Department of Commerce 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Bering Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan Local Knowledge, Traditional Knowledge, and Subsistence Taskforce (LKTKS) meeting was to be held November 1, 2022 through November 2, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Alaska Time. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS issues this final rule to revise the regulations implementing the import provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This final rule extends, by one year, the exemption period to end December 31, 2023.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will host a presentation on a citizen-science approach to characterize shark depredation in recreational fisheries via webinar November 8, 2022. The presentation is part of an on-going seminar series hosted by the Council on scientific studies relevant to fisheries in federal waters off the South Atlantic U.S. coast.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Advisory Panel 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.

In response to request for a changed circumstances review (CCR), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a CCR of the antidumping duty (AD) order on silicomanganese from India. Additionally, Commerce preliminary determines that NAVA Limited (NAVA) is the successor-in-interest to Nava Bharat Ventures Limited (NBVL). Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of quartz slab manufactured in the People's Republic of China (China) and processed in Malaysia are covered by the scope of the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on certain quartz surface products from China.

The Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) requests nominations of individuals to the Bureau of Economic Analysis Advisory Committee (BEAAC or Committee) to fill upcoming vacancies. The Director of BEA will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on certain non-refillable steel cylinders (non-refillable cylinders) from the People's Republic China (China), covering the period August 28, 2020, though December 31, 2021.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Skate Committee 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.

Notice is hereby given that two public meetings will be held for the purpose of providing information and receiving comments on the preliminary recommendation by the State of Louisiana that portions of the Atchafalaya River area be proposed to NOAA for designation as a National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing, information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

NOAA is soliciting nominations for Indigenous, Tribal, Native American, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian stakeholders from the Alaska or Pacific Ocean basin regions to join the Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB). The purpose of the OEAB is to advise the NOAA Administrator on matters pertaining to ocean exploration including (1) priority areas for survey and discovery; (2) development of a five-year strategic plan for the fields of ocean, marine, and Great Lake science, (3) exploration and discovery; and, (4) the annual review of the NOAA Ocean Exploration Competitive Grants Program process.

This request for comments seeks public input on the scientific and technical requirements to practice in patent matters before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office). Specifically, the Office seeks input on whether it should revise the scientific and technical criteria for admission to practice in patent matters to require the USPTO to periodically review certain applicant degrees on a predetermined timeframe, and make certain modifications to the accreditation requirement for computer science degrees. This request for comments also seeks input on whether the creation of a separate design patent practitioner bar would be beneficial to the public and the Office, whether to add clarifying instructions to the General Requirements Bulletin for Admission to the Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (GRB) for limited recognition applicants, and whether the Office should make any additional updates to the scientific and technical requirements for admission to practice in patent matters. The USPTO is undertaking this effort as part of its continual review of the admission criteria for sitting for the registration examination.

NMFS received a request from Chesapeake Tunnel Joint Venture (CTJV) for the renewal of their currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to the Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel Project (PTST) in Virginia Beach, Virginia. These activities are nearly identical to those covered in the current authorization, and include a subset of the initial work. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to issuing the currently active IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. The renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed renewal not previously provided during the initial 30-day comment period.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is providing a public opportunity to learn more about NIST efforts to develop a tabletop Kibble balance aimed at realizing mass [500 mg-20 g], with uncertainties of parts in 10\6\, and traceable to the new quantum International System of Units (SI). The two-hour virtual meeting will take place October 19, 2022, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. eastern time.

We, NMFS, propose to designate critical habitat for the threatened Nassau grouper pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Specific occupied areas proposed for designation as critical habitat contain approximately 2,353.19 sq. kilometers (908.57 sq. miles) of aquatic habitat located in waters off the coasts of southeastern Florida, Puerto Rico, Navassa, and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). We have considered positive and negative economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the proposed critical habitat. We are soliciting comments from the public on all aspects of the proposal, including our identification and consideration of impacts of the proposed action.

NMFS has received a request from Mayflower Wind, LLC (Mayflower Wind) for authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to the Mayflower Wind Project in a designated lease area on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) Lease Area Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)-A-0521 offshore of Massachusetts, over the course of 5 years beginning on April 1, 2025. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is announcing receipt of Mayflower Wind's request for the development and implementation of regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals and issuance of a 5-year Letter of Authorization (LOA). NMFS invites the public to provide information, suggestions, and comments on Mayflower Wind's application and request.