Final Management Plan for the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 64127-64128 [2020-22461]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 197 / Friday, October 9, 2020 / Notices You may submit written comments by any of the following methods: • Email: NMFS.GAR.EFP@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line ‘‘Comments on 2020 Monkfish RSA EFP.’’ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Hansen, Fishery Management Specialist, 978–281–9225, Laura.Hansen@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) that waive monkfish landing limits have been routinely approved since 2007 to increase operational efficiency and optimize research funds generated from the Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. These EFPs would facilitate compensation fishing in support of the projects funded under the 2020/2021 monkfish RSA competition. Consistent with previous years of the monkfish RSA program, these RSA compensation fishing EFPs would authorize an exemption for participating vessels from days-at-sea (DAS) landing limit restrictions in the Monkfish Northern and Southern Fishery Management Areas found at 50 CFR 648.94(b)(1) and (2). Vessels fishing under an RSA DAS would be allowed to harvest monkfish in excess of the usual landing limits associated with their Federal permits. The Monkfish RSA Program is allocated 500 monkfish RSA DAS annually, as established by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils in Amendment 2 to the Monkfish FMP (70 FR 21929; April 28, 2005). These monkfish RSA DAS are awarded through a competitive grant program in support of monkfish research. Award recipients sell RSA DAS to fishermen to fund approved monkfish research projects. Award recipients receive an allocation of RSA DAS and a maximum amount that may be landed under available DAS. Projects are constrained to the total DAS, maximum available landing weight, or award timetable, whichever is reached first. To calculate a maximum weight allocation that is similar to the Councils’ original intent to be harvested under the allocated 500 RSA DAS, NMFS uses twice the landing limit for Permit Category A and C monkfish vessel fishing in the Southern Fishery Management Area (4,074 lb [2 mt] whole weight) for each RSA DAS. Annually, a maximum of 2,037,000 lb (924 mt) of whole weight may be harvested across all Monkfish RSA projects. Allowing vessels an exemption from monkfish landing limits provides an incentive for vessels to purchase and fish under RSA DAS to catch more monkfish per trip, while constraining ADDRESSES: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:26 Oct 08, 2020 Jkt 253001 each project to a maximum available harvest limit ensures that the overall monkfish RSA catch will not be an excessive burden on the fishery as a whole. Arizona State University (ASU) was awarded 400 DAS for 2020 and 399 DAS for 2021. The University of Delaware (UD) was awarded 100 DAS for 2020 and 101 DAS for 2021. If approved, ASU and UD may request minor modifications and extensions to their EFPs throughout the year. EFP modifications and extensions may be granted without further notice if they are deemed essential to facilitate completion of the proposed research and have minimal impacts that do not change the scope of the initially approved EFP request. Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope of the exempted fishing activity would be prohibited. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: October 6, 2020. Jennifer M. Wallace, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2020–22397 Filed 10–8–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Final Management Plan for the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Office for Coastal Management (OCM), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC). ACTION: Notice; approval of management plan. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that the Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approves the revised management plan for the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Great Bay Reserve) in New Hampshire. In accordance with applicable federal regulations, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department revised the Great Bay Reserve’s management plan, which replaces the plan that was approved in 2007. ADDRESSES: The approved management plan can be downloaded or viewed at https://www.greatbay.org/wp-content/ uploads/2020/06/ManagementPlan.pdf. A hard copy of the documents may be requested by sending a written request SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 64127 to the point of contact identified below (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Mountz of NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, by email at Elizabeth.Mountz@noaa.gov, phone at (240) 533–0819, or mail at: 1305 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(c), a state must revise the management plan for a national estuarine research reserve at least every five years. Changes to a national estuarine research reserve’s management plan may be made only after receiving written approval from NOAA. NOAA approves changes to management plans via notice in the Federal Register. On March 24, 2020, NOAA issued a notice in the Federal Register announcing a thirty-day public comment period for the proposed revision of the management plan for the Great Bay Reserve (85 FR 16618). Responses to written and oral comments NOAA received, and an explanation of how comments were incorporated into the final version of the revised management plan, are available in appendix 3 of the plan. The management plan outlines the Great Bay Reserve’s strategic goals and objectives; administrative structure; programs for conducting research and monitoring, education, and training; resource protection and restoration plans; public access and visitor use plans; consideration for future land acquisition; and facility development to support Great Bay Reserve operations. Since 2007, the Great Bay Reserve has implemented its core and system-wide programs; secured science, education, and conservation grants to serve Great Bay communities; made significant repairs and improvements to the Discovery Center campus including installing a pervious pavement parking lot, replacing the original boardwalk, and refurbishing staff offices in the Depot House and Discovery Center; updated exhibits in Discovery Center including designing and installing marine debris exhibits; and enhanced waterfront access for kayak launching. There will be no boundary change with the approval of the revised management plan. The revised management plan will serve as the guiding document for the 10,235-acre Great Bay Reserve for the next five years. NOAA reviewed the environmental impacts of the revised management plan and determined that this action is categorically excluded from further analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM 09OCN1 64128 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 197 / Friday, October 9, 2020 / Notices U.S.C. 4321 et seq., consistent with