Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Trawl Rationalization Program; 2018 Cost Recovery, 61752-61754 [2017-28185]
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61752
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 249 / Friday, December 29, 2017 / Notices
definition are threaded, grooved, and
bolted fittings, and fittings made from
any material other than stainless steel.
The butt-weld fittings subject to these
Orders are generally designated under
specification ASTM A403/A403M, the
standard specification for Wrought
Austenitic Stainless Steel Piping
Fittings, or its foreign equivalents (e.g.,
DIN or JIS specifications). This
specification covers two general classes
of fittings, WP and CR, of wrought
austenitic stainless steel fittings of
seamless and welded construction
covered by the latest revision of ANSI
B16.9, ANSI B16.11, and ANSI B16.28.
Butt-weld fittings manufactured to
specification ASTM A774, or its foreign
equivalents, are also covered by the
Orders.
These Orders do not apply to cast
fittings. Cast austenitic stainless steel
pipe fittings are covered by
specifications A351/A351M, A743/
743M, and A744/A744M.
The butt-weld fittings subject to these
Orders are currently classifiable under
subheading 7307.23.0000 of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States (HTSUS). Although the
HTSUS subheadings are provided for
convenience and customs purposes, the
written description of the scope of these
Orders is dispositive.
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
Continuation of the Orders
As a result of the determinations by
Commerce and the ITC that revocation
of the Orders would likely lead to a
continuation or recurrence of dumping
and material injury to an industry in the
United States, pursuant to section
751(d)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.218(a), Commerce hereby orders the
continuation of the Orders. U.S.
Customs and Border Protection will
continue to collect cash deposits at the
rates in effect at the time of entry for all
imports of subject merchandise.
The effective date of the continuation
of the Orders will be the date of
publication in the Federal Register of
this notice of continuation. Pursuant to
section 751(c)(2) of the Act, the
Department intends to initiate the next
five-year reviews of the Orders not later
than 30 days prior to the fifth
anniversary of the effective date of
continuation.
These five-year (sunset) reviews and
this notice are in accordance with
sections 751(c) of the Act and published
pursuant to section 777(i)(1) of the Act
and 19 CFR 351.218(f)(4).
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Dated: December 21, 2017.
Gary Taverman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping
and Countervailing Duty Operations,
performing the non-exclusive functions and
duties of the Assistant Secretary for
Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2017–28196 Filed 12–28–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XF910
Marine Mammals; File No. 21295
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
Eye of the Whale (Olga von Ziegesar,
Responsible Party and Principal
Investigator), P.O. Box 15191, Fritz
Creek, AK 99603, has applied in due
form for a permit to conduct research on
humpback whales (Megaptera
novaeangliae).
SUMMARY:
Written, telefaxed, or email
comments must be received on or before
January 29, 2018.
ADDRESSES: The application and related
documents are available for review by
selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public
Comment’’ from the ‘‘Features’’ box on
the Applications and Permits for
Protected Species (APPS) home page,
https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then
selecting File No. 21295 from the list of
available applications.
These documents are also available
upon written request or by appointment
in the Permits and Conservation
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301) 427–8401; fax (301) 713–0376.
Written comments on this application
should be submitted to the Chief,
Permits and Conservation Division, at
the address listed above. Comments may
also be submitted by facsimile to (301)
713–0376, or by email to
NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please
include the File No. in the subject line
of the email comment.
Those individuals requesting a public
hearing should submit a written request
to the Chief, Permits and Conservation
Division at the address listed above. The
request should set forth the specific
reasons why a hearing on this
application would be appropriate.
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amy Hapeman or Carrie Hubard, (301)
427–8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
subject permit is requested under the
authority of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act of 1972, as amended
(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the
regulations governing the taking and
importing of marine mammals (50 CFR
part 216), the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.), and the regulations governing
the taking, importing, and exporting of
endangered and threatened species (50
CFR parts 222–226).
