Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Applications for Exempted Fishing Permits; 2023-2024 Fishing Year, 32200-32201 [2023-10680]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 97 / Friday, May 19, 2023 / Notices
action is to consider whether a
sanctuary designation in the Lake Erie
Quadrangle would fulfill the purposes
and policies outlined in section 301(b)
of the NMSA, 16 U.S.C. 1431(b), and
meet the sanctuary designation
standards in section 303 of the NMSA,
16 U.S.C. 1433.
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B. Preliminary Description of Proposed
Action and Alternatives
NOAA’s proposed action is to
consider designating the Lake Erie
Quadrangle National Marine Sanctuary
in accordance with the sanctuary
designation process described in section
304 of the NMSA (16 U.S.C. 1434).
Through the public scoping process and
as part of the sanctuary designation
process, NOAA will develop draft
designation documents including a draft
sanctuary management plan, proposed
sanctuary regulations, and proposed
terms of designation. The NEPA process
for sanctuary designation will include
preparation of a DEIS to consider
alternatives and describe potential
effects of the sanctuary designation on
the human environment. A DEIS will
evaluate a reasonable range of action
alternatives that could include different
options for management plan goals,
sanctuary regulations, and potential
boundaries. A DEIS will also consider a
No Action Alternative, wherein NOAA
would not designate a national marine
sanctuary.
C. Summary of Expected Impacts of
Sanctuary Designation
A DEIS will identify and describe the
potential effects of the proposed action
and reasonable alternatives on the
human environment. Potential impacts
may include, but are not limited to,
impacts on the area’s biological and
physical resources, including habitats,
plants, birds, fish, and special status
species; underwater cultural and
historical resources; and human uses
and socioeconomics of the area. Based
on a preliminary evaluation of the
resources listed above, NOAA expects
potential positive impacts to the
environment from enhanced protection
of the area’s underwater cultural and
historical resources; improved planning
and coordination of research,
monitoring, and management actions;
reduced harmful human activities; and
reduced threats and stressors to
resources.
D. Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
NOAA expects to make a DEIS and
other draft documents available to the
public by winter 2024. NOAA expects to
make a FEIS available to the public by
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18:30 May 18, 2023
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winter 2025. A Record of Decision will
be issued no sooner than 30 days after
the FEIS is made available to the public,
in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.11.
E. NEPA Lead and Cooperating Agency
Roles
NOAA is the lead Federal agency for
the NEPA process for the proposed
action. NOAA may invite other Federal
agencies, or State, Tribal, or local
agencies of similar qualifications to
become cooperating agencies in the
preparation of the EIS for the proposed
action. NEPA regulations specify that a
cooperating agency means any Federal
agency (and a Tribal, State, or local
agency with agreement of the lead
agency) that has jurisdiction by law or
special expertise with respect to any
environmental impact involved in a
proposal (or a reasonable alternative)
(40 CFR 1508.1(e)).
F. Anticipated Permits, Authorizations,
and Consultations
Federal permits, authorizations, or
consultations may be required for the
proposed action, including consultation
or review under the Endangered Species
Act, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), 54
U.S.C. 300101 et seq.; Executive Order
13175 (Consultation and Coordination
With Indian Tribal Governments);
consistency review under the Coastal
Zone Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1451
et seq.; and possibly reviews under
other laws and regulations determined
to be applicable to the proposed action.
To the fullest extent possible, NOAA
will prepare a DEIS concurrently and
integrate analyses required by other
Federal environmental review
requirements. A DEIS will list all
Federal permits, licenses, and other
authorizations that must be obtained in
implementing the proposed action. 40
CFR 1502.24.
