Department of Commerce August 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS issues this notice to inform the public about the Community Development Quota (CDQ) percentage allocations among the six CDQ managing entities (CDQ groups) that are in effect as a result of recent amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). On July 11, 2006, the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006 amended the Magnuson- Stevens Act to establish percentage allocations for groundfish, crab, and halibut allocated among the CDQ groups at those percentage allocations in effect on March 1, 2006. In addition, this notice provides information about the percentage allocations for prohibited species quota (PSQ) allocated among the CDQ groups that were not affected by the Magnuson-Stevens Act amendments, but continue in effect under an administrative determination issued by NMFS on August 8, 2005.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 620 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the C season allowance of the 2006 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock for Statistical Area 620 of the GOA.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award will meet Thursday, September 14, 2006. The Judges Panel is composed of ten members prominent in the field of quality management and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. The purpose of this meeting is to review the consensus process, select applicants for site visits, determine possible conflict of interest for site visited organizations, begin stage 3 judging process, discuss Judges' survey revisions, review feedback to first stage applicants, a debriefing on the State and Local Workshop and a program update. The applications under review contain trade secrets and proprietary commercial information submitted to the Government in confidence.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will meet Tuesday, September 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology is composed of fifteen members appointed by the Director of NIST who are eminent in such fields as business, research, new product development, engineering, labor, education, management consulting, environment, and international relations. The purpose of this meeting is to review and make recommendations regarding general policy for the Institute, its organization, its budget, and its programs within the framework of applicable national policies as set forth by the President and the Congress. The agenda will include an update on NIST's activities, a vision and overview of NIST's biotechnology and health care activities, technical program highlights in biotechnology and health care, a presentation on research at the NIST's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), and an overview and laboratory tours of JILA. JILA is a joint research institution of NIST and the University of Colorado. In addition, Dr. Lee Hood, President of the Institute for Systems Biology, will deliver a talk entitled, ``Systems Medicine: Measurement and Computational Challenges in the Emergence of Predictive, Preventive, Personalized and Participatory Medicine.'' The agenda may change to accommodate Committee business. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST Web site at https://www.nist.gov/director/vcat/agenda.htm.

In this rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the June 30, 2006 rescission of Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. The rescission followed the President's May 15, 2006 submission of a report to Congress certifying that Libya had not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding six months and that Libya had provided assurances that it would not support future acts of international terrorism. To implement the rescission, BIS amends the EAR by removing Libya from the list of terrorist supporting countries in Country Group E:1, and by making other conforming amendments and related revisions throughout the EAR. In particular, Libya is added to Country Group D:1 and remains in Country Groups D:2, D:3, and D:4. This rule also revises the EAR to reflect the fact that in October 2004 the United States rescinded Iraq's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. As a result of the rescission of this designation, BIS may no longer control for anti-terrorism (AT) reasons items covered by eight export control classification numbers (ECCNs) for which BIS previously required a license for export or reexport to Iraq, or for transfer within Iraq. Note that BIS now controls these items for regional stability (RS) reasons and continues to require a license for their export or reexport to Iraq, or transfer within Iraq. This rule also amends the EAR to delete all references to Iraq's status as a Designated State Sponsor of Terrorism.

NMFS announces that the State of Florida is transferring commercial bluefish quota to the State of New York from its 2006 quota. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for New York and Florida.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) has received requests to conduct administrative reviews of various antidumping and countervailing duty orders and findings with July anniversary dates. In accordance with the Department's regulations, we are initiating those administrative reviews. The Department also received requests to revoke one antidumping duty order in part.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a 3-day Council meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Notice is hereby given that the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce has approved the revised management plan for the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Reserve). The Reserve was designated in 1988 pursuant to Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1461 and has been operating under the management plan approved in 2000. Pursuant to 15 CFR Section 921.33(c), a state must revise its management plan every five years. The submission of this plan fulfills this requirement and sets a course for successful implementation of the goals and objectives of the Reserve. The mission of the Reserve management plan is to improve the stewardship of the region's estuarine and coastal watershed ecosystems. The management plan identifies the following priority issues facing the Reserve: Water quality/eutrophication/watershed land-use; climate change/sea level rise/shoreline change; and assessment of ecosystem response to natural variability and human impacts. The management plan identifies five goals that are addressed through active management. The goals are (l) improve the understanding of coastal ecosystems and the human influences on them, (2) improve environmental literacy in communities to enable environmentally- sustainable decision-making, (3) demonstrate sustainable stewardship of the land and water ecosystems within the Reserve to serve as a model for community stewardship in the region, (4) foster dialogue and development of coastal ecosystem management solutions through sustained community engagement, (5) improve operations, infrastructure and stature of the Reserve. The Reserve's management plan addresses these goals with specific programs for resource management and protection and stewardship, research and monitoring, education and training, public access and visitor use, program administration, and partnerships and regional coordination.