The applicant requests a five-year
scientific research permit to continue
long-term monitoring of humpback
whales in Prince William Sound and
adjacent waters of Alaska. Up to 300
takes for close vessel approach, photoidentification and behavioral
observation of whales are requested
annually to better define abundance,
distribution, reoccurrence of old
individuals vs. new individuals, feeding
habits, associations between animals,
and sex of individual whales.
In compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial
determination has been made that the
activity proposed is categorically
excluded from the requirement to
prepare an environmental assessment or
environmental impact statement.
Concurrent with the publication of
this notice in the Federal Register,
NMFS is forwarding copies of the
application to the Marine Mammal
Commission and its Committee of
Scientific Advisors.
Dated: December 26, 2017.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–28179 Filed 12–28–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XF888
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
Fisheries Off West Coast States;
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery;
Trawl Rationalization Program; 2018
Cost Recovery
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 249 / Friday, December 29, 2017 / Notices
Notice, 2018 cost recovery fee
percentages and mothership cooperative
(MS) sector pricing.
ACTION:
This action provides
participants in the Pacific coast
groundfish trawl rationalization
program with the 2018 fee percentages
and ‘‘MS pricing’’ needed to calculate
the required payments for trawl
rationalization program cost recovery
fees due in 2018. For calendar year
2018, NMFS announces the following
fee percentages by sector: 3.0 percent for
the Shorebased Individual Fishing
Quota (IFQ) Sector; 0 percent for the MS
sector; and 0 percent for the Catcher/
Processer Cooperative (C/P) sector. For
2018, the MS pricing to be used as a
proxy by the C/P sector is $0.09/lb for
Pacific whiting.
DATES: Applicable January 1, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christopher Biegel, Cost Recovery
Program Coordinator, (503) 231–6291,
fax (503) 872–2737, email
Christopher.Biegel@NOAA.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
(MSA) requires NMFS to collect fees to
recover the costs directly related to the
management, data collection, and
enforcement of a limited access
privilege program (LAPP) (16 U.S.C.
1854(d)(2)), also called ‘‘cost recovery.’’
The Pacific coast groundfish trawl
rationalization program is a LAPP,
implemented in 2011, and consists of
three sectors: The Shorebased IFQ
sector; the MS Coop sector; and the C/
P Coop sector. In accordance with the
MSA, and based on a recommended
structure and methodology developed in
coordination with the Pacific Fishery
Management Council, NMFS began
collecting mandatory fees of up to three
percent of the ex-vessel value of
groundfish from each sector in 2014.
NMFS collects the fees to recover the
incremental costs of management, data
collection, and enforcement of the trawl
rationalization program. Additional
background can be found in the cost
recovery proposed and final rules, 78 FR
7371 (February 1, 2013) and 78 FR
75268 (December 11, 2013),
respectively. The details of cost
recovery for the groundfish trawl
rationalization program are in regulation
at 50 CFR 660.115 (trawl fishery cost
recovery program), § 660.140
(Shorebased IFQ Program), § 660.150
(MS Coop Program), and § 660.160 (C/P
Coop Program).
By December 31 of each year, NMFS
must announce the next year’s fee
percentages, and the applicable MS
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SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:09 Dec 28, 2017
Jkt 244001
pricing for the C/P sector. NMFS
calculated the 2018 fee percentages by
sector using the best available
information. For 2018, the fee
percentages by sector, taking into
account direct program costs (DPCs) and
any adjustments, are:
• 3.0 percent for the Shorebased IFQ
sector;
• 0 percent for the MS sector; and
• 0 percent for the C/P sector.
To calculate the fee percentages,
NMFS used the formula specified in
regulation at § 660.115(b)(1), where the
fee percentage by sector equals the
lower of three percent or DPC for that
sector divided by total ex-vessel value
(V) for that sector multiplied by 100
(Fee percentage = the lower of 3 percent
or (DPC/V) x 100).
