National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration January 3, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS published a notice of intent (NOI) to initiate an amendment to the Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) on November 7, 2006. Today's notice announces the availability of an issues and options presentation describing potential measures for inclusion in the forthcoming Amendment 2 to the Consolidated HMS FMP and provides details for seven scoping meetings to discuss and collect comments on the issues described in the presentation. Comments received on the issues and options presentation, in the scoping meetings, and on the NOI will assist NMFS in developing Amendment 2 to the Consolidated HMS FMP. These scoping meetings will be combined with public hearings to gather comment on a proposed rule to utilize the North Atlantic swordfish quota. Those hearings are announced today in an separate Federal Register document.

The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the Massachusetts Coastal Management Program, the Guam Coastal Management Program, the Chesapeake Bay-Virginia National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Weeks Bay (Alabama) National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Coastal Zone Management Programs evaluation 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 each 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 meetings during the site visits. Dates and Times: The Massachusetts Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be held February 5-9, 2007. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Atrium, 251 Causeway Street, Boston, Massachusetts. The Guam Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be held February 12-16, 2007. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 13, 2007, at 5 p.m. at the Richardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex, 513 Marine Drive, Adelup, Guam. The Chesapeake Bay-Virginia National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation site visit will be held March 20-22, 2007. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 21, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. at the College of William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Wilson House, Route 1208, Greate Road, Gloucester Point, Virginia. The Weeks Bay (Alabama) National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation site visit will be held March 20-23, 2007. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 21, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Auditorium, 11300 U.S. Highway 98, Fairhope, Alabama.