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

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS) will hold a work session by telephone conference, which is open to the public, to develop recommendations for the September Council meeting.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Crab Plan Team will meet in Anchorage, AK.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Committee in September, 2006 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

NMFS issues this proposed rule that would implement Amendment 26 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP). Amendment 26 would establish an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for the commercial red snapper sector of the reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. Initial participants in the IFQ program would receive percentage shares of the commercial quota of red snapper based on specified historical landings criteria. The percentage shares of the commercial quota would equate to annual IFQ allocations. Both shares and IFQ allocations would be transferable. The intended effect of this rule is to manage the commercial red snapper sector of the reef fish fishery to preserve its long-term economic viability and to achieve optimum yield from the fishery.

NMFS has received a request from the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) for an authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to construction of the Knik Arm Bridge at the Knik Arm Crossing in Alaska during the period 2007 through 2012. In order to promulgate regulations and issue annual Letters of Authorization (LOAs) to KABATA, NMFS must determine that these takings will have a negligible impact on the affected species and stocks of marine mammals and not have an unmitigable impact on subsistence uses of marine mammals. NMFS invites comment on the application and suggestions on the content of the regulations.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling public meetings of its Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) Committee in September, 2006 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

Framework Adjustment (FW) 42 to the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and FW 3 to the Monkfish FMP propose creation of the Georges Bank (GB) Cod Fixed Gear Sector (Fixed Gear Sector). If approved in FW 42/FW 3, the Fixed Gear Sector would be eligible for an annual allocation of up to 20 percent of the annual GB cod total allowable catch (TAC). Therefore, in accordance with the FMP, and pursuant to the anticipated approval of FW 42/FW 3, a representative of the Fixed Gear Sector submitted an Operations Plan, Sector Agreement (Contract), and Environmental Assessment (EA), and requested an allocation of GB cod to the Fixed Gear Sector for fishing year 2006 (FY 2006). The Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has determined that documents submitted by the Fixed Gear Sector comply with the procedural regulations regarding an annual Operations Plan and Sector Contract. This noticedocument provides interested parties an opportunity to comment on the proposed Sector Operations Plan and EA (prior to approval or disapproval of FW 42, which would authorize the formation of the Fixed Gear Sector), and prior to final approval or disapproval of the Sector Operations Plan and allocation of GB cod TAC to the Fixed Gear Sector for FY 2006. Comments regarding the formation of the Fixed Gear Sector (as opposed to the FY 2006 Operations Plan and Sector Contract, which are the subject of this proposed rule) should be submitted as described in the proposed rule for FW 42.

Notice is hereby given that the Department of Commerce is individuals to help advise and assist the Department on manufacturing policies by applying to be members of the Manufacturing Council. The mission of the Manufacturing Council, a Secretarial Board at the Department of Commerce, is to ensure regular communication between Government and the manufacturing sector. The Council advises the Secretary of Commerce on government policies and programs that affect U.S. manufacturing and provides a forum for proposing solutions to industry-related problems. For information about the Council, please visit the Manufacturing Council Web site at: https:// www.manufacturing.gov/council.htm. The Department of Commerce is seeking applicants who are active manufacturing executives (Chairman, President or CEO level) who are leaders within their local manufacturing communities and industries. To the extent possible, the Department would like to ensure a balanced membership of U.S. manufacturing industry sectors, geographic locations, and businesses sizes. Potential candidates must be U.S. citizens.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is publishing its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2006, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The final LOF for 2006 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NMFS must categorize each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the MMPA based upon the level of serious injury and mortality of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery. The categorization of a fishery in the LOF determines whether participants in that fishery are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan requirements.

This notice retracts the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze a range of alternatives for the annual allocation of the Pacific sardine harvest guideline proposed action published on July 19, 2004. Further scoping subsequent to the publication of the NOI revealed additional information indicating that it was unlikely the proposed action would result in significant environmental impacts. An Environmental Assessment (EA) was completed and a subsequent Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was signed.

This document contains a correction to the final regulations which were published Wednesday, August 9, 2006. Those regulations established a number of requirements to improve enforceability and monitoring in the reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of Community Development Quota (CDQ) and non-CDQ pollock from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea and Bering Sea subarea pollock from the incidental catch allowance to the directed fisheries. These actions are necessary to provide opportunity for harvest of the 2006 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP).

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the Sea Grant Review Panel. The meeting will have several purposes. Panel members will discuss and provide advice on the National Sea Grant College Program in the areas of program evaluation, strategic planning, education and extension, science and technology programs, and other matters as described below:

Notice is hereby given that Amanda Southwood, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 601 S. College Road, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403 has been issued a permit to take loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

NIST invites and requests nomination of individuals for appointment to the Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (Judges Panel). The terms of some of the members of the Judges Panel will soon expire. NIST will consider nominations received in response to this notice for appointment to the Committee, in addition to nominations already received.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and United States Copyright Office (USCO) announce a public roundtable discussion concerning the work at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) on a proposed Treaty On the Protection of the Rights of Broadcasting Organizations. Members of the public are invited to attend the roundtable, or to participate in the roundtable discussion, on the topics outlined in the supplementary information section of this notice.