Department of Commerce February 26, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Science Advisory Board (SAB) was established by a Decision Memorandum dated September 25, 1997, and is the only Federal Advisory Committee with responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information services. SAB activities and advice provide necessary input to ensure that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) science programs are of the highest quality and provide optimal support to resource management. Times and Dates: The meeting will be held Tuesday March 6, 2007, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday March 7, 2007, from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. These times and the agenda topics described below are subject to change. Please refer to the Web page https:// www.sab.noaa.gov/Meetings/meetings.html for the most up-to-date meeting agenda. Place: The meeting will be held both days tentatively at the Hilton Washington DC/Silver Spring, 8727 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, pending approval of a purchase order. Please check the SAB Web site https://www.sab.noaa.gov for confirmation of the venue. Status: The meeting will be open to public participation with a 30- minute public comment period on March 6 (check Web site to confirm time). The SAB expects that public statements presented at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted verbal or written statements. In general, each individual or group making a verbal presentation will be limited to a total time of five (5) minutes. Written comments (at least 35 copies) should be received in the SAB Executive Director's Office by March 2, 2007, to provide sufficient time for SAB review. Written comments received by the SAB Executive Director after March 2, 2007, will be distributed to the SAB, but may not be reviewed prior to the meeting date. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Matters to be Considered: The meeting will include the following topics: (1) NOAA's Regional Collaboration Initiative; (2) NOAA's Role in Research on Ocean Acidification; (3) Monitoring the Performance of Research in NOAA; (4) update on the NOAA Response to the Reports of the Hurricane Intensity Research Working Group (HIRWG); (5) update on the NOAA Response to the Report of the External Ecosystem Task Team (EETT); (6) Report on the Review of the Cooperative Institute for Climate Applications and Research (CICAR); and (7) Report on the Review of the Cooperative Institute for Oceanographic Satellite Studies (CIOSS). There will also be a joint meeting of the SAB and the NOAA Research Council.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring 3,914 lb (1,775 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota to the State of New Jersey from its 2007 quota. Bythis action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is considering amendments to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to further the national security interests of the United States by designating Country Group C for countries that are ``Destinations of Diversion Concern.'' This amendment would establish license requirements for exports and reexports to countries that represent a concern for the diversion of items subject to the EAR. BIS by this notice requests comments on Country Group C.

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 12 to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Secretary of Commerce review. The intent of Amendment 12 to the CPS FMP is to protect all species of krill off the West Coast (i.e., California, Oregon and Washington). This action would prohibit the harvest of all species of krill by any fishing vessel operating in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the West Coast and would deny the use of exempted fishing permits to allow krill fishing.

NMFS issues this final rule to permanently remove the 7-day delay in effectiveness when closing the Hawaii-based shallow-set longline fishery as a result of reaching interaction limits for sea turtles. This final rule allows for an immediate closure of the fishery to enhance protection for sea turtles.

NMFS amends the regulations governing how fishing net mesh size is measured in the Northeast. This change will increase the weight used to measure mesh at or larger than 120 mm in all fisheries. The intent of this rule is to ensure consistent and accurate measurements of fishing net mesh size.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is conducting a new shipper review of the countervailing duty (``CVD'') order on certain welded carbon steel standard pipe from Turkey for the period January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2005. We preliminarily find that the net subsidy rate for the company under review is de minimis. See the ``Preliminary Results of Review'' section of this notice, infra. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results. See the ``Public Comment'' section, infra.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 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 the revision of a continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).