As defined in the regulations at
§ 660.115(b)(1)(i), DCP are the actual
incremental costs for the previous fiscal
year directly related to the management,
data collection, and enforcement of each
sector. Actual incremental costs means
those net costs that would not have been
incurred but for the implementation of
the trawl rationalization program,
including both increased costs for new
requirements of the program and
reduced costs resulting from any
program efficiencies. NMFS only
included the cost of employees’ time
(salary and benefits) spent working on
the program in calculating DPC rather
than all incremental costs of
management, data collection, and
enforcement.
As specified at § 660.115(b)(1)(ii), V is
the total ex-vessel value, as defined at
§ 660.111, for each sector from the
previous calendar year. To calculate V
for use in determining 2018 fee
percentages, NMFS used the ex-vessel
value for 2016 as reported in Pacific
Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN)
from electronic fish tickets. The
electronic fish ticket data in PacFIN is
for the Shorebased IFQ sector.
Therefore, the ex-vessel value for both
the MS sector and the C/P sector is a
proxy based on the Shorebased IFQ
sector ex-vessel price and on the
retained catch estimates (weight) from
the observer data for the MS and C/P
sectors.
Ex-vessel values and amounts landed
each year fluctuate, and the amount
NMFS collects each year in cost
recovery fees also fluctuate accordingly.
When the cost recovery fees collected by
NMFS are greater or less than the actual
net incremental costs incurred for a
given year, the fee percentage for the
following year will be adjusted as
specified at § 660.115(b)(1)(i).
NMFS’ internal process for
categorizing and tracking employee time
PO 00000
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61753
in the trawl rationalization program has
been refined over the years. For
example, the use of the ‘‘general’’ time
coding option was phased out by the
West Coast Region and was no longer
used as of fiscal year 2015. NMFS has
continued its efforts to ensure that
employee time is only tracked for time
spent on tasks that that would not have
been incurred but for the
implementation of the trawl
rationalization program, taking into
account reduced costs resulting from
any program efficiencies.
The DPC values used to determine the
2018 fee percentages reflect any
adjustments for past over or under
payment. The 2018 fee is consistent
with the decision in Glacier Fish Co.
LLC v. Pritzker, 832 F.3d 1113 (9th Cir.
2016). Based on estimated fees received
in 2017, the adjusted DPCs for 2018 are:
Shorebased IFQ Program: $2,179,402.10
MS Coop Program: ¥$132,607.08
C/P Coop Program: ¥$132,607.08
And the fee calculations using the
adjusted 2017 DPCs are:
Shorebased IFQ sector: 3.0 percent = the
lower of 3 percent or
($2,179,402.10/$46,206,889.00) ×
100
MS sector: ¥1.1 percent = the lower of
3 percent or (¥$132,607.08/
$12,214,290.70) × 100
C/P sector: ¥0.5 percent = the lower of
3 percent or (¥$132,607.08/
$21,314,877.96) × 100.
As a fee cannot be set using a negative
percentage, the 2018 fee percentages for
the MS sector and the C/P sector will be
set at 0.0 percent.
MS pricing is the average price per
pound that the C/P sector will use to
determine their fee amount due (MS
pricing multiplied by the value of the
aggregate pounds of all groundfish
species harvested by the vessel
registered to a C/P-endorsed limited
entry trawl permit, multiplied by the
C/P fee percentage, equals the fee
amount due). In past years, MS pricing
was based on the average price per
pound of Pacific whiting as reported in
PacFIN from the Shorebased IFQ
Program. In other words, data from the
IFQ fishery was used as a proxy for the
MS average price per pound to
determine the MS pricing used in the
calculation for the C/P sector’s fee
amount due. For 2018 MS pricing,
NMFS used values derived from those
reported on the MS sector cost recovery
form from calendar year 2016 as this
was determined to be the best
information available. NMFS has
calculated the 2018 MS pricing to be
used as a proxy by the C/P sector as:
$0.09/lb for Pacific whiting.
E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM
29DEN1
61754
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 249 / Friday, December 29, 2017 / Notices
Cost recovery fees are submitted to
NMFS by Fish buyers via Pay.gov
(https://www.pay.gov/paygov/). Fish
buyers registered with Pay.gov can login
in the upper left-hand corner of the
screen. Fish buyers not registered with
Pay.gov can go to the cost recovery
forms directly from the website below.
