Notice2022-18770
Notice of Permit Modification Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 31, 2022
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a notice of requests to modify permits issued to conduct activities regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. This is the required notice of a requested permit modification.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 168 (Wednesday, August 31, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 53507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18770]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Modification Received Under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of permit modification request.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a
notice of requests to modify permits issued to conduct activities
regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. This is the
required notice of a requested permit modification.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments,
or views with respect to this permit application by September 30, 2022.
Permit applications may be inspected by interested parties at the
Permit Office, address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Office of
Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Titmus, ACA Permit Officer,
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower
Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-292-4479; or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#602123211005120d091413200e13064e070f16"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ce8f8d8fbeabbca3a7babd8ea0bda8e0a9a1b8">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 as requiring special protection. The
regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic
Specially Protected Areas.
Description of Permit Modification Requested: The Foundation issued
a permit (ACA 2021-004) to Grant Ballard on September 23, 2020. The
issued permit allows the applicant to engage in take, harmful
interference, enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs), and
import samples into the USA in association with research on the role of
environmental factors on foraging, diet, growth, and survival of Adelie
penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). Research activities include installing
weighbridges, resighting banded birds, and following birds through
incubation and chick-rearing until late January. The applicant and
agents attach logging and tracking devices on breeding adults and
collect fecal samples from adults and chicks during the brooding and
guarding stage, then attach long-term GPS-Argos tags and geolocating
dive recorders on adult penguins. To survey the large colonies at Cape
Royds and Cape Crozier in a timely manner, the applicant and agents
employ multiple, self- and collectively-aware remotely piloted aircraft
(RPAS) simultaneously. Now the applicant proposes a modification to the
permit to collect blood samples (1-2 drops each) from penguins already
undergoing other handling, sampling, or instrumentation. The applicant
proposes to take up to 220 blood samples from fledglings, 120 blood
samples from chicks, and 130 blood samples from adult Adelie penguins
per year. The applicant proposes to take up to an additional 30 feather
samples from fledglings, and 20 feather samples from adults per year
over feather samples already permitted. The applicant proposes to take
up to an additional 240 opportunistic or cloacal swab fecal samples per
year. Additionally, the applicant proposes to tag up to 60 chicks per
year with small T-bar anchor tags which will be removed at the end of
the rearing season. The applicant also proposes to disturb up to 1000
penguins by surrounding a penguin subcolony with a plastic fence for
the continuation of a long term weighbridge study to evaluate foraging
trip duration, adult condition, and food delivery.
Location: ASPA 121, Cape Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 124, Cape
Crozier, Ross Island; ASPA 105, Beaufort Island; Cape Bird (outside
ASPA boundary).
Dates: November 1, 2022 to February 15, 2025.
Erika N. Davis,
Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2022-18770 Filed 8-30-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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