Draft Arctic Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines, 3293-3294 [2017-00308]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 2017 / Notices p.m. and conclude by 3:30 p.m. For agenda details, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via webinar with a telephone-only connection option. Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 674–2331 or on their Web site at www.mafmc.org. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, telephone: (302) 526–5255. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the meeting is to review and comment on the NOAA Fisheries 2017 Enforcement Priorities. Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice 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 final action to address the emergency. Special Accommodations The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, (302) 526–5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Dated: January 6, 2017. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2017–00427 Filed 1–10–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Draft Arctic Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability. sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES AGENCY: NMFS, in an effort to increase preparedness for wildlife response under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, has drafted guidelines for marine mammal VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:05 Jan 10, 2017 Jkt 241001 Comments must be submitted on or before March 13, 2017. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA– NMFS–2016–0143, by any one of the following methods; • Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/ #!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20160143 click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments; • Mail: Submit written comments to Sadie Wright, attention Ellen Sebastian, National Marine Fisheries Service, Protected Resources Division, Alaska Region, 709 West 9th Street, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802. Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address), confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). Electronic copies of the Draft Arctic Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines and associated Appendices may be obtained from www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. DATES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: RIN 0648–XF027 SUMMARY: response in northern Alaska entitled ‘‘Arctic Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines.’’ NMFS invites the public to comment on and/or provide additional information for NMFS to consider in finalizing the guidelines. Sadie Wright, (907) 586–7630 or Sadie.Wright@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Marine mammal oil spill response and preparedness in Arctic Alaska presents many challenges including large populations of marine mammals, remote conditions, and lack of infrastructure, equipment, and trained personnel. Additionally, marine mammals are important subsistence and cultural resources for Alaska Native coastal communities, and response efforts must be cooperative with and sensitive to local communities. NMFS developed PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 3293 the Arctic Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines (Guidelines) for the Bering Strait, Northwest Alaska, and the North Slope of Alaska through stakeholder engagement to develop regionally specific and culturally sensitive response strategies. NMFS sought input on communication and response protocols for carcass collection, de-oiling, tissue sampling, necropsies, and subsistence food issues through meetings with local leaders in Nome, Kotzebue, Wainwright, and Barrow, and teleconferences and email correspondence with outlying communities. These stakeholder meetings resulted in three key recommendations for the Guidelines: (1) Include a communication structure that is locally based and efficient, (2) prioritize public health and food safety, and (3) address the lack of infrastructure, equipment, and trained personnel for response efforts. These recommendations are addressed by the Guidelines in the following ways: (1) The local stranding agreement holder or community-appointed organization(s) is the local lead, and communication protocols outline cooperative approaches between stakeholders; (2) All response protocols are congruent with food safety testing, and the Alaska state public health representative is part of the communication loop; and (3) Caches of equipment should be developed and stored in hub communities with smaller caches in outlying villages, to include modular and adaptive infrastructure for response activities. Finally, the Guidelines recommend that trainings be developed for village residents that can be deployed remotely. The draft Guidelines focus on Arctic marine mammal species under NMFS jurisdiction (principally whales and iceassociated seals), and different approaches may be appropriate for walrus and polar bears, which are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Any response to marine mammals per these Guidelines should occur in coordination with NMFS through the Incident Command Structure, if put in place for an oil spill or other major incident. Comments are invited on any aspect of the draft Guidelines. We are particularly interested in maintaining an efficient communication strategy for marine mammal disaster response in the Arctic, and seek suggestions to ensure the Guidelines provide that framework. In addition, NMFS appreciates specific suggestions on how to improve the E:\FR\FM\11JAN1.SGM 11JAN1 3294 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 2017 / Notices clarity of the Guidelines. NMFS also ˙ requests residents of Utqiagvik (Barrow) to advise on the preferred name of their town to be used in this planning/ communication document. We understand the official name is now ˙ Utqiagvik, but many responders may be more familiar with the name Barrow in the near future. Dated: January 5, 2017. Donna S. Wieting, Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2017–00308 Filed 1–10–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XF122 Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Post-Data Workshop Webinar for Atlantic Blueline Tilefish; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 50 Post-Data Workshop Webinar. AGENCY: The SEDAR 50 assessment of the Atlantic stock of blueline tilefish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: Stock ID Work Group Meeting; Data Workshop; Assessment Workshop and Webinars; and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. SUMMARY: The SEDAR 50 Post-Data Workshop Webinar will be held on Thursday, February 2, 2017, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meetings will be held via webinar. The webinar is open to members of the public. Those interested in participating should contact Julia Byrd at SEDAR (see DATES: sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT below) to request an invitation providing webinar access information. Please request webinar invitations at least 24 hours in advance of each webinar. SEDAR address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405. www.sedarweb.org. Julia Byrd, SEDAR Coordinator, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:05 Jan 10, 2017 Jkt 241001 Charleston, SC 29405; phone (843) 571– 4366; email: julia.byrd@safmc.net. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions, have implemented the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a threestep process including: (1) Data Workshop; (2) Assessment Process utilizing webinars; and (3) Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a data report which compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The product of the Assessment Process is a stock assessment report which describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. The assessment is independently peer reviewed at the Review Workshop. The product of the Review Workshop is a Summary documenting panel opinions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data. Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include: Data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); international experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies. The items of discussion at the PreData Workshop webinar are as follows: Participants will finalize data recommendations from the Data Workshop and provide early modeling advice. Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency. Special Accommodations This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the SAFMC office (see ADDRESSES) at least 10 business days prior to the meeting. The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: January 6, 2017. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2017–00426 Filed 1–10–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Telecommunications and Information Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; NTIA/FCC WebBased Frequency Coordination System National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice; information collection. AGENCY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on this proposed information collection, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104– 13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 13, 2017. ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, (202) 482– 0336, Department of Commerce, Room 6612, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via email at JJessup@doc.gov). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Bruce M. Washington at bwashington@ntia.doc.gov, (202) 482– 6415. SUMMARY: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) hosts a web-based system that collects specific identification information (e.g., entity name, location and projected E:\FR\FM\11JAN1.SGM 11JAN1