The links to the pay.gov forms for each
sector (IFQ, MS, or C/P) are listed
below:
IFQ: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/
start/58062865;
MS: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/
start/58378422;
CP: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/
start/58102817.
As stated in the preamble to the cost
recovery proposed and final rules, in the
spring of each year, NMFS will release
an annual report documenting the
details and data used for the above
calculations. The report will include
information such as the fee percentage
calculation, program costs, and exvessel value by sector. Annual reports
are available at https://
www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/
fisheries/groundfish_catch_shares/
rules_regulations/costrecovery.html.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 26, 2017.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–28185 Filed 12–28–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL
PROTECTION
[Docket No. CFPB–2017–0041]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Comment Request
Bureau of Consumer Financial
Protection.
ACTION: Notice and request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), the Bureau of Consumer
Financial Protection (Bureau) is
requesting to renew the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
approval for an existing information
collection, titled, ‘‘Generic Information
Collection Plan for Studies of
Consumers using Controlled Trials in
Field and Economic Laboratory
Settings.’’
ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
Written comments are
encouraged and must be received on or
before January 29, 2018 to be assured of
consideration.
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:09 Dec 28, 2017
Jkt 244001
You may submit comments,
identified by the title of the information
collection, OMB Control Number (see
below), and docket number (see above),
by any of the following methods:
• Electronic: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• OMB: Office of Management and
Budget, New Executive Office Building,
Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 or
fax to (202) 395–5806. Mailed or faxed
comments to OMB should be to the
attention of the OMB Desk Officer for
the Bureau of Consumer Financial
Protection.
Please note that comments submitted
after the comment period will not be
accepted. In general, all comments
received will become public records,
including any personal information
provided. Sensitive personal
information, such as account numbers
or Social Security numbers, should not
be included.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Documentation prepared in support of
this information collection request is
available at www.reginfo.gov (this link
becomes active on the day following
publication of this notice). Select
‘‘Information Collection Review,’’ under
‘‘Currently under review,’’ use the
dropdown menu ‘‘Select Agency’’ and
select ‘‘Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau’’ (recent submissions to OMB
will be at the top of the list). The same
documentation is also available at
https://www.regulations.gov. Requests for
additional information should be
directed to the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau, (Attention: PRA
Office), 1700 G Street NW, Washington,
DC 20552, (202) 435–9575, or email:
CFPB_PRA@cfpb.gov. Please do not
submit comments to this email box.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Generic
Information Collection Plan for Studies
of Consumers using Controlled Trials in
Field and Economic Laboratory Settings.
OMB Control Number: 3170–0048.
Type of Review: Extension without
change of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Individuals and
Households.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
42,600.
Estimated Total Burden Hours:
38,400.
Abstract: Under the Dodd-Frank Wall
Street Reform and Consumer Protection
Act, the Bureau is tasked with
researching, analyzing, and reporting on
topics relating to the Bureau’s mission,
including developments in markets for
consumer financial products and
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00027
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
services, consumer awareness, and
consumer behavior. The Bureau seeks to
renew the OMB approval for a generic
information collection plan to collect
data from purposive samples through
controlled trials in field and economic
laboratory settings. This research will be
used for developmental and informative
purposes in order to increase the
Bureau’s understanding of consumer
credit markets and household financial
decision-making. Basic research projects
will be submitted under this clearance.
This is a routine request for OMB to
renew its approval of the collections of
information currently approved under
this OMB control number. The Bureau
is not proposing any new or revised
collections of information pursuant to
this request.
Request for Comments: The Bureau
issued a 60-day Federal Register notice
on October 3, 2017, 82 FR 46042, Docket
Number: CFPB–2017–0033. Comments
were solicited and continue to be
invited on: (a) Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Bureau, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(b) The accuracy of the Bureau’s
estimate of the burden of the collection
of information, including the validity of
the methods and the assumptions used;
(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) Ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology. Comments submitted in
response to this notice will be reviewed
by OMB as part of its review of this
request. All comments will become a
matter of public record.
