Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet, Alaska Beluga Whales by Alaska Natives, 15697-15698 [E6-4604]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 60 / Wednesday, March 29, 2006 / Notices CVD Operations, Office 5, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482–0198 and (202) 482–4033, respectively. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On December 8, 2005, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the 2003–2004 administrative review of the antidumping duty order covering Mittal Steel Galati S.A. (formerly S.C. Ispat Sidex S.A.). See Certain Hot–Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from Romania: Preliminary Results Notice of Antidumping Duty Administration Review and Notice of Intent to Rescind in Part, 70 FR 72984 (December 8, 2005). hsrobinson on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES Extension of Time Limit for Final Results The Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), provides at section 751(a)(3)(A) that the Department will issue the final results of an administrative review of an antidumping duty order within 120 days after the date on which the preliminary results were published. The Act provides further that, if the Department determines that it is not practicable to complete the review within this time period, the Department may extend the 120–day period to 180 days. On February 27, 2006, we requested that MS Galati provide written clarification of certain issues the parties raised in case and rebuttal briefs. MS Galati filed its response on March 8, 2006. In turn, United States Steel Corporation filed comments on March 17, 2006. As such, we require additional time to analyze and incorporate the information from these submissions into our calculations for the final results. Further, additional time is necessary to invite all interested parties to review and provide comments on our draft liquidation instructions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Therefore, the Department has determined that it is not practicable to complete the final results by the current deadline of April 7, 2006. Accordingly, the Department is extending the time limit for the final results by 45 days to May 22, 2006, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(2). We are issuing this notice in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act. VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:39 Mar 28, 2006 Jkt 208001 Dated: March 22, 2006. Stephen J. Claeys, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration. [FR Doc. E6–4573 Filed 3–28–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration A–570–879 Notice of Extension of Time Limit for the Final Results of the Antidumping Administrative Review of Polyvinyl Alcohol from the People’s Republic of China Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. EFFECTIVE DATE: March 29, 2006. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lilit Astvatsatrian, AD/CVD Operations, Office 8, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–6412. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AGENCY: Background On November 7, 2005, the Department of Commerce (‘‘the Department’’) published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on polyvinyl alcohol (‘‘PVA’’) from the People’s Republic of China (‘‘PRC’’), covering the period August 11, 2003, through September 30, 2004. See Polyvinyl Alcohol from the People’s Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 70 FR 67434 (November 7, 2005) (‘‘Preliminary Results’’). In the Preliminary Results, we stated that we would make our final determination for the antidumping duty review no later than 120 days after the date of publication of the preliminary results (i.e., March 7, 2006). On February 27, 2006, the Department published in the Federal Register a notice extending the time limit for the final results of the administrative review from March 7, 2006, to April 6, 2006. See Notice of Extension of Time Limit for the Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of Polyvinyl Alcohol from the People’s Republic of China, 71 FR 9781 (February 27, 2006). Extension of Time Limit of Final Results Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (‘‘the Act’’), PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 15697 requires the Department to issue the final results in an administrative review within 120 days of the publication date of the preliminary results. However, if it is not practicable to complete the review within this time period, the Department may extend the time limit for the final results to 180 days. Completion of the final results within the 120-day period is not practicable because this review involves certain complex issues, including examination of the co– product allocation methodology, application of by–products, and the valuation of certain factors. Therefore, in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act, the Department is extending the time period for issuing these final results of review by an additional 15 days until April 21, 2006. Dated: March 22, 2006. Stephen J. Claeys, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration. [FR Doc. E6–4574 Filed 3–28–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 032206C] Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet, Alaska Beluga Whales by Alaska Natives National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement; request for comments. AGENCY: SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), for the Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet, Alaska, Beluga Whales by Alaska Natives. ADDRESSES: To request inclusion on a mailing list of persons interested in the SEIS, please contact Kaja Brix, Assistant Regional Administrator, Protected Resources Division, NMFS, Alaska Region, Attn: Ellen Walsh. Comments may be submitted by: • Mail: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. • Hand Delivery to the Federal Building: 709 West 9th Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK • FAX: 907–586–7557 • Email: CIB-Harvest-SEIS@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line the following E:\FR\FM\29MRN1.SGM 29MRN1 15698 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 60 / Wednesday, March 29, 2006 / Notices document identifier: CI Beluga SEIS (Email comments, with or without attachments, are limited to five (5) megabytes). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: hsrobinson on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES Barbara Mahoney or Brad Smith, NMFS Alaska Region, Anchorage Field Office, (907) 271–5006. