Department of Commerce February 2, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, NMFS, published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on December 9, 2014, to designate critical habitat for the threatened Arctic subspecies (Phoca hispida hispida) of the ringed seal (Phoca hispida) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and announced that the public comment period would close on March 9, 2015. With this document, we extend the comment period through March 31, 2015, to provide additional time for the public to submit comments. We also announce the specific date and location for a public hearing on the proposal in Bethel, AK.

In December 2009, the Governments of the United States and Turkey agreed to establish a U.S.-Turkey Business Council. This notice announces membership opportunities for appointment as American representatives to the U.S. Section of the Council. The current U.S. Section term expired on November 5, 2014.

The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is announcing the following event, ``Era of Transparency: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act, and Open Government,'' in recognition of National Sunshine Week. As part of its efforts to promote the goals of open government and FOIA, the Census Bureau will hold a public event on issues relevant to government transparency. Topics will include proactive disclosures, the Privacy Act, and data accessibility.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Shrimp Advisory Panel.

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.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted Amendment 45 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/ Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (Crab FMP) to NMFS for review. If approved, Amendment 45 would establish, for a limited period of time, a process to permanently remove Pacific cod catch limits, known as sideboard limits, which are applicable to certain hook-and-line catcher/processors in the Central and Western Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Regulatory Areas. This action would authorize NMFS to remove these Pacific cod sideboard limits in the Central or Western GOA if all eligible participants in the hook-and-line catcher/processor sector in a regulatory area sign and submit to NMFS an affidavit requesting that NMFS remove the sideboard limit. Eligible participants would be required to submit an affidavit to NMFS within 1 year of the date of publication of a final rule implementing Amendment 45, if it is approved by the Secretary of Commerce. Amendment 45 is necessary to provide participants in the Central and Western GOA hook-and-line catcher/processor sectors with an opportunity to cooperatively coordinate harvests of GOA Pacific cod through private arrangement to the participants' mutual benefit, which would remove the need for current regulations that impose sideboard harvest restrictions on some participants in the sectors. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Crab FMP, and other applicable laws.