Dated: December 22, 2017.
Linda F. Powell,
Chief Data Officer, Bureau of Consumer
Financial Protection.
[FR Doc. 2017–28204 Filed 12–28–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810–AM–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings
Take notice that the Commission has
received the following Natural Gas
Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings:
Filings Instituting Proceedings
Docket Number: PR18–13–000.
Applicants: Montana-Dakota Utilities
Co.
E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM
29DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 249 (Friday, December 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61752-61754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28185]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XF888
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States;
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Trawl Rationalization Program; 2018
Cost Recovery
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
[[Page 61753]]
ACTION: Notice, 2018 cost recovery fee percentages and mothership
cooperative (MS) sector pricing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This action provides participants in the Pacific coast
groundfish trawl rationalization program with the 2018 fee percentages
and ``MS pricing'' needed to calculate the required payments for trawl
rationalization program cost recovery fees due in 2018. For calendar
year 2018, NMFS announces the following fee percentages by sector: 3.0
percent for the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Sector; 0
percent for the MS sector; and 0 percent for the Catcher/Processer
Cooperative (C/P) sector. For 2018, the MS pricing to be used as a
proxy by the C/P sector is $0.09/lb for Pacific whiting.
DATES: Applicable January 1, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Biegel, Cost Recovery
Program Coordinator, (503) 231-6291, fax (503) 872-2737, email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson[hyphen]Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (MSA) requires NMFS to collect fees to
recover the costs directly related to the management, data collection,
and enforcement of a limited access privilege program (LAPP) (16 U.S.C.
1854(d)(2)), also called ``cost recovery.'' The Pacific coast
groundfish trawl rationalization program is a LAPP, implemented in
2011, and consists of three sectors: The Shorebased IFQ sector; the MS
Coop sector; and the C/P Coop sector. In accordance with the MSA, and
based on a recommended structure and methodology developed in
coordination with the Pacific Fishery Management Council, NMFS began
collecting mandatory fees of up to three percent of the
ex[hyphen]vessel value of groundfish from each sector in 2014. NMFS
collects the fees to recover the incremental costs of management, data
collection, and enforcement of the trawl rationalization program.
Additional background can be found in the cost recovery proposed and
final rules, 78 FR 7371 (February 1, 2013) and 78 FR 75268 (December
11, 2013), respectively. The details of cost recovery for the
groundfish trawl rationalization program are in regulation at 50 CFR
660.115 (trawl fishery cost recovery program), Sec. 660.140
(Shorebased IFQ Program), Sec. 660.150 (MS Coop Program), and Sec.
660.160 (C/P Coop Program).
By December 31 of each year, NMFS must announce the next year's fee
percentages, and the applicable MS pricing for the C/P sector. NMFS
calculated the 2018 fee percentages by sector using the best available
information. For 2018, the fee percentages by sector, taking into
account direct program costs (DPCs) and any adjustments, are:
3.0 percent for the Shorebased IFQ sector;
0 percent for the MS sector; and
0 percent for the C/P sector.
To calculate the fee percentages, NMFS used the formula specified
in regulation at Sec. 660.115(b)(1), where the fee percentage by
sector equals the lower of three percent or DPC for that sector divided
by total ex-vessel value (V) for that sector multiplied by 100 (Fee
percentage = the lower of 3 percent or (DPC/V) x 100).
As defined in the regulations at Sec. 660.115(b)(1)(i), DCP are
the actual incremental costs for the previous fiscal year directly
related to the management, data collection, and enforcement of each
sector. Actual incremental costs means those net costs that would not
have been incurred but for the implementation of the trawl
rationalization program, including both increased costs for new
requirements of the program and reduced costs resulting from any
program efficiencies. NMFS only included the cost of employees' time
(salary and benefits) spent working on the program in calculating DPC
rather than all incremental costs of management, data collection, and
enforcement.
