Draft Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary: Notice of Public Availability and Meetings, 24952-24953 [E8-9977]
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24952
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 88 / Tuesday, May 6, 2008 / Notices
TABLE 2: ESTIMATED CATCH AND DIS- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
CARDS BY SPECIES LB (KG)—ConNational Oceanic and Atmospheric
tinued
Administration
Species
Harvest
Discards
Cod
6,000
(2,721.6)
600 (272.2)
Monkfish
4,500
(2,041.2)
900 (408.2)
Grey Sole
900 (408.2)
100 (45.4)
Pollock
600 (272.2)
50 (22.7)
American
Plaice
600 (272.2)
100 (45.4)
Winter Flounder
300 (136.1)
100 (45.4)
Redfish
1,200
(544.3)
300 (136.1)
Whiting
300 (136.1)
50 (22.7)
Hake sp.
300 (136.1)
100 (45.4)
Dogfish
0 (0)
3,000
(1,360.8)
Skate sp.
0 (0)
2,400
(1,088.6)
Lumpfish
0 (0)
600 (272.2)
Lobster
0 (0)
600 (272.2)
Crab sp.
0 (0)
600 (272.2)
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 1, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–9967 Filed 5–5–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
17:11 May 05, 2008
Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of public availability and
meetings.
AGENCY:
The applicants may request minor
modifications and extensions to the EFP
throughout the course of research. EFP
modifications and extensions may be
granted without further public notice if
they are deemed essential to facilitate
completion of the proposed research
and result in only a minimal change in
the scope or impacts of the initially
approved EFP request.
In accordance with NAO
Administrative Order 216–6, a
Categorical Exclusion or other
appropriate NEPA document would be
completed prior to the issuance of the
EFP. Further review and consultation
may be necessary before a final
determination is made to issue the EFP.
After publication of this document in
the Federal Register, the EFP, if
approved, may become effective
following the public comment period.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
Draft Management Plan and
Environmental Assessment for the
Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank
National Marine Sanctuary: Notice of
Public Availability and Meetings
Jkt 214001
SUMMARY: In accordance with section
304(e) of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act, as amended, (NMSA)
NOAA is soliciting public comment on
the draft management plan and draft
environmental assessment for the Gerry
E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary.
DATES: Comments: Comments on the
draft management plan and draft
environmental assessment will be
considered if received on or before
August 4, 2008.
Public meetings: See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section below for the dates
and locations for the public meetings.
ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy: For a
copy of the draft management plan and
draft environmental assessment, contact
the Management Plan Review
Coordinator, Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary, 175 Edward Foster
Rd., Scituate, MA 02066. Copies can
also be downloaded from the SBNMS
Web site at https://stellwagen.noaa.gov.
To submit comments: Comments on
the draft management plan and draft
environmental assessment may be
submitted by one of the following
methods:
1. In writing to the SBNMS
Management Plan Review Coordinator
(see to obtain a copy section above);
2. By e-mail to sbplan@noaa.gov; or
3. By providing comments (oral or
written) at one of the public meetings
(see public meetings section below).
Public meetings: See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section for the dates and
locations for the public meetings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Benjamin Cowie-Haskell at (781) 545–
8026 or via e-mail at sbplan@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
Congress designated the Gerry E.
Studds Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary (sanctuary or SBNMS)
through the Oceans Act of 1992
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(November 4, 1992; Public Law 102–587
at section 2202). In 1993, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) issued final
regulations and released a final
management plan and environmental
impact statement (EIS) to implement
this designation (NOAA 1993). Section
304(e) of the NMSA requires NOAA to
review its management plans for
national marine sanctuaries every five
years, and to evaluate the substantive
progress toward implementing the
management plans and goals for each
sanctuary, especially the effectiveness of
site-specific management techniques (16
U.S.C. 1434(e)).
