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

NMFS announces free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops to be held in April, May, and June of 2010. Certain fishermen and shark dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory requirements and maintain valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all federally permitted Atlantic shark dealers. The Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop is mandatory for vessel owners and operators who use bottom longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear, and have also been issued shark or swordfish limited access permits. Additional free workshops will be held in 2010 and announced in the Federal Register.

EDA is soliciting competitive applications from accredited institutions of higher education, including community colleges, and from consortia of accredited institutions of higher education for FY 2010 University Center Economic Development Program funding in the geographic areas served by its Austin and Denver regional offices. EDA's mission is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. Institutions of higher education have many assets and are able to establish and operate University Centers in partnership with EDA. These EDA-sponsored University Centers conduct research; provide technical assistance to tribal entities, local governments, and public and private sector organizations; and undertake other activities with the goal of enhancing regional economic development by promoting a favorable business environment to attract private capital investment and higher- skill, higher-wage jobs.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted CE-BA 1 which includes amendments to the following South Atlantic fishery management plans (FMPs): the FMP for Coral, Coral reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom Habitats of the South Atlantic Region (Coral FMP); the FMP for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery off the Atlantic States (Dolphin and Wahoo FMP); the FMP for Golden Crab of the South Atlantic Region (Golden Crab FMP); the FMP for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Shrimp FMP); and the FMP for the Snapper- Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council); as well as the FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources (CMP FMP); and the FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (Spiny Lobster FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) has received requests to conduct an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on wooden bedroom furniture from the People's Republic of China (PRC). The anniversary month of this order is January. In accordance with the Department's regulations, we are initiating this administrative review.

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.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has included an additional action item to be considered at its 147th meeting.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces the building of a 700 MHz Public Safety Broadband Demonstration Network (Demonstration Network), which will provide manufacturers and first responders a location for early deployment of their systems in a multi-vendor, neutral host environment.\1\ Emergency responders will see how these broadband systems will function and determine through hands-on experience how these systems meet their unique needs. This Notice of Solicitation of Participation both seeks Expressions of Interest from parties that may be interested in participating in the Demonstration Network and also announces a project kick-off meeting for all interested stakeholders.

Notice is hereby given that Jeffrey Schmid, Ph.D, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Naples, FL 34102, has requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 13544 and Jeanette Wyneken, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, has applied in due form to conduct scientific research (File No. 14586).

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2010 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock for Statistical Area 610 in the GOA.

The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Groundfish Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that it is holding a competition for the NIST Construction Grant Program, and is soliciting proposals for financial assistance for FY 2010. The goals and objectives of the program are to provide competitively awarded grant funds for research science buildings through the construction of new buildings or expansion of existing buildings.

In accordance with section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''), the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is automatically initiating a five-year review (``Sunset Review'') of the antidumping duty orders listed below. The International Trade Commission (``the Commission'') is publishing concurrently with this notice its notice of Institution of Five-Year Review which covers the same orders.

NMFS issues this final rule to supplement the regulations implementing Amendment 29 to the Fishery Management Plan for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), as prepared and submitted by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). Amendment 29 established a multi-species individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for the grouper and tilefish component of the commercial sector of the reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone. This final rule removes several measures constraining harvest of shallow- water grouper species that were inadvertently not removed in the final rule for Amendment 29, further clarifies existing criteria for approval of new landing locations for both the red snapper IFQ program and grouper and tilefish IFQ program, and provides a definition of ``offloading'' in the codified text for IFQ participants. The intent of this final rule is to enhance IFQ program enforcement capabilities, reduce confusion for IFQ participants offloading their fish, and allow for more efficient functioning of the IFQ programs for red snapper and groupers and tilefishes.

NMFS announces that on February 4, 2010, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) found the State of New Jersey out of compliance with the Commission's Interstate Fishery Management Plan (ISFMP) for Coastal Sharks. Subsequently, the Commission referred the matter to NMFS, under delegation of authority from the Secretary of Commerce, for federal non-compliance review under the provisions of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (Atlantic Coastal Act). The Atlantic Coastal Act mandates that NMFS must review the Commission's non-compliance referral and make specific findings within 30 days after receiving the referral. If NMFS determines that New Jersey failed to carry out its responsibilities under the Coastal Sharks ISFMP, and if the measures it failed to implement are necessary for conservation, then, according to the Atlantic Coastal Act, NMFS must declare a moratorium on fishing for coastal sharks in New Jersey waters.

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 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.