(a) Any person seeking to engage in an activity otherwise prohibited by section 1402 of the SMCA with respect to a historic sunken military craft or any activity that might affect a terrestrial military craft under the jurisdiction of the DON shall apply for a permit for the proposed activity and shall not begin the proposed activity until a permit has been issued. The Secretary or his designee may issue a permit to any qualified person, in accordance with these regulations, subject to appropriate terms and conditions.

(b) To request a permit application form, please write to: Department of the Navy, U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, Underwater Archaeology Branch, 805 Kidder Breese St. SE., Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 20374-5060. Application forms and guidelines can also be found on the NHHC's Web site at: www.history.navy.mil.

(c) Each applicant must submit a digital (electronic) and two printed copies of their complete application at least 120 days in advance of the requested effective date to allow sufficient time for evaluation and processing. Completed applications should be sent to the Department of the Navy, U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, Underwater Archaeology Branch, 805 Kidder Breese St. SE., Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 20374-5060.

(d) Each permit application shall include:

(1) A statement of research objectives, scientific methods, and significance of the proposed work to the U.S. Navy or the nation's maritime cultural heritage. This should include discussion articulating clearly the archaeological, historical, or educational purposes of the proposed activity;

(2) A summary of significant previous work in the area of interest;

(3) A discussion of how the proposed activity could disturb, remove, or injure the sunken military craft or the terrestrial military craft and the related physical environment;

(4) A discussion of the methodology planned to accomplish the project's objectives. This should include a map showing the study location(s) and a description of the wrecksite(s) of particular interest;

(5) An analysis of the extent and nature of potential environmental impacts from permitted activities and feasible mitigation measures that could reduce, avoid, or reverse environmental impacts, as well as any associated permits or authorizations required by foreign, federal, state, or local law;

(6) A detailed plan for wrecksite restoration and remediation with recommendations on wrecksite preservation and protection of the wrecksite location;

(7) In addition to identification and qualifications of the principal investigator, required by § 767.8, identification of all other members of the research team and their qualifications. Changes to the primary research team subsequent to the issuance of a permit must be authorized via a permit amendment request in accordance with § 767.10(a);

(8) A proposed budget, identification of funding source, and sufficient data to substantiate, to the satisfaction of the NHHC, the applicant's financial capability to complete the proposed research and, if applicable, any conservation and curation costs associated with or resulting from that activity;

(9) A proposed plan for the public interpretation and professional dissemination of the proposed activity's results;

(10) Where the application is for the excavation and/or removal of artifacts from a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft, or for the excavation and/or removal of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft in its entirety, the following must be included:

(i) A conservation plan, estimated cost, and the name of the university, museum, laboratory, or other scientific or educational institution in which the material will be conserved, including written certification, signed by an authorized official of the institution, of willingness to assume conservation responsibilities.

(ii) A plan for applicable post-fieldwork artifact analysis, including an associated timetable.

(iii) The name of the facility in which the recovered materials and copies of associated records derived from the work will be curated. This will include written certification, signed by an authorized official of the institution, of willingness to assume curatorial responsibilities for the collection. The named repository must, at a minimum, meet the standards set forth in 36 CFR part 79, Curation of Federally-Owned and Administered Archaeological Collections, in accordance with § 767.9(h).

(iv) Acknowledgement that the applicant is responsible for all conservation-related and long-term curation costs, unless otherwise agreed upon by NHHC.

(11) A proposed project timetable to incorporate all phases of the project through to the final report and/or any other project-related activities.

(e) If the applicant believes that compliance with one or more of the factors, criteria, or procedures in the regulations contained in this part is not practicable, the applicant should set forth why and explain how the purposes of the SMCA (if applicable), these regulations, and the policies of the DON are better served without compliance with the specified requirements. If the NHHC believes that the policies of the DON are better served without compliance with one or more of the factors, criteria, or procedures in the regulations, or determines that there is merit in an applicant's request and that full compliance is not required to meet these priorities, the NHHC will provide a written waiver to the applicant stipulating which factors, criteria, or procedures may be foregone or amended. In exceptional circumstances, verbal permission may be obtained in cases of unexpected or emergent finds that may require immediate unanticipated disturbance, removal, or injury of a sunken or terrestrial military craft or its associated contents. However, the NHHC will not waive statutory procedures or requirements.

(f) Persons carrying out official NHHC duties under the direction of the NHHC Director, or his/her designee, or conducting activities at the direction of or in coordination with the NHHC as recognized through express written permission by the NHHC Director, or his/her designee, need not follow the permit application procedures set forth in this section and §§ 767.7 and 767.9 to 767.12 if those duties or activities are associated with the management of sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft. Where appropriate, such persons will coordinate with Federal Land Managers, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, State Historic Preservation Offices, or state land or resource managers, as applicable, prior to engaging in the aforementioned activities. The NHHC Director, or his/her designee, shall ensure that the provisions of paragraph (d) of this section and §§ 767.8 and 767.11 have been met by other documented means and that such documents and all resulting data will be archived within the NHHC.

(g) Federal agencies carrying out activities that disturb, remove, or injure sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft need not follow the permit application procedures set forth in this section and §§ 767.7 and 767.9 to 767.12 if those activities are associated with the management of sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft within their areas of responsibility. Where appropriate, Federal agencies will coordinate with the NHHC prior to engaging in the aforementioned activities.