In accordance with this requirement,
NOAA initiated a review of the SBNMS
management plan in 1998. This review
was done in cooperation with members
of the Sanctuary Advisory Council
(SAC), a group formed of members of
the public to provide advice to the
sanctuary superintendent on the
management and protection of
sanctuary resources. The review was
delayed two years due to a change in
sanctuary management. NOAA restarted
the review in June of 2002 with the
publication of the ‘‘State of the
Sanctuary Report,’’ which set the stage
for the scoping meetings and public
comment period that ended on October
18, 2002.
The review revealed that many of the
initial goals and objectives of the
original 1993 management plan had
been met; however, in some areas these
goals and objectives were non-specific
and general in scope and/or based on
limited scientific knowledge. New
information about the natural and
cultural resources of the sanctuary and
the human uses of the resources made
it apparent to NOAA that the plan was
out-of date and outmoded. NOAA
decided to incorporate this new
knowledge by developing a new
approach to managing the sanctuary,
including an updated vision, mission,
and statement of goals and objectives. In
addition, NOAA revised the content and
formatting requirements for all national
marine sanctuary management plans.
The ultimate purpose of this revised
draft management plan is to update
NOAA’s approach to managing,
protecting, and restoring the resources
of the sanctuary pursuant to the
purposes and policies of the NMSA. In
April 2007, a report on the condition of
sanctuary resources was released for
public review and set the stage for this
draft management plan.
Management Plan Contents
The SBNMS draft management plan
serves as a non-regulatory policy
E:\FR\FM\06MYN1.SGM
06MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 88 / Tuesday, May 6, 2008 / Notices
framework for addressing the issues
facing the sanctuary over the next five
years. It lays the foundation for restoring
and protecting the sanctuary’s
ecosystem; details the human pressures
that threaten the qualities and resources
of the sanctuary; and recommends
actions that should be taken both now
and in the future to better manage the
area and resources.
This document provides strategic
guidance for management actions and
focuses these actions on four priority
programmatic areas: capacity building,
ecosystem protection, marine mammal
protection and maritime heritage
management. The eleven action plans
detailed in the draft management plan
address issues relative to these four
areas, and are based extensively on the
advice of working groups established by
the SAC, cooperative coordination with
other government agencies and
organizations and ongoing public input.
The draft environmental assessment
analyzes the environmental impacts of
June 5 .....................
Portland, ME ..........................................
June 9 .....................
Wenham, MA .........................................
June 10 ...................
Boston, MA ............................................
June 11 ...................
Plymouth, MA ........................................
June 12 ...................
Hyannis, MA ..........................................
June 16 ...................
Portsmouth, NH .....................................
June 17 ...................
North Dartmouth, MA ............................
June 19 ...................
Mystic, CT ..............................................
Dated: April 21, 2008.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. E8–9977 Filed 5–5–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN: 0648–XH68
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council will convene a
joint meeting of The Standing and
Special Reef Fish SSCs (SSC).
DATES: The Joint Standing and Special
Reef Fish SSC meeting will begin at 1:30
p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 and
conclude by 3 p.m. on Thursday, May
29, 2008.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Quorum Hotel, 700 N. Westshore
Blvd., Tampa, FL 33609; telephone:
(813) 289–8200.
Council address: Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council, 2203
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:11 May 05, 2008
Jkt 214001
Frm 00016
the revised management plan pursuant
to the National Environmental Policy
Act. In doing so, it analyzes two
alternatives: the status quo (no change
to the 1993 management plan) and the
preferred alternative (revising the 1993
management plan).
Public Meetings
Public meetings will be held at the
following locations and dates:
University of Southern Maine Law School, Talbot Lecture Hall, 88 Bedford
Street.
Gordon College, Lane Student Center, President’s Dining Room, 255 Grapevine Road.
Boston University, School of Management, 4th Floor, Rooms 426 and 428, 595
Commonwealth Ave.
Hilton Garden Inn Plymouth, Plymouth Rooms 1 and 2, Four Home Depot
Drive.
The Cape Codder Resort, JFK Ballroom, 1225 Iyanough Road, Route 132 &
Bearse’s Way.
Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel, Harbor’s Edge Room, 250 Market
Street.
University of Massachusetts—Dartmouth, Woodland Common, 285 Old Westport Road.
Mystic Aquarium, Main Exhibit Hall, 55 Coogan Boulevard.
North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa,
FL 33607.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steven Atran, Population Dynamics
Statistician; Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council; telephone: (813)
348–1630.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Joint
Standing and Special Reef Fish SSC will
meet to review scientific information on
the Gulf of Mexico gag and red grouper
stocks, and to review draft Reef Fish
Amendment 29 dealing with grouper
and tilefish effort management. At the
April 7–11, 2008 Council meeting, the
Council heard an outside review of the
gag stock assessment by Dr. Trevor
Kenchington, Gadus Associates, in
which it was suggested that overfishing
of gag had ended in 2006. The Council
also heard a review of the assessment
from the Southeast Fisheries Science
Center (SEFSC), along with updated
indices of abundance which suggested
that, after peaking in 2004, the gag and
red grouper stock levels are again
declining. The SSC will review and
discuss the information from Dr.
Kenchington and the SEFSC, and will
advise the Council with regard to recent
trends in abundance of gag and red
grouper, current estimates of spawning
stock biomass (SSB), current estimates
of natural mortality, the extent to which
reduced effort and/or reduced SSB are
contributing to a reduction in landings,
and recommendations for appropriate
catch levels. The SSC will also review
PO 00000
24953
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the appropriate baseline to use when
determining percent reductions needed
in harvest. If time permits, the SSC will
also review a red grouper yield per
recruit analyses which was prepared
last fall by the SEFSC but has not yet
been reviewed by the SSC.
The SSC will also review the
alternatives in draft Reef Fish
Amendment 29. This Amendment
proposes to rationalize effort and reduce
overcapacity in the commercial Gulf of
Mexico grouper and tilefish fisheries in
order to achieve and maintain optimum
yield. Approaches being considered
include permit endorsements and
individual fishing quotas.
Copies of the agenda and other related
materials can be obtained by calling
(813) 348–1630.
Although other non-emergency issues
not on the agenda may come before the
SSCs for discussion, in accordance with
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
(Magnuson-Stevens Act), those issues
may not be the subject of formal action
during this meeting. Actions of the SSCs
will be restricted to those issues
specifically identified in the agenda and
any issues arising after publication of
this notice that require emergency
action under Section 305(c) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the
public has been notified of the Council’s
intent to take action to address the
emergency.
E:\FR\FM\06MYN1.SGM
06MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24952-24953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9977]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Draft Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Gerry
E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary: Notice of Public
Availability and Meetings
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of public availability and meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with section 304(e) of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act, as amended, (NMSA) NOAA is soliciting public comment
on the draft management plan and draft environmental assessment for the
Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
DATES: Comments: Comments on the draft management plan and draft
environmental assessment will be considered if received on or before
August 4, 2008.
Public meetings: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for
the dates and locations for the public meetings.
ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy: For a copy of the draft management plan
and draft environmental assessment, contact the Management Plan Review
Coordinator, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, 175 Edward
Foster Rd., Scituate, MA 02066. Copies can also be downloaded from the
SBNMS Web site at https://stellwagen.noaa.gov.
To submit comments: Comments on the draft management plan and draft
environmental assessment may be submitted by one of the following
methods:
1. In writing to the SBNMS Management Plan Review Coordinator (see
to obtain a copy section above);
2. By e-mail to sbplan@noaa.gov; or
3. By providing comments (oral or written) at one of the public
meetings (see public meetings section below).
Public meetings: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for the
dates and locations for the public meetings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Benjamin Cowie-Haskell at (781) 545-
8026 or via e-mail at sbplan@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
Congress designated the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary (sanctuary or SBNMS) through the Oceans Act of 1992
(November 4, 1992; Public Law 102-587 at section 2202). In 1993, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued final
regulations and released a final management plan and environmental
impact statement (EIS) to implement this designation (NOAA 1993).
