Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings, 15488 [E8-5864]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 57 / Monday, March 24, 2008 / Notices
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14. The States shall periodically
review observation data collected by the
Corps Fisheries Field Unit to determine
if additional individually identifiable
California sea lions qualify as predatory
(as defined in paragraph 1) and notify
the NMFS Northwest Regional
Administrator if any additional sea lions
are identified. NMFS may amend the
Appendix, as described in paragraph 2.
15. After the third year of sea lion
removals (in June of 2010), the States
and NMFS shall review whether the
average observed salmonid predation
rate has fallen below 1 percent of the
observed fish passage at the dam. If the
Regional Administrator, NMFS
Northwest Region determines that such
predation rate has fallen below 1
percent, no lethal removal is authorized
for the following year.
16. This authorization may be
modified or revoked by NMFS at any
time with 72 hours notice.
17. This authorization is valid until
June 30, 2012, at which time it may be
extended for an additional period of five
years.
Pursuant to MMPA section 120(c)(5),
and after receipt of reports from the
States covering the first three years of
authorized activity, NMFS will
reconvene the Task Force to evaluate
the States’ reports and the effectiveness
of the actions and any lethal take. NMFS
will consider the reports, the Task Force
recommendations, and the issues set out
in section 120(c) of the MMPA, and may
modify the authorization and conditions
for the coming year(s), or revoke the
authorization for lethal take.
NMFS requests that the States
continue to cooperate in the pursuit of
alternative technologies or methods to
reduce California sea lion predation on
salmonids in order to reduce the
number of permanent removals of sea
lions to the extent practicable.
Additionally, if resources are available,
the States are encouraged to monitor
pinniped impacts on salmonids
elsewhere in the lower Columbia River.
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)
NEPA requires that Federal agencies
conduct an environmental analysis of
their actions to determine if the actions
may affect the environment. Depending
on the action and whether the impacts
to the environment would be
significant, Federal agencies may
prepare and EA or environmental
impact statement. When NMFS
announced its intention to convene a
Task Force, it advised the public that it
would conduct the necessary analysis
under NEPA. Prior to convening the first
Task Force meeting, NMFS conducted
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16:33 Mar 21, 2008
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internal scoping under NEPA. Based on
information in the States’ application
and public comments received on that
application, NMFS concluded the
appropriate level of analysis was an EA.
After receiving and reviewing the Task
Force recommendations, NMFS
developed a proposed action, a range of
reasonable alternatives and evaluated
the environmental impacts of the
proposed action in a draft EA. The
proposed action, which NMFS has
determined is the agency’s preferred
alternative is the partial approval of the
States’ section 120 application for lethal
removal of California sea lions at
Bonneville Dam, under certain
conditions.
The draft EA was made available for
public comment for 30 days. More than
3,500 comments were received during
the public comment period, including
comments from several Task Force
member organizations (e.g., States,
Tribes, Humane Society of the United
States) and others including the Marine
Mammal Commission, and
Congressional office of Representative
Doc Hastings.
After reviewing public comments on
the draft EA, NMFS has completed its
evaluation of the environmental
consequences of the proposed action
and concluded that it will not result in
any significant impacts on the human
environment and, therefore, has made a
finding of no significant Impact
(FONSI). The draft EA, EA and FONSI
were prepared in accordance with
NEPA and implementing regulations at
40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508 and
NOAA Administrative Order 216–6.
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
Pursuant to section 305(b) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS
conducted an essential fish habitat
consultation on its decision to partially
approve the States’ application. NMFS
determined that lethal removal activities
would not result in adverse effects to
freshwater EFH for Chinook and coho
salmon.
Dated: March 17, 2008.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–5902 Filed 3–21–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
PO 00000
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XG21
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council; Public Meetings
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of cancelation of public
meetings.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council has canceled its
Shrimp Advisory Panel (AP) meeting
via conference call.
DATES: The Shrimp AP conference call
will not be held March 31, 2008 at 10
a.m. e.s.t.
ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The
meeting was to be held via conference
call and listening stations are no longer
available. For specific locations see
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Council address: Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council, 2203
North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa,
Florida, 33607.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick
Leard, Deputy Director, Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council;
telephone: 813–348–1630.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf
Council has canceled the conference
call meeting of the Shrimp AP. The
meeting published at 73 FR 13211,
March 12, 2008, and it will not be
rescheduled.
Dated: March 19, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–5864 Filed 3–21–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN: 0648–XG55
Fisheries of the South Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico; South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (SAFMC); Public
Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council) will
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[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 57 (Monday, March 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 15488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5864]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG21
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of cancelation of public meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has canceled its
Shrimp Advisory Panel (AP) meeting via conference call.
DATES: The Shrimp AP conference call will not be held March 31, 2008 at
10 a.m. e.s.t.
ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meeting was to be held via conference
call and listening stations are no longer available. For specific
locations see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203
North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, Florida, 33607.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Leard, Deputy Director, Gulf of
Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: 813-348-1630.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf Council has canceled the conference
call meeting of the Shrimp AP. The meeting published at 73 FR 13211,
March 12, 2008, and it will not be rescheduled.
Dated: March 19, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-5864 Filed 3-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
