Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service August 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is transferring 40 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the Harpoon category. With this transfer, the adjusted Harpoon category quota for the 2015 fishing season is 73.4 mt. The 2015 Harpoon category fishery is open until November 15, 2015, or until the Harpoon category quota is reached, whichever comes first. The action is based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments, and applies to Atlantic tunas Harpoon category (commercial) permitted vessels.

NMFS proposes regulations to allow an exemption for Northern Gulf of Maine federally permitted vessels with state-waters permits issued from the State of Maine to continue fishing in the Maine state-waters portion of the Northern Gulf of Maine management area once NMFS has announced that the Federal total allowable catch has been fully harvested in a given year. Maine requested this exemption as part of the Scallop State Water Exemption Program, which specifies that a state may be eligible for a state waters exemption to specific Federal regulations if it has a scallop fishery and a scallop conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit objectives of the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The regulations further state that the Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, NMFS, shall determine if a state meets that criteria and shall authorize the exemption for such state by publishing a rule in the Federal Register. Based on the information that Maine has submitted, NMFS has preliminarily determined that Maine qualifies for this exemption and that this exemption would not have an impact on the effectiveness of Federal management measures for the scallop fishery overall or within the Northern Gulf of Maine management area.

Notice is hereby given that we have revised an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) issued to the Maine Department of Transportation (ME DOT) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, small numbers of four species of marine mammals during construction activities associated with a breakwater replacement project in Eastport, Maine. The project has been delayed and the effective dates revised accordingly.

NMFS announces that 12 American Samoa pelagic longline limited entry permits in three vessel size classes are available for 2015. NMFS is accepting applications for these available permits.

NMFS is prohibiting retention of squids in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary because the 2015 initial total allowable catch of squids in the BSAI has been reached.

The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) publishes this notice to announce that it is planning to conduct the 2017 Economic Census. The Census Bureau also is requesting public comment on the 2017 Economic Census content. This collection will be fully electronic using a secure encrypted Internet data collection system called Centurion. The Economic Census is conducted at 5-year intervals (years ending in 2 and 7) and is the most comprehensive compilation of statistics about U.S. businesses and the economy. The granting of specific authority to conduct the program is Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 131, which authorizes and requires the Economic Census.

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA) is organizing an Executive-led Smart Cities Infrastructure Business Development Mission to India (New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, with an optional spin off site visit to Vizag) from February 8-12, 2016. Today, India's cities account for approximately 60% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2030, that share is expected to reach 75% and the urban labor force is expected to increase by nearly 200 million workers. The new Indian Government led by Prime Minister Modi assumed office in June 2014 with an overwhelming mandate to focus on economic development. To capture the popular imagination and motivate the people of India, the new government has proposed a dramatic nationwide program to build 100 smart cities. In practice this will mean a wide variety of major infrastructure projects across the country that will be funded by the central and state governments over the next few years along with private sector capital. Infrastructure needs in India are estimated to be in the $1.5-$2 trillion range. The recently launched initiative will move to define and implement reforms that drive the growth of smart cities. At this stage, the government has highlighted resource management, 24 hour water and power supply, world class transportation systems, state of the art education systems, advanced e-government, and environmental sustainability as pillars of India's smart cities. This initiative offers excellent opportunities for U.S. companies to participate in these projects in selected areas and sectors. In recognition of cutting-edge U.S. technologies, products and services, the Government of India is encouraging the U.S. Government (USG) and U.S. companies to take the lead in developing smart city projects in three major urban areas: Ajmer in the state of Rajasthan, Allahabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Vishakhapatnam (aka Vizag) in the state of Andhra Pradesh. With the support of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, U.S. companies will be involved in planning and technical assistance for each of these cities. However, U.S. participation is not limited to these three cities. CS India, in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce and other local commercial chambers, has been staging events throughout the country in cities with additional public and private smart city projects.

The United States Manufacturing Council (Council) will hold the third meeting of the current members' term by teleconference on Wednesday, August 19, 2015. The Council was established in April 2004 to advise the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the U.S. manufacturing industry. The purpose of the meeting is for Council members to review and deliberate on recommendations developed by the Workforce subcommittee looking at issues of improving the image of manufacturing as a career path and developing skilled workers for consideration by the Manufacturing Council. The agenda may change to accommodate Council business. The final agenda will be posted on the Department of Commerce Web site for the Council at https://trade.gov/manufacturingcouncil, at least one week in advance of the meeting.

NMFS published a final rule on July 17, 2015, to, in part, implement provisions that would expand a portion of the northern boundary of the Cape Lookout Lophelia Banks Deepwater Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern (Cape Lookout CHAPC). The final rule included coordinates for only the expansion of the Cape Lookout CHAPC instead of the coordinates for the existing CHAPC plus the expanded area. This notification corrects the coordinates for the Cape Lookout CHAPC to encompass the existing CHAPC plus the expanded area.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Finance Committee will hold a Special Meeting via telephone conference (teleconference) on August 5, 2015.

The Department of Commerce (Department) has received requests from Shandong Bolong Bearing Co., Ltd. (Bolong) and Zhejiang Changxing CTL Auto Parts Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Changxing) for new shipper reviews (NSRs) of the antidumping duty order on tapered roller bearings and parts thereof, finished and unfinished (TRBs), from the People's Republic of China (PRC). We have determined that these requests meet the statutory and regulatory requirements for initiation. The period of review (POR) for these NSRs is June 1, 2014, through May 31, 2015.

In accordance with section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''), the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is automatically initiating the five-year review (``Sunset Review'') of the antidumping and countervailing duty (``AD/ CVD'') orders listed below. The International Trade Commission (``the Commission'') is publishing concurrently with this notice its notice of Institution of Five-Year Review which covers the same orders.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel (AP) will meet to review recent fishery performance and develop a Fishery Performance Report and/or other recommendations in preparation for the Council's setting of specifications at the October 2015 Council meeting.

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), propose regulations to amend the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to implement the Endangered Species Act (ESA) regarding experimental populations. The CFR would be amended to establish definitions and procedures for: establishing and/or designating certain populations of species otherwise listed as endangered or threatened as experimental populations; determining whether experimental populations are ``essential'' or ``nonessential;'' and promulgating appropriate protective measures for experimental populations. We seek public comment on this proposal.