National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration December 31, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document contains technical corrections for errors in a rule related to Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for distinct population segments (DPSs) of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). The ``Final Rule to Revise the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for Species Under the Jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service'' revised the CFR tables that list threatened and endangered species under the ESA. During that process, we incorrectly revised the descriptions of listed entities for the DPSs of the loggerhead sea turtle in a manner that differs from the original listing descriptions. In this document, we correct the descriptions of the DPSs in the CFR tables. We also add cross-references to recently designated critical habitat of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS of the loggerhead sea turtle.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This action corrects the amendatory instruction to a final rule published on December 12, 2014, which incorrectly instructed deletion of the U.S. Distinct Population Segment of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) from the list of endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. This correction removes the incorrect language from the instruction.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will receive an overview from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) about their geological and geophysical (G&G) permitting process in the Atlantic, focusing on regulations and the permitted activities for G&G surveys.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) has begun its annual preseason management process for the 2015 ocean salmon fisheries. This document announces the availability of Pacific Council documents as well as the dates and locations of Pacific Council meetings and public hearings comprising the Pacific Council's complete schedule of events for determining the annual proposed and final modifications to ocean salmon fishery management measures. The agendas for the March and April 2015 Pacific Council meetings will be published in subsequent Federal Register documents prior to the actual meetings.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to the Northeast Gateway[supreg] Energy BridgeTM, L.P. (Northeast Gateway or NEG) and Algonquin Gas Transmission, L.L.C. (Algonquin) to take, by harassment, small numbers of 14 species of marine mammals incidental to operating, maintaining, and repairing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) port and the Algonquin Pipeline Lateral (Pipeline Lateral) facilities by NEG and Algonquin, in Massachusetts Bay, between December 22, 2014, through December 21, 2015.