V. Consultation Under Section 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act
and Executive Order 13175
This notice confirms that NOAA will
coordinate its responsibilities under
section 106 of the NHPA during the
sanctuary designation process and is
soliciting public and stakeholder input
to meet section 106 compliance
requirements. The NHPA section 106
consultation process specifically applies
to any agency undertaking that may
affect historic properties. Pursuant to 36
CFR 800.16(l)(1), historic properties
include: ‘‘any prehistoric or historic
district, site, building, structure, or
object included in, or eligible for
inclusion in, the National Register of
Historic Places maintained by the
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Fmt 4703
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Secretary of the Interior. This term
includes artifacts, records, and remains
that are related to and located within
such properties. The term includes
properties of traditional religious and
cultural importance to an Indian Tribe
or Native Hawaiian organization that
meet the National Register criteria.’’
This notice also confirms that, with
respect to the proposed sanctuary
designation process, NOAA will fulfill
its responsibilities under Executive
Order 13175, ‘‘Consultation and
Coordination with Indian Tribal
Governments,’’ and NOAA’s
implementing policies and procedures.
Executive Order 13175 requires Federal
agencies to establish procedures for
meaningful consultation and
coordination with Tribal officials in the
development of Federal policies that
have Tribal implications. NOAA
implements Executive Order 13175
through NOAA Administrative Order
218–8 (Policy on Government-toGovernment Consultation with
Federally-Recognized Indian Tribes and
Alaska Native Corporations), and the
NOAA Tribal Consultation Handbook.
Under these policies and procedures,
NOAA offers government-to-government
consultation at the earliest practicable
time it can reasonably anticipate that a
proposed policy or initiative may have
Tribal implications.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.; 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 40 CFR 1500–1508
(NEPA Implementing Regulations);
NOAA Administrative Order 216–6A.
John Armor,
Director, Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023–10644 Filed 5–18–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XC982]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species
Fishery; Applications for Exempted
Fishing Permits; 2023–2024 Fishing
Year
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of application;
request for comments.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\19MYN1.SGM
19MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 97 / Friday, May 19, 2023 / Notices
The Regional Administrator,
West Coast Region, NMFS, has made a
preliminary determination that two
Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP)
applications warrant further
consideration. Both applications are
from the California Wetfish Producers
Association and request an exemption
from the expected prohibition on
primary directed fishing for Pacific
sardine during the 2023–2024 fishing
year to collect Pacific sardine as part of
industry-based scientific research.
NMFS requests public comment on the
applications.
DATES: Comments must be received by
June 20, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on this document, identified by NOAA–
NMFS–2023–0069, by the following
method:
• Electronic Submissions: Submit all
public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA–
NMFS–2023–0069 in the Search box.
Click the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete
the required fields, and enter or attach
your comments. The EFP applications
will be available under Supporting and
Related Materials through the same link.
Instructions: Comments sent by any
other method 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, etc.),
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).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Taylor Debevec, West Coast Region,
NMFS, (562) 980–4066, taylor.debevec@
noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
action is authorized by the Coastal
Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) and
regulations at 50 CFR 600.745, which
allow NMFS Regional Administrators to
authorize exempted fishing permits
(EFPs) for fishing activities that would
otherwise be prohibited.
