Department of Commerce March 16, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.

The SEDAR assessments of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico stocks of goliath grouper will consist of a series of three workshops: a Data Workshop, an Assessment Workshop, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint public meeting of its Habitat Committee, Advisory Panel and Plan Development Team in April, 2010 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.

The Department of Commerce is currently seeking applications for membership on the Manufacturing Council (Council). The purpose of the Council is to advise the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing sector and to provide a forum for regular communication between Government and the manufacturing sector.

On November 2, 2009, the Department initiated sunset reviews of the antidumping duty orders on carbazole violet pigment 23 (CVP 23) from India and the People's Republic of China (PRC) pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). See Initiation of Five-Year (``Sunset'') Review, 74 FR 56593 (November 2, 2009) (Notice of Initiation). The Department has conducted expedited (120- day) sunset reviews of these orders pursuant to 19 CFR 351.218(e)(1)(ii)(C)(2). As a result of these sunset reviews, the Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty orders would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping as indicated in the ``Final Results of Review'' section of this notice.

We, NMFS and USFWS, announce the availability for public review of the draft Bi-National Recovery Plan (Plan) for the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). The Kemp's Ridley Recovery Plan is a bi-national plan developed by the NMFS and USFWS and the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Mexico. We are soliciting review and comment on the Plan from the public and all interested parties, including state and local governments. We will consider all substantive comments received during the review period before submitting the Plan for final approval.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2010 Pacific cod allowable catch (TAC) specified for catcher vessels using trawl gear in the BSAI.

We (NMFS and USFWS; also collectively referred to as the Services) have determined that the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is composed of nine distinct population segments (DPSs) that qualify as ``species'' for listing as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and we propose to list two as threatened and seven as endangered. This also constitutes the 12-month findings on a petition to reclassify loggerhead turtles in the North Pacific Ocean as a DPS with endangered status and designate critical habitat, and a petition to reclassify loggerhead turtles in the Northwest Atlantic as a DPS with endangered status and designate critical habitat. We will propose to designate critical habitat, if found to be prudent and determinable, for the two loggerhead sea turtle DPSs occurring within the United States in a subsequent Federal Register notice.