Department of Commerce May 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (MNMS or Sanctuary) is seeking applicants for the Education seat on its Sanctuary Advisory Council (Council). Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the Sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve 2-year terms, pursuant to the Council's Charter.

NMFS will present a public workshop on the proposed program to implement the Amendment 80 Program (Program) for potentially eligible participants and other interested parties. The Program would implement a limited access privilege program (LAPP) for specific groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). At the workshop, NMFS will provide an overview of the proposed Program, discuss the key proposed Program elements, and answer questions. NMFS is conducting this public workshop to provide assistance to fishery participants in understanding and reviewing this proposed Program.

The 95th meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) meeting will be held between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, and between 8:30 am and 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday June 13-14, 2007.

This notice advises the public that an incidental take permit has been issued to the Grants Pass Irrigation District for the continued operation and maintenance of Savage Rapids Dam at Grants Pass, Oregon, and that the decision documents are available upon request.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application submitted by Dr. Pingguo He of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The Assistant Regional Administrator has made a preliminary determination that the activities authorized under this EFP would be consistent with the goals and objectives of the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). However, further review and consultation may be necessary before a final determination is made to issue an EFP. Therefore, NMFS announces that the Assistant Regional Administrator proposes to recommend that an EFP be issued that would allow one commercial fishing vessel to conduct fishing operations that are otherwise restricted by the regulations governing the fisheries of the Northeastern United States. The EFP would enable researchers to test an experimental whiting net that uses wheeled ground gear by granting exemption from the requirement to use a raised footrope trawl. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.

The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS)/Enforcement Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) requests public comments on a proposed rule to implement Amendment 15 to the Pacific Coast Salmon Fisheries Management Plan (Plan) in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act). This Amendment was approved by NMFS on March 22, 2007, and in accordance with the notification procedures of the Magnuson- Stevens Act the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) was notified of this approval. This action is intended to provide management flexibility in times of low Klamath River fall-run Chinook (KRFC) abundance, while preserving the long-term productive capacity of the stock and thereby ensuring it continues to contribute meaningfully to ocean and river fisheries in the future.

The Department of Commerce (``Department'') published its preliminary results of the administrative review and new shipper review of the antidumping duty order on hand trucks and certain parts thereof (``hand trucks'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') on January 9, 2007. See Hand Trucks and Certain Parts Thereof From the People's Republic of China; Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of Administrative Review and Preliminary Results of New Shipper Review, 72 FR 937 (January 9, 2007) (``Preliminary Results''). The period of review (``POR'') is December 1, 2004, through November 30, 2005. We invited interested parties to comment on our Preliminary Results. Based on our analysis of the comments received, we have made changes to our calculations. The final dumping margins for this review are listed in the ``Final Results of Review'' section below.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat/Marine Protected Area (MPA)/ Ecosystem Advisory Panel and its Habitat/MPA/Ecosystem Committee, in June, 2007, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from these groups will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee provides advice to the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information on spectrum management matters.

NOAA Fisheries announces that the commercial fishery in the area from Cape Falcon, Oregon to the Oregon/California border and in the area from Horse Mountain to Point Arena, California was modified by two inseason actions. Inseason action 1 modified the previously scheduled open period in the area from Cape Falcon, Oregon to the Oregon/California border. This action also modified the open dates in the area from Horse Mountain to Point Arena, California. Inseason action 2 increased the landing and possession limit in the Fort Bragg subarea from April 23-27. All other restrictions and regulations remained in effect as announced for the 2006 Ocean Salmon Fisheries and previous inseason actions.

In accordance with provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to construction and operation of an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in the Massachusetts Bay, has been issued to Northeast Gateway Energy Bridge\TM\ L.L.C. (Northeast Gateway) and Algonquin Gas Transmission, L.L.C. (Algonquin) for a period of 1 year.

This interim rule closes Federal waters in the main Hawaiian Islands to commercial and recreational fishing for seven deepwater bottomfish species during May 15 through September 30, 2007. This action is intended to immediately address overfishing for these species in the Hawaiian Archipelago while a long-term management program is developed for the bottomfish multi-species complex.

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 Tuesday, June 5, 2007. The Judges Panel is composed of twelve members prominent in the fields of quality, innovation, and performance excellence and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the Judging process and Judging process changes for 2007; the Judges' survey of applicants; and the Judges' mentoring process. The applications under review by Judges contain trade secrets and proprietary commercial information submitted to the Government in confidence.

In accordance with 15 U.S.C. 1512 and Executive Order 11625, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is soliciting competitive applications from organizations to operate a Native American Business Enterprise Center (NABEC) in the specified locations and geographical service areas (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). The NABEC operates through the use of business consultants and provides a range of technical assistance services directly to Native American- and other minority-owned businesses. Responsibility for ensuring that applications in response to this competitive solicitation are complete and received by MBDA on time is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Applications submitted must be to operate a NABEC and to provide business consultation to eligible clients. Applications that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. This is not a grant program to help start an individual business.

NMFS announces that the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), is proposing to allocate zero trips in the Closed Area (CA) II Yellowtail Flounder Special Access Program (SAP) during the 2007 fishing year (FY) (i.e., May 1, 2007, through April 30, 2008). The Regional Administrator has determined that the available catch of Georges Bank (GB) yellowtail flounder is insufficient to support a minimum level of fishing activity within the CA II Yellowtail Flounder SAP for FY 2007. The intent of this action is to help achieve optimum yield (OY) in the fishery by maximizing the utility of available GB yellowtail flounder TAC throughout FY 2007.

We, NMFS, are issuing a final determination to list the distinct population segment (DPS) of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Puget Sound, Washington, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We intend to issue final protective regulations and propose critical habitat for this DPS in separate rulemakings.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Committee, in June, 2007, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from these groups will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Rachel Kalisperis on behalf of the South Carolina Aquarium. If granted, the EFP would authorize the applicant, with certain conditions, to collect limited numbers of groupers (not including goliath grouper), snappers, tilefishes, sea basses, jacks, spadefish, grunts, porgies, mackerel, cero, cobia, dolphin fish, spiny lobster, little tunny, triggerfishes, golden crab, hogfish, porkfish, puddingwife, red drum, scup, sheepshead, shrimp, wahoo, and wreckfish. Specimens would be collected from Federal waters off the coast of South Carolina from 2007 to 2012 and displayed at the South Carolina Aquarium, located in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is currently conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on petroleum wax candles from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') covering the period August 1, 2005, through July 31, 2006. This review covers imports of subject merchandise from one manufacturer/exporter: Deseado International, Ltd. (``Deseado''). If these preliminary results are adopted in our final results of review, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries in accordance with these results. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary review results and will issue the final review results no later than 120 days from the date of publication of this notice.