Nominations for Advisory Committee and Species Working Group Technical Advisor Appointments to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, 64432-64433 [2024-17448]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 152 / Wednesday, August 7, 2024 / Notices
would be considered small relative to
the relevant stock’s abundances, even if
each estimated taking occurred to a new
individual—an extremely unlikely
scenario.
Based on the analysis contained
herein of the activity (including the
mitigation and monitoring measures)
and the authorized take of marine
mammals, NMFS finds that small
numbers of marine mammals would be
taken relative to the population size of
the affected species or stocks.
Unmitigable Adverse Impact Analysis
and Determination
There are no relevant subsistence uses
of the affected marine mammal stocks or
species implicated by this action.
Therefore, NMFS has determined that
the total taking of affected species or
stocks would not have an unmitigable
adverse impact on the availability of
such species or stocks for taking for
subsistence purposes.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Endangered Species Act
Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) requires that each Federal
agency insure that any action it
authorizes, funds, or carries out is not
likely to jeopardize the continued
existence of any endangered or
threatened species or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of
designated critical habitat. To ensure
ESA compliance for the issuance of
IHAs, NMFS consults internally
whenever we propose to authorize take
for endangered or threatened species.
No incidental take of ESA-listed
species is authorized or expected to
result from this activity. Therefore,
NMFS has determined that formal
consultation under section 7 of the ESA
is not required for this action.
National Environmental Policy Act
To comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
NOAA Administrative Order (NAO)
216–6A, NMFS must review our action
(i.e., the issuance of an IHA) with
respect to potential impacts on the
human environment.
This action is consistent with
categories of activities identified in
Categorical Exclusion B4 (IHAs with no
anticipated serious injury or mortality)
of the Companion Manual for NAO 216–
6A, which do not individually or
cumulatively have the potential for
significant impacts on the quality of the
human environment and for which we
have not identified any extraordinary
circumstances that would preclude this
categorical exclusion. Accordingly,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:07 Aug 06, 2024
Jkt 262001
NMFS has determined that the issuance
of this IHA qualifies to be categorically
excluded from further NEPA review.
bryan.keller@noaa.gov; phone: 301–
427–7725.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authorization
The Convention and the Commission
ICCAT was established to provide an
effective program of international
cooperation in research and
conservation in recognition of the
unique problems related to the highly
migratory nature of tunas and tuna-like
species. The International Convention
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
(Convention), which established ICCAT,
entered into force in 1969. ICCAT
usually holds an Annual Meeting in
November of each year, and convenes
meetings of its working groups and
other subsidiary bodies between annual
meetings as needed. Under ATCA (see
16 U.S.C. 971a), the United States is
represented at ICCAT by not more than
three U.S. Commissioners. Additional
information about ICCAT is available at
www.iccat.int.
NMFS has issued an IHA to
Weyerhaeuser for the potential
harassment of small numbers of three
marine mammal species incidental to
the Log Export Dock Project on the
Columbia River near Longview,
Washington that includes the previously
explained mitigation, monitoring and
reporting requirements.
Dated: August 2, 2024.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–17470 Filed 8–6–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XE161]
Nominations for Advisory Committee
and Species Working Group Technical
Advisor Appointments to the U.S.
Section to the International
Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of request for
nominations.
AGENCY:
NMFS is soliciting
nominations (which may include selfnominations) to the Advisory
Committee to the U.S. Section to the
International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
as established by the Atlantic Tunas
Convention Act (ATCA). NMFS is also
soliciting nominations for Technical
Advisors to the Advisory Committee’s
species working groups.
DATES: Nominations must be received
by September 13, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Nominations, including a
letter of interest and a resume or
curriculum vitae, should be sent via
email to Bryan Keller at bryan.keller@
noaa.gov. Include in the subject line
whether the nomination is for a position
as an Advisory Committee member or as
a Technical Advisor to one of the
Committee’s species working groups.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bryan Keller, Office of International
Affairs, Trade, and Commerce; email:
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section
to ICCAT and its Species Working
Groups
ATCA (see 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.)
establishes an advisory committee
comprising: (1) Not less than 5 nor more
than 20 individuals appointed by the
U.S. Commissioners to ICCAT who shall
select such individuals from the various
groups concerned with the fisheries
covered by the ICCAT Convention; and
(2) the chairs (or their designees) of the
New England, Mid-Atlantic, South
Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Councils. Each
member of the Advisory Committee
shall serve for a term of 2 years and be
eligible for reappointment. The
Committee meets at least twice a year
during which members receive
information and provide advice on
ICCAT-related matters. All members of
the Advisory Committee are appointed
in their individual professional capacity
and undergo a background screening.
Any individual appointed to the
Committee who is unable to attend all
or part of an Advisory Committee
meeting may not appoint another person
to attend such meetings as his or her
proxy. Nominees should be able to
fulfill the time and travel commitments
required to participate in the
Committee’s annual spring and fall
meetings, in addition to ad hoc meetings
as necessary throughout the year. The
annual spring and fall meetings are
normally 2 days long and are usually
held in Silver Spring, Maryland, or
Miami, Florida.
