60-day FRN

48998

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 167 / Wednesday, September 1, 2021 / Notices

consultation under section 7 of the ESA
is not required for this action.
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)
To comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
NOAA Administrative Order (NAO)
216–6A, NMFS must review our action
(i.e., the issuance of an IHA) with
respect to potential impacts on the
human environment.
This action is consistent with
categories of activities identified in
Categorical Exclusion B4 (IHAs with no
anticipated serious injury or mortality)
of the Companion Manual for NOAA
Administrative Order 216–6A, which do
not individually or cumulatively have
the potential for significant impacts on
the quality of the human environment
and for which we have not identified
any extraordinary circumstances that
will preclude this categorical exclusion.
Accordingly, NMFS has determined that
the issuance of the IHA qualifies to be
categorically excluded from further
NEPA review.
Authorization
NMFS has issued an IHA to the Navy
for the potential harassment of small
numbers of six marine mammal species
incidental to the pile removal activities
at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego
Bay, California from January 15, 2022
through January 14, 2023, provided the
previously mentioned mitigation,
monitoring, and reporting requirements
are incorporated.
Dated: August 27, 2021.
Catherine Marzin,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–18877 Filed 8–31–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Scientific Research,
Exempted Fishing, and Exempted
Activity Submissions
National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.

AGENCY:

Notice of Information
Collection, request for comment.

ACTION:

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The Department of
Commerce, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on
proposed and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the
impact of our information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public
comment preceding submission of the
collection to the Office of Management
and Budget.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
on or before November 1, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at [email protected]. Please
reference Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) Control Number 0648–
0309 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection
activities should be directed to Karen
Abrams, Supervisory Fishery
Management Specialist, NOAA
Fisheries, 1315 East West Highway
Silver Spring MD 20910, 301–427–8508,
and [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:

I. Abstract
This request is for an extension of a
currently approved information
collection. Under section 318 (d) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and
Conservation and Management Act
(Magnuson-Stevens Act) [16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.], as amended by the Sustainable
Fisheries Act [Pub. L. 104–297], the
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) is
required to promulgate regulations that
create an expedited, uniform, and
regionally-based process to promote
issuance, where practicable, of
experimental fishing permits.
Regulations under 50 CFR 648.12 and
50 CFR 600.745 establish processes for
scientific research plans as well as
exempted fishing and exempted
educational activities that are exempted
from applicable fishing regulations.
Fishing regulations do not generally
affect scientific research activities
conducted by a scientific research
vessel. Persons planning to conduct
such research are encouraged to submit
a scientific research plan to ensure that
the activities are considered research
and not fishing. NMFS reviews each

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scientific research plan submitted to
establish that the sponsoring
organization and personnel involved are
recognized scientific investigators, that
the specific project contemplated
appears to be scientific research and not
fishing, and that the vessel or vessels to
be used are or will be used exclusively
for research for the duration of the
scientific research cruise. The
researchers are also requested to submit
reports of their scientific research
activity after its completion. NMFS
Regions, Fishery Science Centers, and
NMFS and Coast Guard enforcement
personnel use information obtained
from voluntarily submitted research
plans and subsequent reports in
monitoring such activities to ensure
they are bona fide scientific research
activities.
The National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) may also grant exemptions from
fishery regulations for educational or
other activities (e.g., using nonregulation gear). Exempted fishing, by
definition, is fishing outside of the
standard regulations. To control this
fishing and determine the extent of this
fishing, NMFS needs information to
determine the justification of granting
an exempted fishing permit (EFP) or
exempted educational activity
authorization (EEAA), and
documentation of catches landed as a
result of granting the permit/
authorization. A NMFS Regional
Administrator or Director may
authorize, for limited testing, public
display, data collection, exploratory
fishing, compensation fishing,
conservation engineering, health and
safety surveys, environmental cleanup,
and/or hazard removal purposes, the
target or incidental harvest of species
managed under a Fishery Management
Plan (FMP) or fishery regulations that
would otherwise be prohibited. The
applications for these exemptions must
be submitted, as well as reports on
activities. NMFS Regions, Regional
Fishery Management Councils, Fishery
Science Centers, and NMFS and USCG
enforcement personnel use the EFP
application statement of purpose and
goals in evaluating proposals to
determine their usefulness to the overall
goals of the applicable fishery
management plan and for issuance of
permits, and evaluate them
comparatively with other applicants for
the same fishery. NMFS evaluates EEAA
applications to confirm their
educational value and determine their
usefulness to the overall goals of the
applicable fishery management plan and
for issuance of permits. NMFS Regions,
Centers, and enforcement personnel use