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is initiating this SEIS process for the Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet, Alaska, Beluga Whales by Alaska Natives. An SEIS is required when, among other reasons, there are substantial changes in a proposed action or there significant new circumstances or information relevant to the proposed action or its impacts. Additional Cook Inlet beluga information, including the Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Final Environmental Impact Statement, July 2003, is available at: https:// www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/ whales/beluga.htm. Background The Cook Inlet beluga whale stock declined dramatically between 1994 and 1998. Aerial survey results indicated that the 1998 abundance estimate of 347 Cook Inlet beluga whales represented a decline of 47 percent from the 653 1994 estimate. In response to this significant decline, NMFS published a final rule to designate the Cook Inlet stock of belugas as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 1972, as amended (MMPA) on May 31, 2000 (65 FR 34590). The MMPA exempts subsistence takes by Alaska Natives from marine mammal take prohibitions. The exemption allows Alaska Natives to use the Cook Inlet beluga as traditional food and Native handicrafts. Cook Inlet beluga harvests have been severely restricted (0-2 whales annually) since 1999, due to both the voluntary efforts of the Native hunters and federal law requiring co-management agreements to authorize harvests (Public Law No. 106-31 (May 21, 1999, and Public Law No. 106-553 (December 21, 2000)). Since 2000, NMFS has entered into co-management agreements with an Alaska Native organization for the subsistence harvest of Cook Inlet belugas. NMFS has worked cooperatively with beluga hunters to recover the stock, while recognizing traditional values of continuing a harvest. Following the depletion determination and pursuant to the MMPA, NMFS proposed regulations limiting the harvest of belugas in Cook Inlet (65 FR 59164, October 4, 2000). An VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:39 Mar 28, 2006 Jkt 208001 Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) convened a hearing on the proposed regulations in December 2000. The ALJ issued a recommended decision to the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA) that allowed a harvest of six whales from 2001 through 2004 (67 FR 30646, May 7, 2002). In July 2003, a Final EIS was released with interim harvest regulations for the period 20012004 (69 FR 17973, April 6, 2004). This EIS, which NMFS intends to supplement, analyzed the impacts of various alternatives, including a preferred alternative. The preferred alternative adopted the ALJ’s recommended decision calling for harvest of six whales from 2001 through 2004 and for determining harvest for 2005 and beyond after NMFS made further abundance estimates. Because the interim harvest regulations authorized harvest only through 2004, the ALJ conducted a second hearing in August 2004 to receive evidence on a harvest plan for 2005 until recovery of the Cook Inlet beluga. The ALJ presiding in the August 2004 hearings submitted his recommended decision on the future harvest plan for Cook Inlet belugas to the AA on November 8, 2005. As required by regulations, NMFS published notice of this recommended decision (71 FR 8268, February 16, 2006) and solicited comments for a 20day period that ended on March 8, 2006. impacts of various population levels of the CI beluga stock of whales. Public Involvement Comments on this SEIS process should be directed to NMFS (see ADDRESSES). All comments and material received, including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and may be released to the public. NMFS will ask for additional public comments once the draft SEIS is prepared and available. Please visit NMFS Alaska Region web page at https://www.fakr.noaa.gov for more information on this SEIS. NMFS estimates the draft SEIS will be available in September 2006. Authority The preparation of the SEIS for the Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet, Alaska, Beluga Whales by Alaska Natives will be conducted under the authority and in accordance with the requirements of NEPA, Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), other applicable Federal laws and regulations, and policies and procedures of NMFS for compliance with those regulations. Dated: March 23, 2006. Angela Somma, Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E6–4604 Filed 3–28–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S Alternatives After preliminary review of recent annual abundance estimates and the November 8, 2005, ALJ’s recommended decision, NMFS anticipates four alternative harvest management regimes: Alternative 1: no action alternative; Alternative 2: maximizing the recovery of the Cook Inlet beluga stock by minimizing or allowing no harvest until the stock had recovered to optimum sustainable population levels; Alterative 3: maximizing the short term opportunity for subsistence harvests and prolonging the recovery of the stock; and Alternative 4: the November 8, 2005, harvest plan recommended by the ALJ, allowing an intermediate level of harvest that would provide some subsistence use and promote recovery of the stock in a longer time frame than alternative (1), but shorter time frame than alternative (2). Major SEIS issues will include: subsistence removal impacts on this stock; regulated harvest impacts on the traditional and cultural values of Alaska Natives and the social and economic PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 032406A] General Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC); Meeting Announcement National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. AGENCY: SUMMARY: NMFS announces a meeting of the General Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the IATTC on April 11, 2006, via telephone conference call. DATES: The General Advisory Committee meeting will be held on April 11, 2006, from 12 noon to 3 p.m., Pacific time. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via telephone conference call at (866) 857–1547, participant passcode, 3313634. E:\FR\FM\29MRN1.SGM 29MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15697-15698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4604]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 032206C]


Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet, Alaska Beluga 
Whales by Alaska Natives

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), for the Subsistence Harvest 
Management of Cook Inlet, Alaska, Beluga Whales by Alaska Natives.

ADDRESSES: To request inclusion on a mailing list of persons interested 
in the SEIS, please contact Kaja Brix, Assistant Regional 
Administrator, Protected Resources Division, NMFS, Alaska Region, Attn: 
Ellen Walsh. Comments may be submitted by:
     Mail: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
     Hand Delivery to the Federal Building: 709 West 9th 
Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK
     FAX: 907-586-7557
     Email: CIB-Harvest-SEIS@noaa.gov. Include in the subject 
line the following

[[Page 15698]]

document identifier: CI Beluga SEIS (Email comments, with or without 
attachments, are limited to five (5) megabytes).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Mahoney or Brad Smith, NMFS 
Alaska Region, Anchorage Field Office, (907) 271-5006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is initiating this SEIS process for the 
Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet, Alaska, Beluga Whales by 
Alaska Natives. An SEIS is required when, among other reasons, there 
are substantial changes in a proposed action or there significant new 
circumstances or information relevant to the proposed action or its 
impacts. Additional Cook Inlet beluga information, including the 
Subsistence Harvest Management of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Final 
Environmental Impact Statement, July 2003, is available at: https://
www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/whales/beluga.htm.

Background

    The Cook Inlet beluga whale stock declined dramatically between 
1994 and 1998. Aerial survey results indicated that the 1998 abundance 
estimate of 347 Cook Inlet beluga whales represented a decline of 47 
percent from the 653 1994 estimate. In response to this significant 
decline, NMFS published a final rule to designate the Cook Inlet stock 
of belugas as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 1972, as 
amended (MMPA) on May 31, 2000 (65 FR 34590).
    The MMPA exempts subsistence takes by Alaska Natives from marine 
mammal take prohibitions. The exemption allows Alaska Natives to use 
the Cook Inlet beluga as traditional food and Native handicrafts.
    Cook Inlet beluga harvests have been severely restricted (0-2 
whales annually) since 1999, due to both the voluntary efforts of the 
Native hunters and federal law requiring co-management agreements to 
authorize harvests (Public Law No. 106-31 (May 21, 1999, and Public Law 
No. 106-553 (December 21, 2000)). Since 2000, NMFS has entered into co-
management agreements with an Alaska Native organization for the 
subsistence harvest of Cook Inlet belugas. NMFS has worked 
cooperatively with beluga hunters to recover the stock, while 
recognizing traditional values of continuing a harvest.
    Following the depletion determination and pursuant to the MMPA, 
NMFS proposed regulations limiting the harvest of belugas in Cook Inlet 
(65 FR 59164, October 4, 2000). An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) 
convened a hearing on the proposed regulations in December 2000. The 
ALJ issued a recommended decision to the Assistant Administrator for 
Fisheries (AA) that allowed a harvest of six whales from 2001 through 
2004 (67 FR 30646, May 7, 2002). In July 2003, a Final EIS was released 
with interim harvest regulations for the period 2001-2004 (69 FR 17973, 
April 6, 2004). This EIS, which NMFS intends to supplement, analyzed 
the impacts of various alternatives, including a preferred alternative. 
The preferred alternative adopted the ALJ's recommended decision 
calling for harvest of six whales from 2001 through 2004 and for 
determining harvest for 2005 and beyond after NMFS made further 
abundance estimates.
    Because the interim harvest regulations authorized harvest only 
through 2004, the ALJ conducted a second hearing in August 2004 to 
receive evidence on a harvest plan for 2005 until recovery of the Cook 
Inlet beluga. The ALJ presiding in the August 2004 hearings submitted 
his recommended decision on the future harvest plan for Cook Inlet 
belugas to the AA on November 8, 2005. As required by regulations, NMFS 
published notice of this recommended decision (71 FR 8268, February 16, 
2006) and solicited comments for a 20-day period that ended on March 8, 
2006.

Alternatives

    After preliminary review of recent annual abundance estimates and 
the November 8, 2005, ALJ's recommended decision, NMFS anticipates four 
alternative harvest management regimes:
    Alternative 1: no action alternative;
    Alternative 2: maximizing the recovery of the Cook Inlet beluga 
stock by minimizing or allowing no harvest until the stock had 
recovered to optimum sustainable population levels;
    Alterative 3: maximizing the short term opportunity for subsistence 
harvests and prolonging the recovery of the stock; and
    Alternative 4: the November 8, 2005, harvest plan recommended by 
the ALJ, allowing an intermediate level of harvest that would provide 
some subsistence use and promote recovery of the stock in a longer time 
frame than alternative (1), but shorter time frame than alternative 
(2).
    Major SEIS issues will include: subsistence removal impacts on this 
stock; regulated harvest impacts on the traditional and cultural values 
of Alaska Natives and the social and economic impacts of various 
population levels of the CI beluga stock of whales.

Public Involvement

    Comments on this SEIS process should be directed to NMFS (see 
ADDRESSES). All comments and material received, including names and 
addresses, will become part of the administrative record and may be 
released to the public. NMFS will ask for additional public comments 
once the draft SEIS is prepared and available.
    Please visit NMFS Alaska Region web page at https://
www.fakr.noaa.gov for more information on this SEIS. NMFS estimates the 
draft SEIS will be available in September 2006.

Authority

    The preparation of the SEIS for the Subsistence Harvest Management 
of Cook Inlet, Alaska, Beluga Whales by Alaska Natives will be 
conducted under the authority and in accordance with the requirements 
of NEPA, Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 1500-
1508), other applicable Federal laws and regulations, and policies and 
procedures of NMFS for compliance with those regulations.

    Dated: March 23, 2006.
Angela Somma,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-4604 Filed 3-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S

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