Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting, 5211-5212 [2024-01560]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 18 / Friday, January 26, 2024 / Notices
• Delegation of management authority
over salmon fisheries in the SEAK EEZ
to the State of Alaska on the basis of
new information regarding the effects of
the action and the contemporary status
of impacted ESA-listed species;
• Federal funding through grants to
the State of Alaska for the State’s
management of commercial and sport
salmon fisheries and transboundary
river enhancement necessary to
implement the 2019 PST Agreement;
and,
• Federal funding of a conservation
program to support critical Puget Sound
Chinook stocks and Southern Resident
Killer Whales (SRKW) related to the
2019 PST Agreement, one component of
which included funding of a prey
increase program for SRKW.
The Federal funding of the
conservation program to support Puget
Sound Chinook stocks and SRKW was
a separate action from the two Federal
actions related to the SEAK salmon
fisheries (delegation and funding). In
2019, NMFS completed the consultation
and issued the 2019 BiOp and ITS. In
the 2019 BiOp, NMFS concluded that
the actions were not likely to jeopardize
the continued existence of any of the
ESA-listed species and that the actions
were not likely to destroy or adversely
modify designated critical habitat for
any of the listed species. NMFS issued
an ITS in the 2019 BiOp for take
associated with the Federal actions
related to the SEAK salmon fisheries,
compliance with which would exempt
participants in these fisheries from the
ESA’s prohibition on the incidental take
of threatened and endangered species.
In 2020, the Wild Fish Conservancy
(WFC)filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District
Court for the Western District of
Washington challenging the 2019 BiOp
(Wild Fish Conservancy v. Quan, No.
2:20–CV–417–RAJ–MLP (W.D. Wash.)).
WFC alleged NMFS violated the ESA
and NEPA. On August 8, 2022, the
district court found that NMFS violated
both the ESA and NEPA (Wild Fish
Conservancy v. Quan, No. 2:20–CV–
417–RAJ–MLP, 2021 WL 8445587 (W.D.
Wash. Sept. 27, 2021), report and
recommendation adopted, No. 2:20–CV–
417–RAJ, 2022 WL 3155784 (W.D.
Wash. Aug. 8, 2022)).
With respect to NEPA, the court
concluded NMFS failed to conduct a
NEPA analysis for the issuance of the
ITS with the 2019 BiOp. The court also
concluded that NMFS failed to conduct
adequate NEPA analysis for the
adoption of the prey increase program.
The court remanded to the agency to
address its conclusions regarding these
NEPA, as well as the ESA, deficiencies.
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As part of its effort to address the
court’s orders on remand, NMFS
intends to conduct a new ESA section
7 consultation on the effects from the
federal actions related to the SEAK
salmon fisheries (delegation and
funding), and if warranted, would issue
a new ITS as part of that consultation.
Compliance with a new ITS would
exempt participants in the SEAK
salmon fisheries under the 2019 PST
Agreement from the ESA’s prohibition
on the incidental take of threatened and
endangered species.
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
This DEIS responds specifically to the
court order with respect to the stated
failure to prepare an analysis pursuant
to NEPA for the issuance of the ITS for
the SEAK salmon fisheries. This DEIS
analyzes the effects of a reasonable
range of alternatives for the proposed
issuance of a new ITS.
In light of the nexus between the
court’s orders on the ESA and NEPA
deficiencies and in light of NMFS’s
ongoing disbursement of funds to the
State, this EIS also evaluates the effects
of the following actions under
consultation:
• NMFS’s delegation of management
authority over salmon fisheries in the
EEZ in SEAK to the State of Alaska
under the Salmon FMP; and
• Federal funding through grants to
the State of Alaska for the State’s
management of commercial and sport
salmon fisheries and transboundary
river enhancement necessary to
implementation of the 2019 PST
Agreement. This is also a second
proposed action considered as a
component of the alternatives.
Ultimately, this DEIS provides an
assessment of the environmental,
economic, and social impacts of the
SEAK salmon fisheries in federal and
state waters, even though none of the
federal actions directly authorize the
fisheries, because NMFS expects these
impacts to occur from the operation of
the salmon fisheries in SEAK that are
prosecuted pursuant to the 2019 PST
Agreement, facilitated by proposed
Federal funding of grants to the State
under the 2019 PST Agreement, and
proposed to be exempted from liability
for incidental takes of ESA listed
species through the issuance of a new
ITS.
Since the primary Federal action
here—the issuance of the ITS—would
exempt incidental take of ESA-listed
species that occur in compliance with
the ITS, the DEIS focuses on effects to
those species (both ESA-listed salmon
and ESA-listed marine mammals). In
addition, the DEIS also analyzes the
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impacts of the SEAK salmon fisheries
on non-ESA-listed salmon, marine
mammals, habitat, seabirds, greenhouse
gas emissions and climate change. The
DEIS also analyzes the impacts of the
alternatives on fishery participants,
communities, and Alaska Native tribes.
NMFS is also preparing a separate EIS
for the expenditure of Federal funding
to for the prey increase program for
SRKW (88 FR 54301, August 10, 2023).
For more information about that EIS, see
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/
review-prey-increase-program-southernresident-killer-whales.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 23, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–01606 Filed 1–25–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD664]
Pacific Fishery Management Council;
Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public online meeting.
AGENCY:
The Pacific Fishery
Management Council’s (Pacific Council)
Ad-Hoc Klamath River Fall Chinook
Workgroup will hold an online meeting.
DATES: The online meeting will be held
Tuesday, February 13, 2024, from 9 a.m.
until 3 p.m., Pacific standard time, or
until business for the day concludes.
ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held
online. Specific meeting information,
including directions on how to join the
meeting and system requirements will
be provided in the meeting
announcement on the Pacific Council’s
website (see www.pcouncil.org). You
may send an email to Mr. Kris
Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@
noaa.gov) or contact him at (503) 820–
2280, extension 412 for technical
assistance.
Council address: Pacific Fishery
Management Council, 7700 NE
Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland,
OR 97220–1384.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robin Ehlke, Staff Officer, Pacific
Council; telephone: (503) 820–2410.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
primary purpose of the meeting is to
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 18 / Friday, January 26, 2024 / Notices
discuss and develop preliminary
recommendations to inform Pacific
Council decision-making at the March
and April 2024 Pacific Council meetings
for the 2024 salmon pre-season
management process as it relates to
Klamath River fall Chinook
management. Additional discussion on
Klamath River Dam removal, workload
planning, etc. may also occur.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained in the meeting agenda may be
discussed, those issues may not be the
subject of formal action during this
meeting. Action will be restricted to
those issues specifically listed in this
document and any issues arising after
publication of this document 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
Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Mr. Kris
Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@
noaa.gov; (503) 820–2412) at least 10
days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 23, 2024.
Diane M. DeJames-Daly,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–01560 Filed 1–25–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Information, including a link to webinar
registration will be posted on the
Council’s website at: https://safmc.net/
safmc-seminar-series/ as it becomes
available.
Council address: South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 4055
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N
Charleston, SC 29405.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim
Iverson, Public Information Officer,
SAFMC; phone: (843) 302–8439 or toll
free: (866) SAFMC–10; fax: (843) 769–
4520; email: kim.iverson@safmc.net.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Council will host a presentation on the
reproductive resilience in fish, which is
the ability of a population to maintain
reproductive success to produce longterm population stability. Fish managed
by the Council have diverse
reproductive strategies and these
reproductive strategies along with
environmental variables and behavioral
traits should be considered when
developing assessments and
management regulations. A case study
on gag grouper will be presented. A
question-and-answer session will follow
the presentation. Members of the public
will have the opportunity to participate
in the discussion. The presentation is
for informational purposes only and no
management actions will be taken.
Special Accommodations
The meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
auxiliary aids should be directed to the
Council office (see ADDRESSES) 5 days
prior to the meeting.
Note: The times and sequence specified in
this agenda are subject to change.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
[RTID 0648–XD673]
Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South
Atlantic Fishery Management Council;
Public Meetings
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a Seminar Series
presentation via webinar.
AGENCY:
The South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council) will host
a presentation on reproductive
resilience in marine fishes.
DATES: The webinar presentation will be
held on Tuesday, February 13, 2024,
from 1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The presentation will be
provided via webinar. The webinar is
open to members of the public.
Dated: January 23, 2024.
Diane M. DeJames-Daly,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–01561 Filed 1–25–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
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SUMMARY:
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[RTID 0648–XD613]
Fisheries of the South Atlantic;
Southeast Data, Assessment, and
Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
AGENCY:
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Notice of SEDAR 89 South
Atlantic Tilefish Life History Topical
Working Group (LH–TWG) Webinar II.
ACTION:
The SEDAR 89 assessment of
the South Atlantic stock of tilefish will
consist of a series of LH–TWG webinars.
A SEDAR 89 LH–TWG Webinar is
scheduled for February 14, 2024. See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
DATES: The SEDAR 89 South Atlantic
Tilefish LH–TWG Webinar II has been
scheduled for February 14, 2024, from 9
a.m. to 12 p.m., eastern. The established
times may be adjusted as necessary to
accommodate the timely completion of
discussion relevant to the assessment
process. Such adjustments may result in
the meeting being extended from or
completed prior to the time established
by this notice.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held
via webinar. The webinar is open to
members of the public. Registration for
the webinar is available by contacting
the SEDAR coordinator via email at
Meisha.Key@safmc.net.
SEDAR address: South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 4055
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N
Charleston, SC 29405;
www.sedarweb.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Meisha Key, SEDAR Coordinator, 4055
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North
Charleston, SC 29405; phone: (843) 571–
4366; email: Meisha.Key@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
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 18 (Friday, January 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5211-5212]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01560]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD664]
Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public online meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad-
Hoc Klamath River Fall Chinook Workgroup will hold an online meeting.
DATES: The online meeting will be held Tuesday, February 13, 2024, from
9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Pacific standard time, or until business for the
day concludes.
ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held online. Specific meeting
information, including directions on how to join the meeting and system
requirements will be provided in the meeting announcement on the
Pacific Council's website (see www.pcouncil.org). You may send an email
to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt ([email protected]) or contact him at
(503) 820-2280, extension 412 for technical assistance.
Council address: Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE
Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220-1384.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robin Ehlke, Staff Officer, Pacific
Council; telephone: (503) 820-2410.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The primary purpose of the meeting is to
[[Page 5212]]
discuss and develop preliminary recommendations to inform Pacific
Council decision-making at the March and April 2024 Pacific Council
meetings for the 2024 salmon pre-season management process as it
relates to Klamath River fall Chinook management. Additional discussion
on Klamath River Dam removal, workload planning, etc. may also occur.
Although non-emergency issues not contained in the meeting agenda
may be discussed, those issues may not be the subject of formal action
during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues
specifically listed in this document and any issues arising after
publication of this document 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
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt
([email protected]; (503) 820-2412) at least 10 days prior to
the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 23, 2024.
Diane M. DeJames-Daly,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-01560 Filed 1-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