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[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3293-3294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00308]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF027


Draft Arctic Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: NMFS, in an effort to increase preparedness for wildlife 
response under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, has drafted guidelines 
for marine mammal response in northern Alaska entitled ``Arctic Marine 
Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines.'' NMFS invites the public to 
comment on and/or provide additional information for NMFS to consider 
in finalizing the guidelines.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 13, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2016-0143, by any one of the following methods;
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2016-0143 click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments;
     Mail: Submit written comments to Sadie Wright, attention 
Ellen Sebastian, National Marine Fisheries Service, Protected Resources 
Division, Alaska Region, 709 West 9th Street, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 
AK 99802.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address), confidential business information, 
or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender 
will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter 
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
    Electronic copies of the Draft Arctic Marine Mammal Disaster 
Response Guidelines and associated Appendices may be obtained from 
www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at 
alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sadie Wright, (907) 586-7630 or 
Sadie.Wright@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Marine mammal oil spill response and 
preparedness in Arctic Alaska presents many challenges including large 
populations of marine mammals, remote conditions, and lack of 
infrastructure, equipment, and trained personnel. Additionally, marine 
mammals are important subsistence and cultural resources for Alaska 
Native coastal communities, and response efforts must be cooperative 
with and sensitive to local communities. NMFS developed the Arctic 
Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines (Guidelines) for the Bering 
Strait, Northwest Alaska, and the North Slope of Alaska through 
stakeholder engagement to develop regionally specific and culturally 
sensitive response strategies.
    NMFS sought input on communication and response protocols for 
carcass collection, de-oiling, tissue sampling, necropsies, and 
subsistence food issues through meetings with local leaders in Nome, 
Kotzebue, Wainwright, and Barrow, and teleconferences and email 
correspondence with outlying communities. These stakeholder meetings 
resulted in three key recommendations for the Guidelines: (1) Include a 
communication structure that is locally based and efficient, (2) 
prioritize public health and food safety, and (3) address the lack of 
infrastructure, equipment, and trained personnel for response efforts.
    These recommendations are addressed by the Guidelines in the 
following ways:
    (1) The local stranding agreement holder or community-appointed 
organization(s) is the local lead, and communication protocols outline 
cooperative approaches between stakeholders;
    (2) All response protocols are congruent with food safety testing, 
and the Alaska state public health representative is part of the 
communication loop; and
    (3) Caches of equipment should be developed and stored in hub 
communities with smaller caches in outlying villages, to include 
modular and adaptive infrastructure for response activities.
    Finally, the Guidelines recommend that trainings be developed for 
village residents that can be deployed remotely.
    The draft Guidelines focus on Arctic marine mammal species under 
NMFS jurisdiction (principally whales and ice-associated seals), and 
different approaches may be appropriate for walrus and polar bears, 
which are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Any response 
to marine mammals per these Guidelines should occur in coordination 
with NMFS through the Incident Command Structure, if put in place for 
an oil spill or other major incident.
    Comments are invited on any aspect of the draft Guidelines. We are 
particularly interested in maintaining an efficient communication 
strategy for marine mammal disaster response in the Arctic, and seek 
suggestions to ensure the Guidelines provide that framework. In 
addition, NMFS appreciates specific suggestions on how to improve the

[[Page 3294]]

clarity of the Guidelines. NMFS also requests residents of 
Utqia[gdot]vik (Barrow) to advise on the preferred name of their town 
to be used in this planning/communication document. We understand the 
official name is now Utqia[gdot]vik, but many responders may be more 
familiar with the name Barrow in the near future.

    Dated: January 5, 2017.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-00308 Filed 1-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

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