Members of the Advisory Committee
receive no compensation for their
services. The Secretary of Commerce
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07AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 152 / Wednesday, August 7, 2024 / Notices
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
and the Secretary of State may pay the
necessary travel expenses of members of
the Advisory Committee. The terms of
all currently appointed Advisory
Committee members expire on
December 31, 2024. NMFS is soliciting
nominees to serve as members of the
Advisory Committee for a term of 2
years that will begin January 1, 2025,
and expire December 31, 2026.
ATCA specifies that the U.S.
Commissioners may establish species
working groups for the purpose of
providing advice and recommendations
to the U.S. Commissioners and to the
Advisory Committee on matters relating
to the conservation and management of
any highly migratory species covered by
the ICCAT Convention (see 16 U.S.C.
971b-1). Any species working group
shall consist of no more than seven
members of the Advisory Committee
and no more than four scientific or
technical personnel, as considered
necessary by the Commissioners.
Currently, there are four species
working groups advising the Committee
and the U.S. Commissioners: a Bluefin
Tuna and Albacore Working Group, a
Swordfish/Sharks Working Group, a
Billfish Working Group, and a Bigeye,
Yellowfin, and Skipjack Tunas Working
Group. Scientific or technical personnel
(known as Technical Advisors)
appointed to species working groups
serve at the pleasure of the
Commissioners; therefore, the
Commissioners can choose to alter these
appointments at any time. As with
Committee Members, Technical
Advisors may not be represented by a
proxy during meetings of the Advisory
Committee. Nominees should be able to
fulfill the time and travel commitments
required to participate in the annual
spring meeting of the Advisory
Committee, when the species working
groups are convened, in addition to ad
hoc meetings throughout the year, as
appropriate.
Procedure for Submitting Nominations
Nominations to either the Advisory
Committee or a species working group
should include a letter of interest and a
resume or curriculum vitae that
describes the individual’s knowledge
and experience in a field related to the
highly migratory species covered by the
ICCAT Convention. Self-nominations
are acceptable. Letters of
recommendation are useful but not
required. When making a nomination,
please specify which appointment
(Advisory Committee member or
Technical Advisor to a species working
group) is being sought. Nominees are
also encouraged to indicate which of the
four species working groups is
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:07 Aug 06, 2024
Jkt 262001
preferred, although placement on the
requested group is not guaranteed.
NMFS encourages nominations for
women and for individuals from
underserved communities that meet the
knowledge, experience, and other
requirements of the positions described
in this notice. See Executive Order
(E.O.) 13985 (Advancing Racial Equity
and Support for Underserved
Communities Through the Federal
Government) section 2 (defining
‘‘underserved communities’’ as
populations sharing a particular
characteristic, as well as geographic
communities, that have been
systematically denied a full opportunity
to participate in aspects of economic,
social, and civic life, such as Black,
Latino, and Indigenous and Native
American persons, Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders and other persons
of color; members of religious
minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+)
persons; persons with disabilities;
persons who live in rural areas; and
persons otherwise adversely affected by
persistent poverty or inequality.). E.O.
13985 is available at https://
www.federalregister.gov/documents/
2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancingracial-equity-and-support-forunderserved-communities-through-thefederal-government.
Dated: August 2, 2024.
Alexa Cole,
Director, Office of International Affairs,
Trade, and Commerce, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–17448 Filed 8–6–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Reporting of Sea Turtle
Incidental Take in Virginia Chesapeake
Bay Pound Net Operations
National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection,
request for comment.
AGENCY:
The Department of
Commerce, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to comment on
proposed, and continuing information
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
64433
collections, which helps us assess the
impact of our information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public
comment preceding submission of the
collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
on or before October 7, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648–
0470 in the subject line of your
comments. All comments received are
part of the public record and will
generally be posted on https://
www.regulations.gov without change.
Do not submit Confidential Business
Information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection
activities should be directed to Carrie
Upite, Sea Turtle Recovery Coordinator,
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries
Office, National Marine Fisheries
Service, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930; (978) 282–8475;
or carrie.upite@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This is a request for renewal of an
approved information collection.
Since 2002, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) has promulgated several rules
restricting the use of large mesh and
stringer pound net leaders in certain
Virginia Chesapeake Bay waters during
the late spring/early summer each year.
On June 17, 2002, an interim final rule
was published (67 FR 41196) restricting
leader use, which also required yearround reporting of sea turtle takes. In
2004, NMFS issued a final rule further
restricting pound net leader use in
Virginia (69 FR 24997). The 2004 rule
retained the reporting requirement from
the 2002 rule. These regulations
(modifications to 50 CFR parts 222 and
223) were implemented as a result of
high sea turtle strandings each spring in
Virginia and the documented take of sea
turtles in pound net leaders. On March
31, 2018, a revised Biological Opinion
on NMFS gear regulations in the
Virginia pound net fishery was
completed pursuant to section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (ESA). An Incidental Take
Statement was included in this
E:\FR\FM\07AUN1.SGM
07AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64432-64433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17448]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE161]
Nominations for Advisory Committee and Species Working Group
Technical Advisor Appointments to the U.S. Section to the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of request for nominations.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS is soliciting nominations (which may include self-
nominations) to the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
as established by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA). NMFS is
also soliciting nominations for Technical Advisors to the Advisory
Committee's species working groups.
