Department of Commerce June 21, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In response to requests for additional time, the Department of Commerce is extending the comment period for the notice of request for public comments and public hearing that was published in the Federal Register on May 30, 2018. In the notice, the Department requested written comments, data, analyses, or other information pertinent to the investigation to determine the effects on the national security of imports of automobiles, including cars, SUVs, vans and light trucks, and automotive parts. Through this notice, the Department extends the comment period to June 29, 2018 and the rebuttal period to July 13, 2018. Requests to appear at the hearings are also now due June 29, 2018.

Per approval of the Secretary of Commerce, The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the availability of the 2018 Revision (NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-OPR-59) to its 2016 Technical Guidance for Assessing the Effects of Anthropogenic Sound on Marine Mammal HearingUnderwater Acoustic Thresholds for Onset of Permanent and Temporary Threshold Shifts (Technical Guidance or Guidance) based on comments received during the review of the Guidance pursuant to section 10 of Presidential Executive Order, Implementing an America- First Offshore Energy Strategy (April 28, 2017).

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during construction activities associated with the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal Expansion Project, South Basin Improvements Project in San Francisco, California.

The Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) have submitted the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. The Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment includes amendments to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Reef Fish FMP) and the Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region (CMP FMP). If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment would revise reporting requirements for owners and operators of federally permitted charter vessels and headboats (for-hire vessels). The Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment would require an owner or operator of a for-hire vessel with a Federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf Reef Fish or Gulf CMP to submit an electronic fishing report for each fishing trip using NMFS-approved hardware and software, before offloading fish from the vessel. The Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment would also require these owners or operators to notify NMFS prior to departing on any trip. The purpose of the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment is to increase and improve fisheries information collected from owners and operators of vessels with a Federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef fish or Gulf CMP species. The information is expected to improve recreational fisheries management of the for-hire component in the Gulf.

NMFS and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) have rescheduled a Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) of a draft 2018 benchmark stock assessment for main Hawaiian Islands Kona crab. The meeting announced in the Federal Register on June 5, 2018, has been rescheduled for September 10-14, 2018.