Department of Commerce March 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is amending the system of records currently listed under ``COMMERCE/ PAT-TM-1 Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice Before the Office.'' This action is being taken to update the Privacy Act notice. We invite the public to comment on the amendments noted in this publication.

The Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) announces its annual spring meeting on April 3-5, 2013. The Committee will meet with its Technical Advisors to discuss matters relating to ICCAT, including the 2012 Commission meeting results; research and management activities; global and domestic initiatives related to ICCAT; the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act-required report on any identification of countries that are diminishing the effectiveness of ICCAT; the results of meetings of the Committee's Species Working Groups; and other matters relating to the international management of ICCAT species.

The Pacific Council and its advisory entities will hold public meetings.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program. The season will open 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 23, 2013, and will close 1200 hours, A.l.t., November 7, 2013. This period is the same as the 2013 commercial halibut fishery opening dates adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. The IFQ and CDQ halibut season is specified by a separate publication in the Federal Register of annual management measures.

NOAA, the Natural Resource Trustee for this incident has written a Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft DARP/EA) that describes proposed alternatives for restoring natural resource injuries resulting from the November 11, 2005, T/B DBL 152 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of the availability of the Draft DARP/EA and to seek written comments on the proposed restoration alternative.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Tilefish Monitoring Committee will hold a public meeting.

The SEDAR 32 assessments of the South Atlantic stocks of blueline tilefish and gray triggerfish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: a Data Workshop; a series of Assessment webinars; and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NOAA proposes to amend the terms of designation and regulations regarding the introduction of introduced species into Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay national marine sanctuaries (GFNMS and MBNMS, respectively). NOAA proposes to apply the regulations to the entirety of both sanctuaries and provide exceptions for) striped bass; and mariculture activities in Tomales Bay. This action would make the regulation of introduced species consistent in all four of the national marine sanctuaries off of California.

The Assistant Administrator (AA) for Fisheries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on behalf of the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), publishes annual management measures promulgated as regulations by the IPHC and approved by the Secretary of State governing the Pacific halibut fishery. The AA also announces approval of the Area 2A (waters off the U.S. West Coast) Catch Sharing Plan (CSP), with modifications recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), along with implementing regulations for 2013, and provides notice of the guideline harvest levels (GHLs) for Areas 2C and 3A. These actions are intended to enhance the conservation of Pacific halibut and further the goals and objectives of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) (Councils).

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is extending the deadline for submission of certification letters in order to allow additional time for partners and organizations to provide products and technical expertise to support and demonstrate security platforms for exchange of electronic health care information by healthcare providers. Participation in the project is open to all interested organizations.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a request for comments on the preparation of patent applications, seeking input on potential practices that applicants can employ at the drafting stage of a patent application in order to facilitate examination and bring more certainty to the scope of issued patents. The USPTO has received several requests for additional time to submit comments on the preparation of patent applications. Accordingly, the USPTO is extending the comment period to provide interested members of the public with additional time to submit comments to the USPTO.

The SEDAR 33 assessment of the Gulf of Mexico gag and greater amberjack fisheries will consist of a series of workshops and supplemental webinars. This notice is for a data scoping webinar of the Data Workshop portion of the SEDAR process. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (CS) is publishing this supplement to the Notice of the U.S. Healthcare Trade Mission to Russia published at 77 FR 77032, December 31, 2012, to amend the Notice to revise the dates of the application deadline from March 15, 2013 to the new deadline of March 29, 2013.

NMFS proposes to approve and implement regulations through Framework Adjustment 24 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (Framework 24), which the New England Fishery Management Council adopted and submitted to NMFS for approval. Framework 24 would set specifications for the Atlantic sea scallop fishery for the 2013 fishing year, including days-at-sea allocations, individual fishing quotas, and sea scallop access area trip allocations. This action would also set precautionary default fishing year 2014 specifications, in case the New England Fishery Management Council delays the development of the next framework, resulting in implementation after the March 1, 2014, start of the 2014 fishing year, and transitional measures are needed. In addition, Framework 24 adjusts the Georges Bank scallop access area seasonal closure schedules, and because that changes exemptions to areas closed to fishing specified in the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, Framework 24 must be a joint action with that plan (Framework Adjustment 49). Framework 24 also continues the closures of the Delmarva and Elephant Trunk scallop access areas, refines the management of yellowtail flounder accountability measures in the scallop fishery, makes adjustments to the industry-funded observer program, and provides more flexibility in the management of the individual fishing quota program.

We propose to approve 18 sector operations plans and contracts for fishing year (FY) 2013, provide allocations of Northeast (NE) multispecies to these sectors, and grant regulatory exemptions. We request comment on the proposed sector operations plans and contracts; the environmental assessment (EA) analyzing the impacts of the operations plans; and our proposal to grant 25 of the 39 regulatory exemptions requested by the sectors. Approval of sector operations plans is necessary to allocate quotas to the sectors and for the sectors to operate. The NE Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) allows limited access permit holders to form sectors, and requires sectors to submit their operations plans and contracts to us, NMFS, for approval or disapproval. Approved sectors are exempt from certain effort control regulations and receive allocation of NE multispecies (groundfish) based on its members' fishing history. Written comments must be received on or before March 29, 2013.

On November 1, 2010, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated the second sunset reviews of the countervailing duty (``CVD'') orders on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products (``HR steel'') from India, Indonesia, and Thailand pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). On the basis of notices of intent to participate and adequate substantive responses filed on behalf of the domestic interested parties and inadequate responses from respondent interested parties (in these cases, no responses), the Department conducted expedited sunset reviews of these CVD orders pursuant to section 751(c)(3)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(e)(1)(ii)(B). As a result of these sunset reviews, the Department finds that revocation of the CVD orders would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of a countervailable subsidy at the level indicated in the ``Final Results of Reviews'' section of this notice.

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. Time and Date: The meeting will be held Wednesday, March 27, 2013 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. and Thursday, March 28, 2013 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 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: Conference call. Public access TBD in Silver Spring, MD. Please check the SAB Web site https://www.sab.noaa.gov/Meetings/ meetings.html for address and directions to the meeting location. Members of the public will not be able to dial in to this meeting. Status: The meeting will be open to public participation with a 10 minute public comment period on March 28 from 12:05-12:15 p.m. (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 two (2) minutes. Individuals or groups planning to make a verbal presentation should contact the SAB Executive Director by March 20, 2013 to schedule their presentation. Written comments should be received in the SAB Executive Director's Office by March 20, 2013 to provide sufficient time for SAB review. Written comments received by the SAB Executive Director after March 20, 2013 will be distributed to the SAB, but may not be reviewed prior to the meeting date. Seating at the meeting will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Special Accommodations: These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for special accommodations may be directed no later than 12 p.m. on March 20, 2013, to Dr. Cynthia Decker, SAB Executive Director, SSMC3, Room 11230, 1315 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Matters To Be Considered: The meeting will include the following topics: (1) Final Report from the SAB Research and Development Portfolio Review Task Force; (2) Review Report on the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology (CIOERT); (3) NOAA Response to the SAB Report on Assessing Data from non-NOAA Sources; (4) NOAA Response to the SAB White Paper; On the Need for a NOAA Environmental Data Management Framework; (5) Proposal for a RESTORE Act Working Group; (6) Membership for the Climate Working Group; and (7) Updates from SAB Working Groups.

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

Notice is hereby given that Daniel P. Costa, Ph.D., Department of Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) in California, Oregon and Washington.