DATES: Nominations must be received by September 13, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Nominations, including a letter of interest and a resume or
curriculum vitae, should be sent via email to Bryan Keller at
[email protected]. Include in the subject line whether the
nomination is for a position as an Advisory Committee member or as a
Technical Advisor to one of the Committee's species working groups.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Keller, Office of International
Affairs, Trade, and Commerce; email: [email protected]; phone: 301-
427-7725.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Convention and the Commission
ICCAT was established to provide an effective program of
international cooperation in research and conservation in recognition
of the unique problems related to the highly migratory nature of tunas
and tuna-like species. The International Convention for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Convention), which established ICCAT,
entered into force in 1969. ICCAT usually holds an Annual Meeting in
November of each year, and convenes meetings of its working groups and
other subsidiary bodies between annual meetings as needed. Under ATCA
(see 16 U.S.C. 971a), the United States is represented at ICCAT by not
more than three U.S. Commissioners. Additional information about ICCAT
is available at www.iccat.int.
Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to ICCAT and its Species Working
Groups
ATCA (see 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.) establishes an advisory committee
comprising: (1) Not less than 5 nor more than 20 individuals appointed
by the U.S. Commissioners to ICCAT who shall select such individuals
from the various groups concerned with the fisheries covered by the
ICCAT Convention; and (2) the chairs (or their designees) of the New
England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Councils. Each member of the Advisory Committee
shall serve for a term of 2 years and be eligible for reappointment.
The Committee meets at least twice a year during which members receive
information and provide advice on ICCAT-related matters. All members of
the Advisory Committee are appointed in their individual professional
capacity and undergo a background screening. Any individual appointed
to the Committee who is unable to attend all or part of an Advisory
Committee meeting may not appoint another person to attend such
meetings as his or her proxy. Nominees should be able to fulfill the
time and travel commitments required to participate in the Committee's
annual spring and fall meetings, in addition to ad hoc meetings as
necessary throughout the year. The annual spring and fall meetings are
normally 2 days long and are usually held in Silver Spring, Maryland,
or Miami, Florida.
Members of the Advisory Committee receive no compensation for their
services. The Secretary of Commerce
[[Page 64433]]
and the Secretary of State may pay the necessary travel expenses of
members of the Advisory Committee. The terms of all currently appointed
Advisory Committee members expire on December 31, 2024. NMFS is
soliciting nominees to serve as members of the Advisory Committee for a
term of 2 years that will begin January 1, 2025, and expire December
31, 2026.
ATCA specifies that the U.S. Commissioners may establish species
working groups for the purpose of providing advice and recommendations
to the U.S. Commissioners and to the Advisory Committee on matters
relating to the conservation and management of any highly migratory
species covered by the ICCAT Convention (see 16 U.S.C. 971b-1). Any
species working group shall consist of no more than seven members of
the Advisory Committee and no more than four scientific or technical
personnel, as considered necessary by the Commissioners. Currently,
there are four species working groups advising the Committee and the
U.S. Commissioners: a Bluefin Tuna and Albacore Working Group, a
Swordfish/Sharks Working Group, a Billfish Working Group, and a Bigeye,
Yellowfin, and Skipjack Tunas Working Group. Scientific or technical
personnel (known as Technical Advisors) appointed to species working
groups serve at the pleasure of the Commissioners; therefore, the
Commissioners can choose to alter these appointments at any time. As
with Committee Members, Technical Advisors may not be represented by a
proxy during meetings of the Advisory Committee. Nominees should be
able to fulfill the time and travel commitments required to participate
in the annual spring meeting of the Advisory Committee, when the
species working groups are convened, in addition to ad hoc meetings
throughout the year, as appropriate.
Procedure for Submitting Nominations
Nominations to either the Advisory Committee or a species working
group should include a letter of interest and a resume or curriculum
vitae that describes the individual's knowledge and experience in a
field related to the highly migratory species covered by the ICCAT
Convention. Self-nominations are acceptable. Letters of recommendation
are useful but not required. When making a nomination, please specify
which appointment (Advisory Committee member or Technical Advisor to a
species working group) is being sought. Nominees are also encouraged to
indicate which of the four species working groups is preferred,
although placement on the requested group is not guaranteed.
NMFS encourages nominations for women and for individuals from
underserved communities that meet the knowledge, experience, and other
requirements of the positions described in this notice. See Executive
Order (E.O.) 13985 (Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved
Communities Through the Federal Government) section 2 (defining
``underserved communities'' as populations sharing a particular
characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been
systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of
economic, social, and civic life, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous
and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and
other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with
disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise
adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.). E.O. 13985 is
available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government.
Dated: August 2, 2024.
Alexa Cole,
Director, Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-17448 Filed 8-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P