National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 21, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performances of the Kachemak Bay (Alaska) National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Apalachicola (Florida) National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Michigan Coastal Management Program, the Virginia Coastal Management Program, and the Indiana Coastal Management Program. The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluations will be conducted pursuant to section 312 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended (CZMA) and regulations at 15 CFR part 923, subpart L. The National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluations will be conducted pursuant to sections 312 and 315 of the CZMA and regulations at 15 CFR part 921, subpart E and part 923, subpart L. The CZMA requires continuing review of the performance of states with respect to coastal program implementation. Evaluation of Coastal Management Programs and National Estuarine Research Reserves requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has met the national objectives, adhered to its Coastal Management Program document or Reserve final management plan approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and adhered to the terms of financial assistance awards funded under the CZMA. Each evaluation will include a site visit, consideration of public comments, and consultations with interested Federal, state, and local agencies and members of the public. A public meeting will be held as part of the site visit. Notice is hereby given of the dates of the site visits for the listed evaluations, and the dates, local times, and locations of the public meeting during the site visits. The Kachemak Bay (Alaska) National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation site visit will be held April 3-6, 2006. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 5, 2006, at 7 p.m. at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, 95 Sterling Highway, Homer, Alaska. The Apalachicola (Florida) National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation site visit will be held May 1-3, 2006. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. at the Apalachicola Community Center, 222 6th Street, Apalachicola, Florida. The Michigan Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be held May 8-12, 2006. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Thursday, May 11, 2006, at 7 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College, Great Lakes Campus, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, Room 112, 715 East Front Street, Traverse City, Michigan. The Virginia Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be held May 15-19, 2006. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Monday, February 14, 2006, at 4 p.m. at the Department of Environmental Quality, First Floor Conference Room, 629 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia. The Indiana Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be held May 30-June 2, 2006. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 31, 2006, at 6 p.m. at the Westchester Public Library Service Center, 100 West Indiana Avenue, Chesterton, Indiana. Copies of states' most recent performance reports, as well as OCRM's evaluation notification and supplemental information request letters to the states, are available upon request from OCRM. Written comments from interested parties regarding these Programs are encouraged and will be accepted until 15 days after the public meeting held for a Program. Please direct written comments to Ralph Cantral, Chief, National Policy and Evaluation Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS/NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, 10th Floor, N/ORM7, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. When the evaluations are completed, OCRM will place a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Final Evaluation Findings. Notice is hereby given of the availability of the final evaluation findings for the South Carolina and Maine Coastal Management Programs (CMPs) and the Wells (Maine) National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). Sections 312 and 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA), as amended, require a continuing review of the performance of coastal states with respect to approval of CMPs and the operation and management of NERRs. The states of South Carolina and Maine were found to be implementing and enforcing their federally approved coastal management programs, addressing the national coastal management objectives identified in CZMA section 303(2)(A)-(K), and adhering to the programmatic terms of their financial assistance awards. The Wells (Maine) NERR was found to be adhering to programmatic requirements of the NERR System. Copies of these final evaluation findings may be obtained upon written request from: Ralph Cantral, Chief, National Policy and Evaluation Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS/NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, 10th Floor, N/ORM7, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, or Ralph.Cantral@noaa.gov.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat/Marine Protected Area (MPA)/ Ecosystem Advisory Panel in March, 2006 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.

NMFS announces the availability of Amendment 17 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (Amendment 17) and Amendment 25 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resource of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 25), prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). Amendments 17 and 25 would establish a limited access system for the Gulf of Mexico charter vessel/headboat (for-hire) permits for the reef fish and CMP fisheries in the exclusive economic zone of the Gulf of Mexico and would continue to cap participation at current levels. The intended effect of Amendments 17 and 25 is to support the Council's efforts to achieve optimum yield in the fishery and provide social and economic benefits associated with maintaining stability in these for-hire fisheries.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for non-Community Development Quota (CDQ) pollock with trawl gear in the Chinook Salmon Savings Areas of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2006 limit of chinook salmon caught by vessels using trawl gear while directed fishing for non-CDQ pollock in the BSAI.