At its April 2023 meeting, the Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council)
recommended that NMFS approve two
EFP applications for the 2023–2024
Pacific sardine fishing year. Both
applications are from the California
Wetfish Producers Association (CWPA)
and are renewal requests for an
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:30 May 18, 2023
Jkt 259001
exemption from the expected
prohibition on primary directed fishing
for Pacific sardine during the 2023–2024
fishing year; the purpose of the requests
are to collect Pacific sardine as part of
industry-based scientific research. The
Council considered these EFP
applications concurrently with the
2023–2024 annual harvest specifications
for Pacific sardine because Pacific
sardine catch under each EFP would be
accounted for under the proposed 2023–
2024 annual catch limit (ACL), which is
3,953 metric tons (mt). A summary of
each EFP application is provided below:
(1) Proposal for renewal of exempted
fishery permit (EFP) to allow take of
Pacific sardine (for point sets) in 2023–
24 nearshore research program: The
CWPA submitted a renewal application
for their CPS Nearshore Cooperative
Survey (NCS) program. The purpose of
this EFP project is to continue to
develop sampling methodology for
estimating CPS biomass in shallow
waters that are not accessible to NOAA
survey ships. Since 2012, the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife, in
partnership with the CWPA, has been
conducting aerial surveys to estimate
the biomass and distribution of Pacific
sardine and certain other CPS in
nearshore waters in the Southern
California Bight, and in the MontereySan Francisco area since the summer of
2017. Currently, there is uncertainty in
the biomass estimates from aerial
spotter pilots. The CPS–NCS survey
aims to quantify that level of
uncertainty by capturing CPS schools
identified by aerial spotter pilots and
validating the biomass and species
composition of the schools. If approved,
this EFP would allow up to five
participating vessels to directly harvest
a total of 150 mt of Pacific sardine
during the 2023–2024 fishing year. A
portion of each point set (i.e., an
individual haul of fish captured with a
purse seine net) would be retained for
biological sampling, and the remainder
would be sold by participating
fishermen and processors to offset
research costs and avoid unnecessary
discard.
(2) Request for renewal of exempted
fishery permit (EFP) to allow fishing of
Pacific sardine for biological samples in
2023–24 nearshore research program:
The CWPA submitted a renewal
application for their biological sampling
EFP project. The primary directed
fishery for Pacific sardine has been
closed since 2015, and consequently,
scientists at the Southwest Fisheries
Science Center (Science Center) have a
limited amount of fishery-dependent
data to use in their stock assessment.
The goal of this EFP project is to
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Frm 00026
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
32201
provide fishery-dependent catch data,
including biological data (i.e., age and
length data from directed harvest), for
potential use in Pacific sardine stock
assessments. An additional goal for this
year is to collaborate with the Science
Center in a research project designed to
enhance understanding of stock
structure by collecting year-round data.
If approved, this EFP would allow up to
five participating vessels to directly
harvest up to 520 mt of Pacific sardine
during the 2023–2024 fishing year. A
portion of each landing would be
retained for biological sampling by the
California Department of Fish and
Wildlife, and the remainder would be
sold by participating fishermen and
processors to offset research costs and
avoid unnecessary discard.
Altogether, these EFP projects total
670 mt. If NMFS does not issue one or
more of these EFPs, the requested
tonnage would be available for harvest
by other permissible fishing activities
during the 2023–2024 fishing year (e.g.,
live bait or minor directed harvest).
After publication of this notice in the
Federal Register, NMFS may approve
and issue permits to participating
vessels after the close of the public
comment period. NMFS will consider
comments submitted in deciding
whether to approve the applications as
requested. NMFS may approve the
applications in their entirety or may
make any alterations needed to achieve
the goals of the EFP projects and the
FMP. NMFS may also approve different
amounts of Pacific sardine allocation for
each EFP project if any changes are
made to the 2023–2024 proposed
sardine harvest specifications before
final implementation.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 15, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–10680 Filed 5–18–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XC953]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permits
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\19MYN1.SGM
19MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 97 (Friday, May 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32200-32201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10680]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XC982]
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Applications for Exempted
Fishing Permits; 2023-2024 Fishing Year
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of application; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 32201]]
SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, has made
a preliminary determination that two Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP)
applications warrant further consideration. Both applications are from
the California Wetfish Producers Association and request an exemption
from the expected prohibition on primary directed fishing for Pacific
sardine during the 2023-2024 fishing year to collect Pacific sardine as
part of industry-based scientific research. NMFS requests public
comment on the applications.
DATES: Comments must be received by June 20, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2023-0069, by the following method:
Electronic Submissions: Submit all public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA-
NMFS-2023-0069 in the Search box. Click the ``Comment'' icon, complete
the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. The EFP
applications will be available under Supporting and Related Materials
through the same link.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method 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, etc.),
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).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Taylor Debevec, West Coast Region,
NMFS, (562) 980-4066, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by the Coastal
Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and regulations at
50 CFR 600.745, which allow NMFS Regional Administrators to authorize
exempted fishing permits (EFPs) for fishing activities that would
otherwise be prohibited.
At its April 2023 meeting, the Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council) recommended that NMFS approve two EFP applications for the
2023-2024 Pacific sardine fishing year. Both applications are from the
California Wetfish Producers Association (CWPA) and are renewal
requests for an exemption from the expected prohibition on primary
directed fishing for Pacific sardine during the 2023-2024 fishing year;
the purpose of the requests are to collect Pacific sardine as part of
industry-based scientific research. The Council considered these EFP
applications concurrently with the 2023-2024 annual harvest
specifications for Pacific sardine because Pacific sardine catch under
each EFP would be accounted for under the proposed 2023-2024 annual
catch limit (ACL), which is 3,953 metric tons (mt). A summary of each
EFP application is provided below:
(1) Proposal for renewal of exempted fishery permit (EFP) to allow
take of Pacific sardine (for point sets) in 2023-24 nearshore research
program: The CWPA submitted a renewal application for their CPS
Nearshore Cooperative Survey (NCS) program. The purpose of this EFP
project is to continue to develop sampling methodology for estimating
CPS biomass in shallow waters that are not accessible to NOAA survey
ships. Since 2012, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, in
partnership with the CWPA, has been conducting aerial surveys to
estimate the biomass and distribution of Pacific sardine and certain
other CPS in nearshore waters in the Southern California Bight, and in
the Monterey-San Francisco area since the summer of 2017. Currently,
there is uncertainty in the biomass estimates from aerial spotter
pilots. The CPS-NCS survey aims to quantify that level of uncertainty
by capturing CPS schools identified by aerial spotter pilots and
validating the biomass and species composition of the schools. If
approved, this EFP would allow up to five participating vessels to
directly harvest a total of 150 mt of Pacific sardine during the 2023-
2024 fishing year. A portion of each point set (i.e., an individual
haul of fish captured with a purse seine net) would be retained for
biological sampling, and the remainder would be sold by participating
fishermen and processors to offset research costs and avoid unnecessary
discard.
(2) Request for renewal of exempted fishery permit (EFP) to allow
fishing of Pacific sardine for biological samples in 2023-24 nearshore
research program: The CWPA submitted a renewal application for their
biological sampling EFP project. The primary directed fishery for
Pacific sardine has been closed since 2015, and consequently,
scientists at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (Science Center)
have a limited amount of fishery-dependent data to use in their stock
assessment. The goal of this EFP project is to provide fishery-
dependent catch data, including biological data (i.e., age and length
data from directed harvest), for potential use in Pacific sardine stock
assessments. An additional goal for this year is to collaborate with
the Science Center in a research project designed to enhance
understanding of stock structure by collecting year-round data. If
approved, this EFP would allow up to five participating vessels to
directly harvest up to 520 mt of Pacific sardine during the 2023-2024
fishing year. A portion of each landing would be retained for
biological sampling by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife,
and the remainder would be sold by participating fishermen and
processors to offset research costs and avoid unnecessary discard.
Altogether, these EFP projects total 670 mt. If NMFS does not issue
one or more of these EFPs, the requested tonnage would be available for
harvest by other permissible fishing activities during the 2023-2024
fishing year (e.g., live bait or minor directed harvest).
After publication of this notice in the Federal Register, NMFS may
approve and issue permits to participating vessels after the close of
the public comment period. NMFS will consider comments submitted in
deciding whether to approve the applications as requested. NMFS may
approve the applications in their entirety or may make any alterations
needed to achieve the goals of the EFP projects and the FMP. NMFS may
also approve different amounts of Pacific sardine allocation for each
EFP project if any changes are made to the 2023-2024 proposed sardine
harvest specifications before final implementation.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 15, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-10680 Filed 5-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
