National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration October 12, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) in conjunction with NMFS intends to prepare a DEIS to describe and analyze management alternatives to be included in an amendment to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Queen Conch Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). These alternatives will consider measures to reduce harvest of queen conch. The purpose of this notice of intent is to solicit public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS.

The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the Grand Bay (Mississippi) National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Alabama Coastal Management Program, and the Virgin Islands 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 evaluation 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 Grand Bay (Mississippi) National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation site visit will be held November 27-30, 2007. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 27, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. at the East Jackson County/Orange Grove Community Center, 9313 Old Stage Road, Moss Point, Mississippi. The Alabama Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be held December 3-7, 2007. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on Monday, December 3, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. at 5 RiversAlabama's Delta Resource Center, Tensaw Theater, 309455 Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, Alabama. The Virgin Islands Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be held December 3-7, 2007. Three public meetings will be held during the week. The first public meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the Cyril E. King Airport Terminal Building, Second Floor, Department of Planning and Natural Resources Conference Room, 8100 Lindberg Bay, St. Thomas. The second public meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the Henry Rohlsen Airport, Second Floor, Port Authority Conference Room, St. Croix. The third public meeting will be held on Thursday, December 6, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the St. John Legislature Conference Room, 109 Enigned Contant, St. John.

The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS or sanctuary) is seeking applicants for the following vacant seats on its Sanctuary Advisory Council (council): Citizen-at-large member and alternate, Tourism/Chamber of Commerce/Recreation member and alternate, and Conservation/Environmental member and alternate. Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the sanctuary. The terms of the seats are for three years with the exception of the Conservation/Environmental seat which has one year remaining on an unexpired term.