# Marine Mammals and Endangered Species
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Notice; issuance of permits.
**SUMMARY:**
Notice is hereby given that permits, including amendments and modifications, have been issued under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as applicable.
**ADDRESSES:**
The permits and related documents are available for review upon written request via email to *[email protected].*
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Jennifer Skidmore (File Nos. 23447 and 29101), Amy Hapeman (File No. 28338), and Erin Markin, Ph.D., (File No. 20528); at (301) 427-8401.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
The requested permits have been issued under the MMPA of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 *et seq.* ), the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216), the ESA of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 *et seq.* ), and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226), as applicable. Notices were published in the *Federal Register* on the dates listed below that requests had been submitted. To locate the *Federal Register* notice that announced our receipt of the application and a complete description of the activities, go to *https://www.federalregister.gov* and search for the file number provided in table 1 below.
| File No. | Version No. | RTID | Applicant | Previous | Issuance date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 20528 | 06 | 0648-XF208 | South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412 (Responsible Party: Bill Post) | 90 FR 47300, October 1, 2025 | February 13, 2026. |
| 23447 | 01 | 0648-XA919 | Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, 218 N Lee Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314 (Responsible Party: Kathleen Dezio) | 86 FR 13700, March 10, 2021 | February 5, 2026. |
| 28338 | 01 | 0648-XF255 | Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, San Jose Industrial Park, 1375 Avenue Ponce de Leon, San Juan, PR 00926 (Responsible Party: Nilda Jimenez-Marrero, Ph.D.) | 90 FR 57030, December 9, 2025 | February 11, 2026. |
| 29101 | N/A | 0648-XF409 | Amanda Lauer, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 720 Rutland Avenue, Traylor Building, Room 515, Baltimore, MD 21205 | 91 FR 253, January 5, 2026 | February 19, 2026. |
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 *et seq.* ), a final determination has been made that the activities proposed are categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
As required by the ESA, as applicable, issuance was based on a finding that such permits: (1) were applied for in good faith; (2) will not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered species; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA.
Dated: March 11, 2026.
Shannon Bettridge,
Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.