Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting, 64112-64113 [2018-26981]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 239 / Thursday, December 13, 2018 / Notices
steelhead populations, especially in
south Puget Sound, Hood Canal, and the
Strait of Juan de Fuca. Continued
releases of out-of-DPS hatchery fish
from Skamania-derived summer run
were a major concern for diversity in the
DPS. In 2011, eight years after the ESAlisting decision, a status assessment of
the DPS by NMFS’ Biological Review
Team found that the status of Puget
Sound steelhead regarding risk of
extinction had not changed (NMFS
2016; 81 FR 33468; May 26, 2016).
Scientists on the Biological Review
Team identified degradation and
fragmentation of freshwater habitat,
with consequential effects on
connectivity, as the primary limiting
factors and threats facing the Puget
Sound steelhead DPS. They determined
that most of the steelhead populations
within the DPS continued to show
downward trends in estimated
abundance, with a few sharp declines
(Ford 2011). Most recently, a NMFS
species status review (NMFS 2016)
concluded that ‘‘The biological risks
faced by the Puget Sound steelhead DPS
have not substantively changed since
the listing in 2007, or since the 2011
status review.’’ The NMFS review team
concluded that the DPS was at very low
viability, as were all three of its
constituent MPGs, and many of its 32
DIPs (Hard et al. 2015).
The Proposed Plan presents NMFS’
proposed recovery goals and the
viability criteria and listing factor
criteria for making a delisting decision.
The proposed viability criteria for the
Puget Sound steelhead DPS are
designed to improve the DPS so it ‘‘has
a negligible risk of extinction due to
threats from demographic variation,
local environmental variation, and
genetic diversity changes over a 100year time frame’’ based on the status of
the MPGs and DIPs, and supporting
ecosystems (McElhany et al. 2000). A
self-sustaining viable population has a
negligible risk of extinction due to
reasonably foreseeable changes in
circumstances affecting its abundance,
productivity, spatial structure, and
diversity characteristics and achieves
these characteristics without
dependence upon artificial propagation.
The proposed viability criteria for Puget
Sound steelhead require that all three
MPGs be viable because the three MPGs
differ substantially in key biological and
habitat characteristics that contribute in
distinct ways to the overall viability,
diversity and spatial structure of the
DPS.
The proposed listing factor criteria are
based on the five listing factors found in
the ESA section 4(a)(1). Before NMFS
can remove the DPS from protection
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under the ESA, the factors that led to
ESA listing need to have been reduced
or eliminated to the point where Federal
protection under the ESA is no longer
needed, and there is reasonable
certainty that the relevant regulatory
mechanisms are adequate to protect
Puget Sound steelhead viability. NMFS
listing factor criteria for Puget Sound
steelhead address pressures from
freshwater habitat degradation,
hatcheries, and other factors that led to
the species listing and continue to affect
its viability.
The Proposed Plan also describes
specific information on the following:
Current status of Puget Sound steelhead;
pressures (limiting factors) and threats
throughout the life cycle that have
contributed to the species decline;
recovery strategies to address the threats
based on the best available science; sitespecific actions with timelines; and a
proposed adaptive management
framework for focusing needed research
and evaluations and revising our
recovery strategies and actions. The
Proposed Plan also summarizes time
and costs required to implement
recovery actions.
How NMFS and Others Expect To Use
the Plan
With approval of the final Puget
Sound Steelhead recovery plan, we will
implement the actions in the plan for
which we have authority and funding;
encourage other Federal, state and local
agencies and tribal governments to
implement recovery actions for which
they have responsibility, authority, and
funding; and work cooperatively with
tribes, the public and local stakeholders
on implementation of other actions. We
expect the recovery plan to guide us and
other Federal agencies in evaluating
Federal actions under ESA section 7, as
well as in implementing other
provisions of the ESA and other
statutes. For example, the plan will
provide greater biological context for
evaluating the effects that a proposed
action may have on the species by
providing delisting criteria, information
on priority areas for addressing specific
limiting factors, and information on
how the DPS can tolerate varying levels
of risk.
When we are considering a species for
delisting, the agency will examine
whether the section 4(a)(1) listing
factors have been addressed. To assist in
this examination, we will use the
delisting criteria described in Chapter 4
of the Proposed Plan, which include
both viability criteria and listing factor
criteria addressing each of the ESA
section 4(a)(1) listing factors, as well as
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any other relevant data and policy
considerations.
Public Comments Solicited
We are soliciting written comments
on the Proposed Plan. All substantive
comments received by the date specified
above will be considered and
incorporated, as appropriate, prior to
our decision whether to approve the
plan. While we invite comments on all
aspects of the Proposed Plan, we are
particularly interested in comments on
the proposed strategies and actions,
comments on the cost of recovery
actions, and comments on establishing
an appropriate implementation forum
for the plan. We will issue a news
release announcing the adoption and
availability of the final plan. We will
post on the NMFS West Coast Region
website (www.wcr.noaa.gov) a summary
of, and responses to, the comments
received, along with electronic copies of
the final plan and its appendices.
Literature Cited
The complete citations for the
references used in this document can be
obtained by contacting NMFS (see
ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: December 6, 2018.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–27003 Filed 12–12–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XG668
Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and
South Atlantic; Southeast Data,
Assessment, and Review (SEDAR);
Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 64 Data
webinar for Gulf of Mexico and South
Atlantic yellowtail snapper.
