Department of Commerce 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Central Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2010 allocation of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Eastern Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2010 allocation of Pacific ocean perch in this area allocated to vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2010 Pacific ocean perch total allowable catch specified for vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District of the BSAI.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Central Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2010 Pacific ocean perch total allowable catch specified for vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Central Aleutian District of the BSAI.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings, December 6-14, 2010, in Anchorage, AK.

In response to requests from interested parties, the Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated administrative reviews of the antidumping duty orders on ball bearings and parts thereof from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The period of review is May 1, 2009, through April 30, 2010. The Department is rescinding these reviews in part.

NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve to the initial total allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow fishing operations to continue. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area.

On October 1, 2010, NMFS published a Notice of Intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on Recovery Actions for Hawaiian monk seals (75 FR 60721). Public comments were due by November 15, 2010. NMFS has decided to allow additional time for submission of public comments on this action.

The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the Louisiana Coastal Resources Management Program and the Jobos Bay (Puerto Rico), Rookery Bay (Florida), and Chesapeake Bay (Maryland) National Estuarine Research Reserves. The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluation will be conducted pursuant to section 312 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended (CZMA) and regulations at 15 CFR part 923, subpart L. The CZMA requires continuing review of the performance of states with respect to coastal program implementation. Evaluation of a Coastal Management Program requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has met the national objectives, adhered to its Coastal Management Program document approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and adhered to the terms of financial assistance awards funded under the CZMA. The National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluations will be conducted pursuant to sections 312 and 315 of the CZMA and regulations at 15 CFR part 921, subpart E and part 923, subpart L. Evaluation of a National Estuarine Research Reserve requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has met the national objectives, adhered to its Reserve final management plan approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and adhered to the terms of financial assistance awards funded under the CZMA. Each evaluation will include a site visit, consideration of public comments, and consultations with interested Federal, state, and local agencies and members of the public. A public meeting will be held as part of the site visit. When the evaluation is completed, OCRM will place a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Final Evaluation Findings. Notice is hereby given of the dates of the site visits for the listed evaluations, and the dates, local times, and locations of the public meetings during the site visits. Dates and Times: The Louisiana Coastal Resources Management Program evaluation site visit will be held January 3-7, 2011. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Monday, January 3, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. in the Griffon Room, LaSalle Building, Capitol Complex, 617 North 3rd Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Jobos Bay (Puerto Rico) National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation site visit will be held January 24-28, 2011. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5 p.m. at the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Visitors' Center, Road 705, Kilometer 2.3, Main Street, Aguirre, Puerto Rico. The Rookery Bay (Florida) National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation site visit will be held January 24-28, 2011. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples, Florida. The Chesapeake Bay (Maryland) National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation site visit will be held January 24-28, 2011. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 7 p.m. at the McCann Center, Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, 1361 Wrighton Road, Lothian Maryland.

The Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on uncovered innerspring units (``innersprings'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''), covering the period of review (``POR'') August 6, 2008-January 31, 2010. As discussed below, we preliminarily determine that the PRC-wide entity made sales in the United States at prices below normal value (``NV''). 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 entries of subject merchandise during the POR.

This final rule prohibits fishing for bottomfish and seamount groundfish at the Hancock Seamounts until the overfished U.S. stock of pelagic armorhead (Pseudopentaceros wheeleri) is rebuilt, and classifies the area around the Hancock Seamounts as an ecosystem management area. This rule is intended to rebuild the armorhead stock and facilitate research on armorhead and other seamount groundfish.

Based on affirmative final determinations by the Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') and the International Trade Commission (``ITC''), the Department is issuing an antidumping duty order on certain seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line, and pressure pipe (``seamless pipe'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). In addition, the Department is amending its final determination to correct certain ministerial errors.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published a notice in the Federal Register on October 28, 2010, concerning the initiation of administrative reviews of various antidumping and countervailing duty orders and findings with September anniversary dates. The document contained incorrect information in both the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings table.

On December 8, 2009, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) implemented the Green Technology Pilot Program, which permits patent applications pertaining to environmental quality, energy conservation, development of renewable energy resources, and greenhouse gas emission reduction to be advanced out of turn for examination and reviewed earlier (accorded special status). The program is designed to promote the development of green technologies. Initially, participation was limited to applications filed before December 8, 2009. The USPTO is hereby expanding the eligibility for the pilot program to include applications filed on or after December 8, 2009. The program is also being extended until December 31, 2011. These changes will permit more applications to qualify for the program, thereby allowing more inventions related to green technologies to be advanced out of turn for examination and reviewed earlier.

NMFS issues a final rule to amend regulations implementing the North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program (Observer Program). This action is necessary to improve the operational efficiency of the Observer Program, as well as to improve the catch, bycatch, and biological data collected by observers for conservation and management of the North Pacific groundfish fisheries, including those data collected through scientific research activities. The final rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area and the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska.

NMFS announces that, effective 1200 hours, November 8, 2010, federally permitted vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, transfer, or land more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring (herring), per trip or calendar day, in or from Management Area 1A (Area 1A) until January 1, 2011, except for transiting purposes described in this document.

The Department of Commerce (``Department'') is conducting the first administrative review of the antidumping duty order on steel wire garment hangers from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') for the period March 25, 2008, through September 30, 2009. The Department has preliminarily determined that sales have been made below normal value (``NV'') by the respondents. If these preliminary results are adopted in our final results of this review, the Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise during the period of review (``POR''). Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

NMFS proposes to issue a permit for a period of three years to authorize the incidental, but not intentional, taking of individuals from six marine mammal stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS has made a preliminary determination that incidental taking from commercial fishing will have a negligible impact on the endangered Central North Pacific (CNP) stock of humpback whales, Western North Pacific (WNP) stock of humpback whales, Northeast Pacific (NEP) stock of fin whales, North Pacific stock of sperm whales, and Western U.S. stock of Steller sea lions; and on the threatened Eastern U.S. stock of Steller sea lions. NMFS has insufficient funds to complete TRPs for the two stocks of humpback whales, for the North Pacific stock of sperm whales, and for the Western U.S. stock of Steller sea lions. Take Reduction Plans (TRPs) are not required for the NEP stock of fin whales or the Eastern U.S. stock of Steller sea lions because mortality and serious injury of these stocks incidental to commercial fishing operations are at insignificant levels approaching a zero mortality and serious injury rate. Recovery plans are being prepared or have been completed for these threatened or endangered species. A monitoring plan is in place, and vessels have been registered under the MMPA for the fisheries included in this proposed permit. Accordingly, NMFS proposes to issue the required permits to participants in the Alaska-based groundfish fisheries. NMFS solicits public comments on the negligible impact determination and on the proposal to issue this permit.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to fully use the 2010 total allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch specified for the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area.

Notice is hereby given that Bruce Mate, PhD, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR has been issued a permit to conduct research on marine mammals.