landing.
This collection also requires limited
access mackerel and longfin squid/
butterfish moratorium permit holders to
bring all catch aboard the vessel and
make it available for sampling by an
observer. If catch is not made available
to an observer before discard, that catch
is defined as slippage, and the vessel
operator must complete a ‘‘Released
Catch Affidavit’’ form within 48 hours
of the end of the fishing trip which
details why catch was slipped, estimates
the quantity and species composition of
the slipped catch, and records the time
and location of the slipped catch.
Finally, this collection requires any
vessel with a limited access mackerel
permit intending to land over 20,000 lbs
of mackerel to contact NMFS at least 48
hours in advance of a fishing trip to
request an observer. Vessels currently
contact NMFS via phone, and selection
notices or waivers are issued by NMFS
via VMS. If service providers are unable
to provide coverage, an owner, operator,
or vessel manager may request a waiver
by calling the Northeast Fisheries
Observer Program.
II. Method of Collection
Information is submitted on paper,
electronically or by telephone.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0679.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular (extension of
a current information collection).
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations; individual or

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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 206 / Tuesday, October 25, 2016 / Notices
households, state, local, or tribal
government.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
426.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 3,751.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $642,311 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.
Estimated Time per Response: Vessel
trip reports, 5 minutes; VMS activity
declarations, 5 minutes; released catch
affidavit form, 5 minutes observer pretrip notification of trip, 5 minutes; trip
cancellation, 1 minute.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval of this information collection;
they also will become a matter of public
record.
Dated: October 20, 2016.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016–25734 Filed 10–24–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XE938

Marine Mammals; File No. 20430
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.
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AGENCY:

Notice is hereby given that
James Harvey, Ph.D., Moss Landing
Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss
Landing Road, Moss Landing, California
95039, has applied in due form for a
permit to conduct research on blue
(Balaenoptera musculus), fin (B.
physalus), humpback (Megaptera

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novaeangliae), gray (Eschrichtius
robustus), and sperm (Physeter
microcephalus) whales, and Risso’s
dolphins (Grampus griseus).
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email
comments must be received on or before
November 25, 2016.
ADDRESSES: The application and related
documents are available for review by
selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public
Comment’’ from the ‘‘Features’’ box on
the Applications and Permits for
Protected Species (APPS) home page,
https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then
selecting File No. 20430 from the list of
available applications.
These documents are also available
upon written request or by appointment
in the Permits and Conservation
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301) 427–8401; fax (301) 713–0376.
Written comments on this application
should be submitted to the Chief,
Permits and Conservation Division, at
the address listed above. Comments may
also be submitted by facsimile to (301)
713–0376, or by email to
[email protected]. Please
include the File No. in the subject line
of the email comment.
Those individuals requesting a public
hearing should submit a written request
to the Chief, Permits and Conservation
Division at the address listed above. The
request should set forth the specific
reasons why a hearing on this
application would be appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Shasta McClenahan or Amy Hapeman,
(301) 427–8401.
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.), the
regulations governing the taking and
importing of marine mammals (50 CFR
part 216), 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 applicant is requesting a five-year
permit to conduct research on large
whales and dolphins in California
waters. The primary objectives of this
research project are to: (1) Relate
distribution and abundance of cetaceans
with environmental factors, (2)
determine diet and foraging behaviors as
they exploit prey resources, (3)
determine types of acoustic behavior of
marine mammals and how acoustic
signals are affected by anthropogenic
factors, and (4) determine the

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73381

movements of individuals or pods
during migrations or within their home
range. Research activities for large
whales will include passive acoustics,
behavioral observations, photography,
video recording, biopsy sampling,
collection of sloughed skin, attachment
of suction cup or dart/barb tags, and
tracking during vessel surveys. Research
for Risso’s dolphins will include passive
acoustics, behavioral observations, and
photo-identification. The number of
species to be taken annually via tagging/
biopsy/photo-identification are: 50/100/
150 blue whales, 40/90/140 fin whales,
50/100/150 humpback whales, 160/210/
260 gray whales, and 0/0/2,000 Risso’s
dolphins. Up to five sperm whales may
be incidentally harassed and
opportunistically photographed,
annually. Up to 200 California sea lions
(Zalophus californianus), 20 harbor
seals (Phoca vitulina richardii), 50
Pacific white-sided dolphins
(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), 20
northern right whale dolphins
(Lissodelphis borealis), 10 harbor
porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), and 20
short-beaked common dolphins
(Delphinus delphis) may be harassed
incidental to research activities.
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 the
application to the Marine Mammal
Commission and its Committee of
Scientific Advisors.
Dated: October 20, 2016.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016–25756 Filed 10–24–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XE763

Marine Mammals; File No. 18879
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; withdrawal of
application.
AGENCY:

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