Department of Commerce June 4, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS issues regulations to implement amendments 54 and 55 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) King and Tanner Crabs (Crab FMP). This final rule revises two provisions of the Crab Rationalization Program (CR Program) to do the following: change active crab fishery participation requirements for crab quota share (QS) established for catcher vessel crew (CVC) and catcher/processor crew (CPC), also called C Shares; expand individual processing quota (IPQ) exemptions for custom processing from processor use caps; and remove the processor facility use cap. These actions are 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.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2024 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of New Jersey. This adjustment to the 2024 fishing year quota is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2024 commercial quotas for North Carolina and New Jersey.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad- Hoc Klamath River Fall Chinook Workgroup will hold an online meeting.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the commercial harvest of snowy grouper in South Atlantic Federal waters. NMFS projects commercial landings of snowy grouper will reach the commercial quota for the January through June season. Therefore, NMFS closes Federal waters in the South Atlantic for the commercial harvest of snowy grouper until the July through December season begins. This closure is necessary to protect the snowy grouper resource.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the United States Department of Commerce, is planning a gaps analysis workshop to assess the present state-of-the-art of sensors used to measure and quantify the local, regional, and global state of the environment and how it is changing in time and in response to natural and anthropogenic forcings. In advance of the workshop, NIST is seeking public input on agenda topics and priorities. Such topics may include, but are not limited to, needs in the following areas of environmental measurement: measurement capabilities, sensors, modeling, documentary and artifact standards, calibration services, traceability, and testbeds. Additionally, NIST is interested in assessing whether there is a need for new measurement technologies, testbeds, calibration services, Standard Reference Materials (SRMs), and documentary standards to advance the breadth, accuracy (short-term and long-term), sustainability (including cost factors), and comparability of environmental measurements [nationally, internationally, and over time aided by measurement traceability to the International System of Units (SI)].

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) hereby publishes a list of scope rulings and circumvention determinations made during the period October 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. We intend to publish future lists after the close of the next calendar quarter.

On March 22, 2024, the charter of the United States Manufacturing Council (Council) was renewed for a two-year period, ending March 22, 2026. The Council is a Federal advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended.