Department of Commerce April 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice sets forth the proposed schedule and agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC). The members will discuss and provide advice on issues outlined under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management will hold two separate public meetings to solicit comments on the performance evaluation of the Oregon Coastal Management Program and the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Notice is also hereby given of the availability of the final evaluation findings for Maryland, Puerto Rico and Ohio Coastal Management Programs.

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 Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is giving notice of a virtual meeting of the National Advisory Committee (NAC). The Committee will address updates on the 2015 National Content Test and Tribal Enrollment Question Focus Groups. The NAC will meet virtually on Thursday, April 21, 2016. Last minute changes to the schedule are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments. Please visit the Census Advisory Committees Web site for the most current meeting agenda at: https://www.census.gov/cac/.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is giving notice that the Secretary of the Department of Commerce has determined that the renewal of an advisory committee of technical advisors is necessary and in the public interest. Accordingly, the Census Bureau has chartered the Census Scientific Advisory Committee (CSAC). The renewed charter can be found on the Census Bureau's Advisory Committee Web site at the following link: https://www.census.gov/cac/.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel will hold a public meeting.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2016, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The final LOF for 2016 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NMFS must classify each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the MMPA based upon the level of mortality and serious injury of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery. The classification of a fishery on the LOF determines whether participants in that fishery are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan (TRP) requirements. In addition, NMFS begins publishing online fact sheets for Category III fisheries on a rolling basis.

On January 8, 2016, NOAA released the NOAA Commercial Space Policy. Consistent with that policy, the Draft National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Commercial Space Activities Assessment Process identifies the NESDIS process for engagement with the commercial sector by which NESDIS will assess and pursue commercial opportunities to support NOAA's space-based observational information requirements. In order to ensure consideration of a broad range of ideas for optimal methods of engaging with the commercial sector, NESDIS seeks comments on the Draft NESDIS Commercial Space Activities Assessment Process. Through https:// www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NESDIS-2015-0132, the public can view the Draft NESDIS Commercial Space Activities Assessment Process, submit ideas, review submissions from other parties, and make comments. All comments are welcome. In particular, NOAA would like comments on the following areas: What contractual or other mechanisms could NOAA use to work with commercial sector data providers beyond traditional acquisition approaches? What steps should NOAA take to consider the long-term viability of a commercial data provider prior to an operational data purchase? What are the key aspects of demonstration projects that allow the commercial sector to gain necessary insights? What are the key aspects of demonstration projects that would allow NOAA to perform the necessary data validation for the continued success of NOAA's public safety mission?

The Department of Commerce (the Department) received requests to conduct administrative reviews of the antidumping duty (AD) orders on certain frozen warmwater shrimp (shrimp) from India and Thailand for the period February 1, 2015 through January 31, 2016. The anniversary month of these orders is February. In accordance with the Department's regulations, we are initiating these administrative reviews.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a three-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

This notice announces the expansion of employee coverage under the Commerce Alternative Personnel System, formerly the Department of Commerce Personnel Management Demonstration Project, published in the Federal Register on December 24, 1997. This coverage is extended to include employees located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), employed under the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).

NMFS specifies an annual catch limit (ACL) of 326,000 lb for Deep 7 bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) for the 2015-16 fishing year. As an accountability measure (AM), if the ACL is projected to be reached, NMFS would close the commercial and non- commercial fisheries for MHI Deep 7 bottomfish for the remainder of the fishing year. The ACL and AM specifications support the long-term sustainability of Hawaii bottomfish.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season apportionment of the 2016 Pacific cod total allowable catch allocated to trawl catcher vessels in the BSAI.

The National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Advisory Committee (Committee) will meet on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The primary purpose of this meeting is to update the Committee on the progress of the implementation of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Joplin tornado investigation report's recommendations and receive NIST's response to the Committee's 2015 annual report and recommendations. The agenda may change to accommodate Committee business. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST Web site at https://www.nist.gov/el/disasterstudies/ ncst/.

Recognizing the vital importance of the Internet to U.S. innovation, prosperity, education, and civic and cultural life, the Department of Commerce has made it a top priority to encourage growth of the digital economy and ensure that the Internet remains an open platform for innovation. Thus, as part of the Department's Digital Economy Agenda, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is initiating an inquiry regarding the Internet of Things (IoT) to review the current technological and policy landscape. Through this Notice, NTIA seeks broad input from all interested stakeholdersincluding the private industry, researchers, academia, and civil societyon the potential benefits and challenges of these technologies and what role, if any, the U.S. Government should play in this area. After analyzing the comments, the Department intends to issue a ``green paper'' that identifies key issues impacting deployment of these technologies, highlights potential benefits and challenges, and identifies possible roles for the federal government in fostering the advancement of IoT technologies in partnership with the private sector.

NMFS and USFWS issue a final rule to list 11 distinct population segments (DPSs) of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas; hereafter referred to as the green turtle) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Based on the best available scientific and commercial data, and after considering comments on the proposed rule, we have determined that three DPSs are endangered species and eight DPSs are threatened species. This rule supersedes the 1978 final listing rule for green turtles. It applies the existing protective regulations to the DPSs. Critical habitat is not determinable at this time but will be proposed in a future rulemaking. In the interim, the existing critical habitat designation (i.e., waters surrounding Culebra Island, Puerto Rico) remains in effect for the North Atlantic DPS.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The Exempted Fishing Permit would allow a commercial fishing vessel to fish outside of the limited access scallop regulations in support of research conducted by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation. The exemptions are in support of gear research designed to reduce flatfish bycatch in the limited access general category scallop fishery. 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, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, 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 allow one commercial fishing vessel to fish outside of the limited access scallop regulations in support of research conducted by the National Fisheries Institute that is investigating scallop incidental mortality in the scallop dredge fishery. 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.

NMFS proposes to designate the Sakhalin Bay-Nikolaya Bay-Amur River Stock of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) as a depleted stock of marine mammals pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This action is being taken as a result of a status review conducted by NMFS in response to a petition to designate a group of beluga whales in the western Sea of Okhotsk as depleted. The biological evidence indicates that the group is a population stock as defined by the MMPA, and the stock is depleted as defined by the MMPA.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for northern rockfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2016 total allowable catch (TAC) of northern rockfish in the BSAI.