National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration July 8, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App., and after consultation with the General Services Administration, the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration has determined that renewal of the NOAA Science Advisory Board is in the public interest. The committee has been a successful undertaking and has provided advice to the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information services. The committee will continue to provide such advice and recommendations in the future. The structure and responsibilities of the Committee are unchanged from when it was originally established in September 1997. The Committee will continue to operate in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

The Science Advisory Board (SAB) was established by a Decision Memorandum dated September 25, 1997, and is the only Federal Advisory Committee with responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information services. SAB activities and advice provide necessary input to ensure that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) science programs are of the highest quality and provide optimal support to resource management. Time and Date: The meeting will be held Monday August 3 from 8:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. PDT and Tuesday August 4 from 8:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PDT. These times and the agenda topics described below are subject to change. Please refer to the Web page https://www.sab.noaa.gov/Meetings/ meetings.html for the most up-to-date meeting times and agenda. Place: The meeting will be held at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California, 92037. Please check the SAB Web site https://www.sab.noaa.gov/Meetings/ meetings.html for directions to the meeting location. Status: The meeting will be open to public participation with a 15- minute public comment period on August 3 from 5:30-5:45 p.m. PDT (check Web site to confirm time). The SAB expects that public statements presented at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted verbal or written statements. In general, each individual or group making a verbal presentation will be limited to a total time of two (2) minutes. Individuals or groups planning to make a verbal presentation should contact the Acting SAB Executive Director by July 27, to schedule their presentation. Written comments should be received in the Acting SAB Executive Director's, Office Room 146 Gregg Hall, 35 Colovos Road, Durham, NH 03824 by July 27, 2015, to provide sufficient time for SAB review. Written comments received by the Acting SAB Executive Director after July 27, 2015, will be distributed to the SAB, but may not be reviewed prior to the meeting date. Seating at the meeting will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Special Accommodations: These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for special accommodations may be directed no later than 12:00 p.m. on July 27, 2015, to Dr. Elizabeth Turner, Acting SAB Executive Director, Room 146 Gregg Hall, 35 Colovos Road, Durham, NH 03824; Email: Elizabeth.Turner@noaa.gov. Matters To Be Considered: The meeting will include the following topics: (1) NOAA Response to the SAB Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Report; (2) Review Report for the Cooperative Institute on Marine Resource Studies (CIMRS); (3) SAB strategy discussion; (4) Updates from the NOAA Administrator and Chief cientist; and (5) Working group updates.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes to issue permits and permit amendments for take of protected species in the wild, pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended; the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and the Fur Seal Act of 1966, as amended, as applicable. This may impact multiple species and taxa groups of protected species (marine mammals and sea turtles) by authorizing the use of unmanned vehicle systems (UVS), mainly small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The objectives of using UVS for research and enhancement may include determining the abundance, distribution, movement patterns, behavior, health and fitness, and stock structure of protected species found in U.S. territorial and international waters and coastal areas.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to Hilcorp Alaska, LLC (Hilcorp) to take, by harassment, small numbers of marine mammals incidental to a shallow geohazard survey in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, during the 2015 Arctic open-water season.