As specified at Sec. 660.115(b)(1)(ii), V is the total ex-vessel
value, as defined at Sec. 660.111, for each sector from the previous
calendar year. To calculate V for use in determining 2018 fee
percentages, NMFS used the ex-vessel value for 2016 as reported in
Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN) from electronic fish
tickets. The electronic fish ticket data in PacFIN is for the
Shorebased IFQ sector. Therefore, the ex-vessel value for both the MS
sector and the C/P sector is a proxy based on the Shorebased IFQ sector
ex-vessel price and on the retained catch estimates (weight) from the
observer data for the MS and C/P sectors.
Ex-vessel values and amounts landed each year fluctuate, and the
amount NMFS collects each year in cost recovery fees also fluctuate
accordingly. When the cost recovery fees collected by NMFS are greater
or less than the actual net incremental costs incurred for a given
year, the fee percentage for the following year will be adjusted as
specified at Sec. 660.115(b)(1)(i).
NMFS' internal process for categorizing and tracking employee time
in the trawl rationalization program has been refined over the years.
For example, the use of the ``general'' time coding option was phased
out by the West Coast Region and was no longer used as of fiscal year
2015. NMFS has continued its efforts to ensure that employee time is
only tracked for time spent on tasks that that would not have been
incurred but for the implementation of the trawl rationalization
program, taking into account reduced costs resulting from any program
efficiencies.
The DPC values used to determine the 2018 fee percentages reflect
any adjustments for past over or under payment. The 2018 fee is
consistent with the decision in Glacier Fish Co. LLC v. Pritzker, 832
F.3d 1113 (9th Cir. 2016). Based on estimated fees received in 2017,
the adjusted DPCs for 2018 are:
Shorebased IFQ Program: $2,179,402.10
MS Coop Program: -$132,607.08
C/P Coop Program: -$132,607.08
And the fee calculations using the adjusted 2017 DPCs are:
Shorebased IFQ sector: 3.0 percent = the lower of 3 percent or
($2,179,402.10/$46,206,889.00) x 100
MS sector: -1.1 percent = the lower of 3 percent or (-$132,607.08/
$12,214,290.70) x 100
C/P sector: -0.5 percent = the lower of 3 percent or (-$132,607.08/
$21,314,877.96) x 100.
As a fee cannot be set using a negative percentage, the 2018 fee
percentages for the MS sector and the C/P sector will be set at 0.0
percent.
MS pricing is the average price per pound that the C/P sector will
use to determine their fee amount due (MS pricing multiplied by the
value of the aggregate pounds of all groundfish species harvested by
the vessel registered to a C/P-endorsed limited entry trawl permit,
multiplied by the C/P fee percentage, equals the fee amount due). In
past years, MS pricing was based on the average price per pound of
Pacific whiting as reported in PacFIN from the Shorebased IFQ Program.
In other words, data from the IFQ fishery was used as a proxy for the
MS average price per pound to determine the MS pricing used in the
calculation for the C/P sector's fee amount due. For 2018 MS pricing,
NMFS used values derived from those reported on the MS sector cost
recovery form from calendar year 2016 as this was determined to be the
best information available. NMFS has calculated the 2018 MS pricing to
be used as a proxy by the C/P sector as: $0.09/lb for Pacific whiting.
[[Page 61754]]
Cost recovery fees are submitted to NMFS by Fish buyers via Pay.gov
(https://www.pay.gov/paygov/). Fish buyers registered with Pay.gov can
login in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Fish buyers not
registered with Pay.gov can go to the cost recovery forms directly from
the website below. The links to the pay.gov forms for each sector (IFQ,
MS, or C/P) are listed below:
IFQ: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/58062865;
MS: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/58378422;
CP: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/58102817.
As stated in the preamble to the cost recovery proposed and final
rules, in the spring of each year, NMFS will release an annual report
documenting the details and data used for the above calculations. The
report will include information such as the fee percentage calculation,
program costs, and ex-vessel value by sector. Annual reports are
available at https://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/groundfish_catch_shares/rules_regulations/costrecovery.html.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 26, 2017.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-28185 Filed 12-28-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
