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

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

Notice is hereby given that Caleb Slater, Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA, 01581, has applied in due form for a permit to take shortnose (Acipenser brevirostrum) and Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) for purposes of scientific research.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 113th Scientific and Statistical Committee, Executive and Budget Standing Committee, Pelagic and International and Protected Species Standing Committee and the 157th Council Meeting to take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 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 the continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that an exempted fishing permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This exempted fishing permit would exempt vessels from monkfish days-at-sea possession limits to commercially harvest monkfish during compensation fishing in support of a project funded under the Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program. The primary goal of the research is to determine if monkfish constitute a single or multiple stocks over their coast-wide distribution and would be conducted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Marine Program. 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 exempted fishing permits.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant Regional Administrator), has made a preliminary determination that an exempted fishing permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This exempted fishing permit would exempt commercial fishing vessels from the prohibition on landing unshucked surfclams into any container other than a standard surfclam/ocean quahog cage, and would allow project participants to test alternatives to the industry standard cage used in the Atlantic surfclam fishery. The research would be coordinated by the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association. 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 exempted fishing permit.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is conducting a new shipper review of the antidumping duty order on multilayered wood flooring (``MLWF'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). The period of review (``POR'') is May 26, 2011 through May 31, 2012. The review covers one exporter of subject merchandise, Power Dekor Group Co., Ltd. (``Power Dekor''). We have preliminarily found that Power Dekor has not made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of the potential effects of the issuance of a direct take permit for a hatchery program in Nason Creek, in the upper Columbia River basin. The permit application was provided by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County (Grant PUD). The proposed permit would be issued for a period of 10 years. This document serves to notify the public of the draft environmental assessment for public review, comment, and submission of written data, views, arguments, or other relevant information before a final decision on whether to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact is made by NMFS. Also available for public review and comment are two addenda, one updating the Nason Creek application and one describing a proposed adult management program associated with spring Chinook salmon hatchery plans for major tributaries to the Wenatchee River. All comments and other information received will become part of the public record and will be available for review pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA.

NMFS issues this final rule to implement management measures described in a framework action to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This rule revises the commercial and recreational quotas for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) reef fish fishery for the 2013 fishing year and announces the quota closure dates in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off each Gulf state for the 2013 red snapper recreational fishing season. This final rule is intended to help achieve optimum yield for the Gulf red snapper resource without increasing the risk of red snapper experiencing overfishing.

In March 2007, the Governments of the United States and Brazil established the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum. This notice announces membership opportunities for up to twelve individuals for appointment as American representatives to the U.S. Section of the Forum. The term of the current representatives to the U.S. Section will expire August 12, 2013.

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued an amended Export Trade Certificate of Review to California Almond Export Association, LLC on May 20, 2013.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the Coastal Migratory Pelagics (CMP) Advisory Panel (AP) via webinar.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Regulatory Amendment 15 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP), as prepared by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). Regulatory Amendment 15 would revise the optimum yield (OY) and the annual catch limit (ACL) for yellowtail snapper. If implemented, this rule would increase the commercial and recreational ACLs and recreational annual catch target (ACT) for yellowtail snapper harvested in or from the South Atlantic exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This rule would also modify the commercial ACL and the accountability measure (AM) for gag that requires a closure of all other South Atlantic shallow-water grouper (SASWG) when the gag commercial ACL is met or projected to be met. This rule also proposes several administrative changes to regulatory text, which are unrelated to the measures contained in Regulatory Amendment 15. The intent of this rule is to provide socio-economic benefits to snapper-grouper fishermen and communities that utilize the snapper-grouper resource, while maintaining fishing mortality at sustainable levels according to the best scientific information available.

Notice is hereby given that South Carolina Department of Natural Resources [Responsible Party: Robert Boyles], 217 Ft. Johnson Rd., Charleston, SC 29412, has been issued a modification to scientific research Permit No. 13543.

This proposed rule describes how certain articles the President determines no longer warrant control under United States Munitions List (USML) Category XVspacecraft and related itemswould be controlled on the Commerce Control List (CCL). Such items would be controlled by new Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs) 9A515, 9B515, 9D515, and 9E515 proposed by this rule and existing ECCNs. This is one in a planned series of proposed rules describing how various types of articles the President determines, as part of the Administration's Export Control Reform Initiative, no longer warrant USML control, would be controlled on the CCL and by the EAR. This proposed rule is being published in conjunction with a proposed rule from the Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, which would amend the list of articles controlled by USML Category XV. The revisions proposed in this rule are part of Commerce's retrospective regulatory review plan under EO 13563 completed in August 2011.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued a 3-year Letter of Authorization (LOA) to the U.S. Navy (Navy) to take marine mammals incidental to Navy training and research activities to be conducted within the Gulf of Alaska Temporary Maritime Activities Area (GOA TMAA). These activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2004 (NDAA).

The Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award will meet in closed session on Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Eastern time. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and review the role and responsibilities of the Judges Panel and information received from the National Institute of Standards and Technology in order to ensure the integrity of the Award selection process. The agenda will include: The Role of the Judges, Debrief of Category Recognition, Improvements to the Judging Process, Baldrige Program Updates, and the 2013 Baldrige Award Cycle.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and its Research Set-Aside Committee, its Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee, its Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Committee, and its Executive Committee will hold public meetings.