National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May 18, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its final Annual Determination (AD) for 2010, pursuant to its authority under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Through this AD, NMFS identifies commercial fisheries operating in state and Federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Ocean that will be required to take observers upon NMFS' request. The purpose of observing identified fisheries is to learn more about sea turtle interactions in a given fishery, evaluate existing measures to reduce or prevent prohibited sea turtle takes, and to determine whether additional measures to implement the prohibition against sea turtle takes may be necessary. Fisheries identified through this process will remain on the AD, and therefore required to carry observers upon NMFS' request, for 5 years.

NMFS and FWS published a notice in the Federal Register on April 12, 2010, announcing the availability of the Stanford University Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan), the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Authorization of Incidental Take and Implementation of the Plan, and the Implementing Agreement (IA) for public review and comment. The document contained incorrect dates and contact information.