AGENCY:
The SEDAR 64 assessment
process of Gulf of Mexico and South
Atlantic yellowtail snapper will consist
of a Data Workshop, and a series of
assessment webinars, and a Review
Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 239 / Thursday, December 13, 2018 / Notices
The SEDAR 64 Data webinar will
be held January 11, 2019, from 10 a.m.
to 11 a.m. Eastern Time.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held
via webinar. The webinar is open to
members of the public. Those interested
in participating should contact Julie A.
Neer at SEDAR (See Contact Information
Below) to request an invitation
providing webinar access information.
Please request webinar invitations at
least 24 hours in advance of each
webinar.
SEDAR address: 4055 Faber Place
Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC
29405.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie
A. Neer, SEDAR Coordinator; (843) 571–
4366; Email: Julie.neer@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 multistep process including: (1) Data
Workshop, (2) a series of assessment
webinars, and (3) a Review Workshop.
The product of the Data Workshop is a
report that compiles and evaluates
potential datasets and recommends
which datasets are appropriate for
assessment analyses. The assessment
webinars produce a report that describes
the fisheries, evaluates the status of the
stock, estimates biological benchmarks,
projects future population conditions,
and recommends research and
monitoring needs. The product of the
Review Workshop is an Assessment
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,
HMS 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
NGO’s; International experts; and staff
of Councils, Commissions, and state and
federal agencies.
The items of discussion during the
Data webinar are as follows:
Panelists will review the data sets
being considered for the assessment.
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DATES:
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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
Act, provided the public has been
notified of the 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 aids should be directed to the
Council office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5
business days prior to each workshop.
Note: The times and sequence
specified in this agenda are subject to
change.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 10, 2018.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–26981 Filed 12–12–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Evaluation of State Coastal
Management Programs
Office for Coastal Management
(OCM), National Ocean Service (NOS),
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of
Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Office for Coastal Management will hold
a public meeting to solicit comments on
the performance evaluation of the
Rhode Island Coastal Management
Program.
DATES:
Rhode Island Coastal Management
Program Evaluation: The public meeting
will be held on February 5, 2019, and
written comments must be received on
or before February 15, 2019.
For specific dates, times, and
locations of the public meetings, see
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the coastal program NOAA intends
to evaluate by any of the following
methods:
SUMMARY:
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64113
Public Meeting and Oral Comments:
A public meeting will be held in
Wakefield, Rhode Island. For the
specific location, see SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
Written Comments: Please direct
written comments to Carrie Hall,
Evaluator, Planning and Performance
Measurement Program, Office for
Coastal Management, NOS/NOAA, 1305
East-West Highway, 11th Floor,
N/OCM1, Silver Spring, Maryland
20910, or email comments Carrie.Hall@
noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carrie Hall, Evaluator, Planning and
Performance Measurement Program,
Office for Coastal Management, NOS/
NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, 11th
Floor, N/OCM1, Silver Spring,
Maryland 20910, by phone at (240) 533–
0730 or email comments Carrie.Hall@
noaa.gov. Copies of the previous
evaluation findings and 2016–2020
Assessment and Strategy may be viewed
and downloaded on the internet at
https://coast.noaa.gov/czm/evaluations.
A copy of the evaluation notification
letter and most recent progress report
may be obtained upon request by
contacting the person identified under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
312 of the Coastal Zone Management
Act (CZMA) requires NOAA to conduct
periodic evaluations of federally
approved state and territorial coastal
programs. The process includes one or
more public meetings, consideration of
written public comments, and
consultations with interested Federal,
state, and local agencies and members of
the public. During the evaluation,
NOAA will consider the extent to which
the state has met the national objectives,
adhered to the management program
approved by the Secretary of Commerce,
and adhered to the terms of financial
assistance under the CZMA. When the
evaluation is completed, NOAA’s Office
for Coastal Management will place a
notice in the Federal Register
announcing the availability of the Final
Evaluation Findings.
You may participate or submit oral
comments at the public meeting
scheduled as follows:
Date: February 5, 2019.
Time: 6:00 p.m., local time.
Location: Stedman Government
Center, Conference Room A, 4808
Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, Rhode
Island 02879.
Written public comments must be
received on or before February 15, 2018.
Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog
11.419
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 239 (Thursday, December 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64112-64113]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26981]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG668
Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast
Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 64 Data webinar for Gulf of Mexico and South
Atlantic yellowtail snapper.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The SEDAR 64 assessment process of Gulf of Mexico and South
Atlantic yellowtail snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, and a
series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
[[Page 64113]]
DATES: The SEDAR 64 Data webinar will be held January 11, 2019, from 10
a.m. to 11 a.m. Eastern Time.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via webinar. The webinar is open to
members of the public. Those interested in participating should contact
Julie A. Neer at SEDAR (See Contact Information Below) to request an
invitation providing webinar access information. Please request webinar
invitations at least 24 hours in advance of each webinar.
SEDAR address: 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston,
SC 29405.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie A. Neer, SEDAR Coordinator;
(843) 571-4366; Email: [email protected].
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 multi-step process including: (1)
Data Workshop, (2) a series of assessment webinars, and (3) a Review
Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a report that compiles
and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are
appropriate for assessment analyses. The assessment webinars produce a
report that describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock,
estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions,
and recommends research and monitoring needs. The product of the Review
Workshop is an Assessment 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, HMS 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 NGO's; International experts; and
staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies.
The items of discussion during the Data webinar are as follows:
Panelists will review the data sets being considered for the
assessment.
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 Act, provided the public has been notified of the 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 aids
should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5
business days prior to each workshop.
Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject
to change.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 10, 2018.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-26981 Filed 12-12-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
