Department of Commerce December 29, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice advises the public that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is distributing a proposed revision of Voluntary Product Standard (PS) 1-95, Construction and Industrial Plywood. This standard, prepared by the Standing Committee for PS 1, establishes requirements, for those who choose to adhere to the standard, for the principal types and grades of structural plywood and provides a basis for common understanding among producers, distributors, and users of the product. Interested parties are invited to review the proposed standard and submit comments to NIST.

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.

Notice is hereby given that James T. Harvey, Ph.D., Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct scientific research on harbor seals (Phoca vitulina).

NMFS announces that the percentage of the tilefish annual total allowable landings (TAL) available to the Part-time permit category for the 2007 fishing year has been harvested. Commercial vessels fishing under the Part-time tilefish category may not harvest tilefish from within the Golden Tilefish Management Unit for the remainder of the 2007 fishing year (through October 31, 2007). Regulations governing the tilefish fishery require publication of this notification to advise the public of this closure.

This final rule implements Amendment 16-4 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and sets the 2007-2008 harvest specifications and management measures for groundfish taken in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Amendment 16-4 modifies the FMP to implement revised rebuilding plans for seven overfished species: bocaccio, canary rockfish, cowcod, darkblotched rockfish, Pacific ocean perch (POP), widow rockfish, and yelloweye rockfish. Groundfish harvest specifications and management measures for 2007-2008 are intended to: achieve but not exceed optimum yields (OYs); prevent overfishing; rebuild overfished species; reduce and minimize the bycatch and discard of overfished and depleted stocks; provide harvest opportunity for the recreational and commercial fishing sectors; and, within the commercial fisheries, achieve harvest guidelines and limited entry and open access allocations for non-overfished species. Together, Amendment 16-4 and the 2007-2008 harvest specifications and management measures are intended to rebuild overfished stocks as soon as possible, taking into account the status and biology of the stocks, the needs of fishing communities, and the interaction of the overfished stocks within the marine ecosystem. In addition to the management measures implemented specifically for the groundfish fisheries, this rule implements a new Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area (YRCA) off Washington State, which will be closed to commercial salmon troll fishing to reduce incidental mortality of yelloweye rockfish in the salmon troll fishery.