Department of Commerce July 17, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given of a virtual meeting of the U. S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS [supreg]) Advisory Committee (Committee).

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received a request to renew an existing scientific research permit. The proposed work is intended to increase knowledge of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management, conservation, and recovery efforts. The application may be viewed online at: https:// apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm.

The President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA or Council) will hold the third meeting of its 2019-2021 term to deliberate and adopt recommendations on measures the U.S. Government should consider in implementing and operationalizing the President's Prosper Africa initiative.

The New England Fishery Management Council is convening public hearings of Draft Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery via webinar to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management has prepared a final programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), for its Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), which is managed by NOAA's National Ocean Service in Silver Spring, MD. The CRCP is implemented in coastal areas and marine waters of Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands, and targeted international regions including the wider Caribbean, the Coral Triangle, the South Pacific, and Micronesia.

This action proposes approval of, and regulations to implement, an action to require commercially permitted vessels in both New England and mid-Atlantic regions to submit vessel trip reports electronically within 48 hours of the end of a trip. In addition, this action would require for-hire vessels with permits for species managed by the New England Fishery Management Council to submit vessel trip reports electronically. Document retention requirements would also be removed with this action. This action is intended to increase data quality and timeliness of vessel trip reports.