Section 304(e) of the NMSA requires NOAA to review its management plans
for national marine sanctuaries every five years, and to evaluate the
substantive progress toward implementing the management plans and goals
for each sanctuary, especially the effectiveness of site-specific
management techniques (16 U.S.C. 1434(e)).
In accordance with this requirement, NOAA initiated a review of the
SBNMS management plan in 1998. This review was done in cooperation with
members of the Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC), a group formed of
members of the public to provide advice to the sanctuary superintendent
on the management and protection of sanctuary resources. The review was
delayed two years due to a change in sanctuary management. NOAA
restarted the review in June of 2002 with the publication of the
``State of the Sanctuary Report,'' which set the stage for the scoping
meetings and public comment period that ended on October 18, 2002.
The review revealed that many of the initial goals and objectives
of the original 1993 management plan had been met; however, in some
areas these goals and objectives were non-specific and general in scope
and/or based on limited scientific knowledge. New information about the
natural and cultural resources of the sanctuary and the human uses of
the resources made it apparent to NOAA that the plan was out-of date
and outmoded. NOAA decided to incorporate this new knowledge by
developing a new approach to managing the sanctuary, including an
updated vision, mission, and statement of goals and objectives. In
addition, NOAA revised the content and formatting requirements for all
national marine sanctuary management plans. The ultimate purpose of
this revised draft management plan is to update NOAA's approach to
managing, protecting, and restoring the resources of the sanctuary
pursuant to the purposes and policies of the NMSA. In April 2007, a
report on the condition of sanctuary resources was released for public
review and set the stage for this draft management plan.
Management Plan Contents
The SBNMS draft management plan serves as a non-regulatory policy
[[Page 24953]]
framework for addressing the issues facing the sanctuary over the next
five years. It lays the foundation for restoring and protecting the
sanctuary's ecosystem; details the human pressures that threaten the
qualities and resources of the sanctuary; and recommends actions that
should be taken both now and in the future to better manage the area
and resources.
This document provides strategic guidance for management actions
and focuses these actions on four priority programmatic areas: capacity
building, ecosystem protection, marine mammal protection and maritime
heritage management. The eleven action plans detailed in the draft
management plan address issues relative to these four areas, and are
based extensively on the advice of working groups established by the
SAC, cooperative coordination with other government agencies and
organizations and ongoing public input.
The draft environmental assessment analyzes the environmental
impacts of the revised management plan pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act. In doing so, it analyzes two alternatives:
the status quo (no change to the 1993 management plan) and the
preferred alternative (revising the 1993 management plan).
Public Meetings
Public meetings will be held at the following locations and dates:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 5........................ Portland, ME..... University of
Southern Maine Law
School, Talbot
Lecture Hall, 88
Bedford Street.
June 9........................ Wenham, MA....... Gordon College, Lane
Student Center,
President's Dining
Room, 255 Grapevine
Road.
June 10....................... Boston, MA....... Boston University,
School of
Management, 4th
Floor, Rooms 426 and
428, 595
Commonwealth Ave.
June 11....................... Plymouth, MA..... Hilton Garden Inn
Plymouth, Plymouth
Rooms 1 and 2, Four
Home Depot Drive.
June 12....................... Hyannis, MA...... The Cape Codder
Resort, JFK
Ballroom, 1225
Iyanough Road, Route
132 & Bearse's Way.
June 16....................... Portsmouth, NH... Sheraton Portsmouth
Harborside Hotel,
Harbor's Edge Room,
250 Market Street.
June 17....................... North Dartmouth, University of
MA. Massachusetts--Dartm
outh, Woodland
Common, 285 Old
Westport Road.
June 19....................... Mystic, CT....... Mystic Aquarium, Main
Exhibit Hall, 55
Coogan Boulevard.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated: April 21, 2008.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. E8-9977 Filed 5-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