The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the Oregon Coastal Management Program. The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluation will be conducted pursuant to section 312 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended (CZMA) and regulations at 15 CFR Part 923, Subpart L. The CZMA requires continuing review of the performance of states with respect to coastal program implementation. Evaluation of a Coastal Management Program requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has met the national objectives, adhered to its Coastal Management Program document approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and adhered to the terms of financial assistance awards funded under the CZMA. The evaluation will include a site visit, consideration of public comments, and consultations with interested Federal, state, and local agencies and members of the public. A public meeting will be held as part of the site visit. Notice is hereby given of the date of the site visit for the listed evaluation, and the date, local time, and location of the public meeting during the site visit. Date and Time: The Oregon Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be held October 2-6, 2006. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 4, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. at the City of Newport Public Library, 35 NW Nye Street, Newport, Oregon. Copies of a state's most recent performance reports, as well as OCRM's evaluation notification and supplemental information request letters to the state, are available upon request from OCRM. Written comments from interested parties regarding this Program are encouraged and will be accepted until 15 days after the public meeting. Please direct written comments to Ralph Cantral, Chief, National Policy and Evaluation Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS/NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, 10th Floor, N/ORM7, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. When the evaluation is completed, OCRM will place a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Final Evaluation Findings.

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 take this opportunity 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)).

Notice is hereby given that the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce is announcing a thirty day public comment period on the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan Revision which will begin on the day this announcement is published. Comments should be sent within the comment period in hard copy or e- mail to Patricia Delgado at Patricia.Delgado@noaa.gov or NOAA's Estuarine Reserves Division, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM5, 10th floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve was designated in 1979 pursuant to Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1461. The Reserve has been operating under a management plan approved in 1985. Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(c), a state must revise its management plan every five years. The submission of this plan fulfills this requirement and sets a course for successful implementation of the goals and objectives of the reserve. This plan is a significant revision of the original management plan developed for the Reserve. For the revision, the Reserve used a collaborative approach, which focused on integrating the Reserve's programs in order to better achieve conservation success. The plan describes the Reserve's long-term conservation goals and details the process involved in identifying those goals. It also maps out the objectives and strategies that the Reserve will use over the next five years in order to move toward accomplishing its goals. The plan also provides an overview of the Reserve's research and monitoring, education, stewardship, coastal training, volunteer, and administration programs and describes the Reserve's plan for public access, acquisition, and facilities.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the C season allowances of the 2006 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock for Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) has determined, pursuant to section 751(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), that Ivis Partners Ltd. (IVIS) is the successor-in-interest to Ivis Wood Products Ltd. (Ivis Wood) and, as a result, should be accorded the same treatment previously accorded to Ivis Wood in regard to the antidumping order on certain softwood lumber products from Canada as of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

The Department hereby solicits applications from persons (including firms, corporations, or other legal entities) who cut and sew men's and boys' worsted wool suits and suit-like jackets and trousers in the United States for an allocation of the 2007 tariff rate quotas on certain worsted wool fabric. Interested persons must submit an application on the form provided to the address listed below by September 28, 2006. The Department will cause to be published in the Federal Register its determination to allocate the 2007 tariff rate quotas and will notify applicants of their respective allocation as soon as possible after that date. Promptly thereafter, the Department will issue licenses to eligible applicants.

NOAA and the USFWS are issuing final regulations for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument. This action codifies the prohibitions and management measures set forth in Presidential Proclamation 8031 establishing the Monument. The rule is effective immediately.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on stainless steel sheet and strip in coils from the Republic of Korea (Korea) for the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2004. We preliminarily find that the net subsidy rate for the producer/exporter under review is de minimis. See the ``Preliminary Results of Review'' section of this notice. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results. (See the ``Public Comment'' section of this notice).

NOAA Fisheries and The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a workshop to discuss the comparability of pre- recruit data collected from two existing west coast surveys and to evaluate methods for utilizing those data in groundfish assessments.

Notice is hereby given that the Darlene R. Ketten, Ph.D., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Biology Department, MRF- Room 233, MS 50, Woods Hole, MA 02543 has applied in due form for a permit from NMFS and FWS to take parts from species of marine mammals for purposes of scientific research.

NTIA will co-sponsor a conference entitled ``Continuity of Business (via satellite) Summit: Acquiring Robust Communications Capability to Prepare for Natural and Man-Made Disasters'' with the Satellite Industry Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The agenda will focus on the importance of satellite communications for the continuity of business which may be interrupted during a natural disaster, cyber attack, or other terrorist action.

NMFS issues this final rule to require sea turtle conservation measures for all sea scallop dredge vessels fishing south of 41[deg] 9.0' N. latitude from May 1 through November 30 each year. All vessels with a sea scallop dredge and that are required to have a Federal Atlantic sea scallop fishery permit, regardless of dredge size or vessel permit category, must modify their dredge(s) when fishing south of 41[deg] 9.0' N. latitude, from the shoreline to the outer boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This action is necessary to help reduce mortality and injury to endangered and threatened sea turtles in scallop dredge gear and to conserve sea turtles listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Any incidental take of threatened sea turtles in sea scallop dredge gear in compliance with this gear modification requirement and all other applicable requirements will be exempted on the ESA's prohibition against takes.