Notice2023-20821
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
September 26, 2023
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 88 Issue 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66064-66065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20821]
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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
[[Page 66065]]
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 October 26, 2023.
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#f6b7b5b78693849b9f8285b6988590d8919980"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d8999b99a8bdaab5b1acab98b6abbef6bfb7ae">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Public Law 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
chicks and collect fecal, blood, and feather 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 attach
biologging devices to penguins during the egg incubation period, with
the number of penguins being tagged remaining the same. The applicant
also proposes to collect opportunistic fecal samples from a wider range
of species, including Emperor Penguins, South Polar Skua, and Weddell
Seals. Some incidental disturbance of the animals may occur during the
collection of the fecal samples. A Marine Mammal Protection Act permit
is additionally being sought to permit any incidental disturbance of
Weddell Seals.
Location: ASPA 121, Cape Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 124, Cape
Crozier, Ross Island; ASPA 105, Beaufort Island; Cape Bird (outside
ASPA boundary).
Dates: September 15, 2023 to February 15, 2025.
Kimiko S Bowens-Knox,
Program Analyst, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2023-20821 Filed 9-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 26, 2023.
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