NOAA Administrative Order 216–6A. (Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) Keelin Kuipers, Deputy Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [FR Doc. 2020–22461 Filed 10–8–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office [Docket No. PTO–P–2020–0042] Proposed Continuing Legal Education Guidelines United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Request for comments. AGENCY: This request for comments seeks public input on proposed guidelines regarding continuing legal education (CLE). Pursuant to the final rule published on August 3, 2020, registered patent practitioners and individuals granted limited recognition to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) in patent matters will be required to biennially submit a mandatory registration statement beginning on March 1, 2022. On the registration statement, practitioners may state whether they have completed 6 credits of CLE within the previous 24 months. The USPTO has prepared proposed CLE guidelines, attached to this request for comments as Appendix 1, which advise practitioners and providers as to the proposed types of CLE courses and activities that will qualify for USPTO CLE credit. In this request for comments, the Office seeks input on the proposed guidelines. DATES: Comment Deadline Date: Written comments must be received on or before January 7, 2021. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent by email addressed to CLEguidelines@uspto.gov. Comments may also be submitted by postal mail addressed to Mail Stop OED, Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313–1450, marked to the attention of William Covey, Director for the Office of Enrollment and Discipline, CLE Guidelines Request for Comments 2020. Although comments may be submitted by postal mail, the Office prefers to receive comments by email to more easily share all comments with the SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:26 Oct 08, 2020 Jkt 253001 public. The Office prefers the comments to be submitted in plain text but also accepts comments submitted in portable document format or DOC format. Comments not submitted by email should be submitted on paper in a format that facilitates convenient digital scanning into portable document format. The comments will be available for public inspection at the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED), located in Madison West, Eighth Floor, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments will also be available for viewing via the Office’s website (www.uspto.gov). Because comments will be made available for public inspection, information that the submitter does not desire to be made public, such as address or phone number, should not be included. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Covey, OED Director, by telephone at 571–272–4097. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Summary In this request for comments, the Office seeks feedback and information regarding the proposed CLE guidelines attached as Appendix 1. The goal of the proposed guidelines is to clarify for registered practitioners and those granted limited recognition pursuant to 37 CFR 11.9(b) what types of CLE classes or activities will qualify for USPTO CLE credit. The guidelines also seek to establish a procedure for approving CLE courses that would qualify for USPTO CLE credit. Finally, the guidelines seek to establish the type of recognition practitioners will receive if they certify on their registration statements that they have completed 6 credits of CLE in the preceding 24 months. Background As set forth in the final rule, published on August 3, 2020 (85 FR 46932) beginning on March 1, 2022, active patent practitioners will be required to submit a biennial electronic registration statement. 37 CFR 11.11(a)(2). On the registration statement, practitioners may also certify that they have completed 6 credits of CLE within the preceding 24 months, with 5 of the credits in patent law and practice and 1 of the credits in ethics. 37 CFR 11.11(a)(3). The Office recognizes that patent practitioners and CLE providers may seek more specific guidance as to how the USPTO will implement the CLE provisions. In order to assist patent practitioners and CLE providers in PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 determining what courses or activities enable a practitioner to make the CLE certification, the USPTO has prepared the attached proposed CLE guidelines. The proposed guidelines also address the form of recognition practitioners will receive when they make the CLE certification on their biennial registration statement. Request for Public Comments The Office seeks written public comments on the proposed CLE guidelines attached as Appendix 1 to this request. The Office welcomes any comments from the public on the topics covered in this notice. The Office also poses specific questions below and invites public feedback on those questions. Topic 1: Subject Matter of Courses Qualified for USPTO Patent CLE Credit The proposed CLE guidelines provide that a practitioner may obtain USPTO patent CLE credit for a course that pertains to any topic listed in 37 CFR 11.5(b)(1), which defines practice in patent matters before the USPTO. Applicable topics include, but are not limited to: Preparation and prosecution of patent applications, determining and rendering opinions on patentability, and drafting documents to be presented in any patent-related proceeding before the USPTO, including proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Accepted topics also include litigation that pertains to any of the topics listed in 37 CFR 11.5(b)(1). As noted in the final rule, the purpose of the CLE certification and recognition is to incentivize practitioners to engage in CLE relevant to their practice before the Office. As explained in the NPRM, ‘‘Ideally, when practitioners are welltrained and well-educated in patent law and practice, higher quality applications are filed, prosecution is more efficient, and patent grants become stronger, more reliable, and more predictable.’’ 84 FR at 37415. Accordingly, the proposed CLE guidelines provide that patent CLE credit may only be obtained for courses that pertain directly to practice in patent matters before the USPTO. The USPTO invites comment on the parameters to be used to determine what subject matters beyond those listed in 37 CFR 11.5(b)(1) would qualify for patent CLE credit, if any. Topic 2: Other Activities That May Qualify for USPTO CLE Credit The final rule states that patent practitioners may obtain up to two of the five credits in patent law and practice by participating in the USPTO Patent Pro Bono Program. See 37 CFR E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM 09OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 197 (Friday, October 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64127-64128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22461]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Final Management Plan for the Great Bay National Estuarine 
Research Reserve

AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management (OCM), National Ocean Service 
(NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice; approval of management plan.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office for Coastal Management, 
National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
approves the revised management plan for the Great Bay National 
Estuarine Research Reserve (Great Bay Reserve) in New Hampshire. In 
accordance with applicable federal regulations, the New Hampshire Fish 
and Game Department revised the Great Bay Reserve's management plan, 
which replaces the plan that was approved in 2007.

ADDRESSES: The approved management plan can be downloaded or viewed at 
https://www.greatbay.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ManagementPlan.pdf. 
A hard copy of the documents may be requested by sending a written 
request to the point of contact identified below (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Mountz of NOAA's Office for 
Coastal Management, by email at [email protected], phone at 
(240) 533-0819, or mail at: 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 
20910.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(c), a state must revise the management 
plan for a national estuarine research reserve at least every five 
years. Changes to a national estuarine research reserve's management 
plan may be made only after receiving written approval from NOAA. NOAA 
approves changes to management plans via notice in the Federal 
Register. On March 24, 2020, NOAA issued a notice in the Federal 
Register announcing a thirty-day public comment period for the proposed 
revision of the management plan for the Great Bay Reserve (85 FR 
16618). Responses to written and oral comments NOAA received, and an 
explanation of how comments were incorporated into the final version of 
the revised management plan, are available in appendix 3 of the plan.
    The management plan outlines the Great Bay Reserve's strategic 
goals and objectives; administrative structure; programs for conducting 
research and monitoring, education, and training; resource protection 
and restoration plans; public access and visitor use plans; 
consideration for future land acquisition; and facility development to 
support Great Bay Reserve operations. Since 2007, the Great Bay Reserve 
has implemented its core and system-wide programs; secured science, 
education, and conservation grants to serve Great Bay communities; made 
significant repairs and improvements to the Discovery Center campus 
including installing a pervious pavement parking lot, replacing the 
original boardwalk, and refurbishing staff offices in the Depot House 
and Discovery Center; updated exhibits in Discovery Center including 
designing and installing marine debris exhibits; and enhanced 
waterfront access for kayak launching. There will be no boundary change 
with the approval of the revised management plan. The revised 
management plan will serve as the guiding document for the 10,235-acre 
Great Bay Reserve for the next five years.
    NOAA reviewed the environmental impacts of the revised management 
plan and determined that this action is categorically excluded from 
further analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 
42

[[Page 64128]]

U.S.C. 4321 et seq., consistent with NOAA Administrative Order 216-6A.

(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.)

Keelin Kuipers,
Deputy Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-22461 Filed 10-8-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P

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