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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 167 / Wednesday, September 1, 2021 / Notices
exempted fishing and exempted
educational activity reports to ensure
activities are carried out as described in
the permit, document the catch for
inclusion in the total catch, and
consider the permittee for future
permits.
Eligible researchers on board federally
permitted fishing vessels that plan to
temporarily possess fish in a manner not
compliant with applicable fishing
regulations for the purpose of collecting
scientific data on catch may submit a
request for a temporary possession letter
of authorization. The researchers are
requested to submit reports of their
scientific research activity after its
completion.
II. Method of Collection
Responses are typically received
electronically. However, information
may also be submitted on paper or by
telephone.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0309.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
(extension of a current information
collection).
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; individuals or households; not
for profit organizations; state, local or
tribal governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
121.
Estimated Time per Response:
Scientific research plans, 13 hours;
scientific research reports, 6 hours;
exempted fishing permit requests, 10
hours; exempted fishing permit reports,
4.5 hours; exempted educational
requests, 5 hours; exempted educational
reports, 2.5 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 2,141.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $0.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mix of
Voluntary, Required to Obtain or Retain
Benefits, or Mandatory.
Legal Authority: The MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et
seq.).

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IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to
permit the Department/Bureau to: (a)
Evaluate whether the proposed
information collection is necessary for
the proper functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the
accuracy of our estimate of the time and
cost burden for this proposed collection,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)

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Evaluate ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (d) Minimize the
reporting burden on those who are to
respond, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or
summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this information
collection request. Before including
your address, phone number, email
address, or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire
comment—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you may ask us in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Chief Information Officer, Commerce
Department.
[FR Doc. 2021–18881 Filed 8–31–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XB346]

Taking and Importing Marine
Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to Geophysical Surveys
Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the
Gulf of Mexico
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of issuance of Letter of
Authorization.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA), as amended, its implementing
regulations, and NMFS’ MMPA
Regulations for Taking Marine
Mammals Incidental to Geophysical
Surveys Related to Oil and Gas
Activities in the Gulf of Mexico,
notification is hereby given that a Letter
of Authorization (LOA) has been issued
to Fugro USA Marine, Inc. (Fugro) for
the take of marine mammals incidental
to geophysical survey activity in the
Gulf of Mexico.
DATES: The LOA is effective from
December 1, 2021, through November
30, 2022.
SUMMARY:

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48999

The LOA, LOA request, and
supporting documentation are available
online at: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/
action/incidental-take-authorization-oiland-gas-industry-geophysical-surveyactivity-gulf-mexico. In case of problems
accessing these documents, please call
the contact listed below (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim
Corcoran, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, (301) 427–8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:

Background
Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the
MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct
the Secretary of Commerce to allow,
upon request, the incidental, but not
intentional, taking of small numbers of
marine mammals by U.S. citizens who
engage in a specified activity (other than
commercial fishing) within a specified
geographical region if certain findings
are made and either regulations are
issued or, if the taking is limited to
harassment, a notice of a proposed
authorization is provided to the public
for review.
An authorization for incidental
takings shall be granted if NMFS finds
that the taking will have a negligible
impact on the species or stock(s), will
not have an unmitigable adverse impact
on the availability of the species or
stock(s) for subsistence uses (where
relevant), and if the permissible
methods of taking and requirements
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring
and reporting of such takings are set
forth. NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible
impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as an impact
resulting from the specified activity that
cannot be reasonably expected to, and is
not reasonably likely to, adversely affect
the species or stock through effects on
annual rates of recruitment or survival.
Except with respect to certain
activities not pertinent here, the MMPA
defines ‘‘harassment’’ as: any act of
pursuit, torment, or annoyance which (i)
has the potential to injure a marine
mammal or marine mammal stock in the
wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has
the potential to disturb a marine
mammal or marine mammal stock in the
wild by causing disruption of behavioral
patterns, including, but not limited to,
migration, breathing, nursing, breeding,
feeding, or sheltering (Level B
harassment).
On January 19, 2021, we issued a final
rule with regulations to govern the
unintentional taking of marine
mammals incidental to geophysical
survey activities conducted by oil and
gas industry operators, and those
persons authorized to conduct activities

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