National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the NMFS, propose to designate critical habitat for the endangered Carolina distinct population segment of the Atlantic sturgeon (Carolina DPS of Atlantic sturgeon) and the endangered South Atlantic distinct population segment of the Atlantic sturgeon (South Atlantic DPS of Atlantic sturgeon) pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Specific occupied areas proposed for designation as critical habitat for the Carolina DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 1,997 kilometers (km; 1,241 miles) of aquatic habitat within the following rivers: Roanoke, Tar-Pamlico, Neuse, Cape Fear, Northeast Cape Fear, Waccamaw, Pee Dee, Black, Santee, North Santee, South Santee, and Cooper, and the following other water body: Bull Creek. In addition, we propose to designate unoccupied areas for the Carolina DPS totaling 383 km (238 miles) of aquatic habitat within the Cape Fear, Santee, Wateree, Congaree, and Broad Rivers, and within Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie, rediversion canal, and diversion canal. Specific occupied areas proposed for designation as critical habitat for the South Atlantic DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 2,911 km (1,809 miles) of aquatic habitat within the Edisto, Combahee-Salkehatchie, Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Satilla, and St. Marys Rivers. In addition, we propose to designate an unoccupied area within the Savannah River for the South Atlantic DPS that contains 33 km (21 miles) of aquatic habitat. We have considered positive and negative economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the proposed critical habitat. We do not propose to exclude any particular area from the proposed critical habitat. We are soliciting comments from the public on all aspects of the proposal, including our identification and consideration of impacts of the proposed action.

NMFS announces five inseason actions in the ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the commercial salmon fisheries in the area from Cape Falcon, OR to Point Arena, CA.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) and its advisory entities will hold public meetings.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Whiting Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

NMFS has received an application from BlueCrest Alaska Operating, LLC (BlueCrest) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting an oil and gas production drilling program in lower Cook Inlet, AK, on State of Alaska Oil and Gas Lease 384403 under the program name of Cosmopolitan State during the 2016 open water season. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to BlueCrest to incidentally take, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during the specified activity.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Regulatory Amendment 25 for the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 25) as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this proposed rule would revise the commercial and recreational annual catch limits (ACLs), the commercial trip limit, and the recreational bag limit for blueline tilefish. Additionally, this proposed rule would revise the black sea bass recreational bag limit and the the commercial and recreational fishing years for yellowtail snapper. The purpose of this proposed rule for blueline tilefish is to increase the optimum yield (OY) and ACLs based on a revised acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendation from the Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The purpose of this proposed rule is also to achieve OY for black sea bass and adjust the fishing year for yellowtail snapper to better protect the species while allowing for economic benefits to fishers.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Kamchatka flounder in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2016 Kamchatka flounder initial total allowable catch (ITAC) in the BSAI.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, we, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), hereby give notification that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to Glacier Bay National Park (Glacier Bay NP), to take marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to conducting seabird monitoring and research activities in Alaska, May through September, 2016.

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.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office for Coastal Management will hold a public meeting to solicit comments on the performance evaluation of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Notice is also hereby given of the availability of the final evaluation findings for the Florida Coastal Management Program.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad hoc Sacramento River Winter Chinook Workgroup (SRWCW) will hold a webinar, which is open to the public, to discuss progress on development of potential harvest control rule options.

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.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public meetings of the Council and its Committees.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its VMS/Enforcement Committee and Advisory Panel to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

Notice is hereby given of a virtual meeting of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS[supreg]) Advisory Committee (Committee).

NMFS' West Coast Region announces the availability of 5-year reviews for 17 evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus sp.), 10 distinct population segments (DPSs) of steelhead (O. mykiss), and the southern DPS of eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The purpose of the reviews was to evaluate whether the listing classifications of these species remains accurate or should be changed. After reviewing the best available scientific and commercial data, we conclude that no changes in the ESA-listing status for the 27 salmonid ESUs and DPSs, or the southern DPS of eulachon, are warranted at this time.

Notice is hereby given that Tasha L. Metz, Ph.D., Texas A&M University at Galveston, Department of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1675, Galveston, TX 77551 has been issued a permit to take loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

NMFS proposes to implement annual management measures and harvest specifications to establish the allowable catch levels (i.e. annual catch limit (ACL)/harvest guideline (HG)) for the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine (hereafter, simply Pacific sardine), in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the Pacific coast for the fishing season of July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017. This rule is proposed according to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The proposed action would prohibit directed non- tribal Pacific sardine commercial fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California, which is required because the estimated 2016 biomass of Pacific sardine has dropped below the biomass threshold specified in the HG control rule. Under the proposed action, Pacific sardine may still be harvested as part of either the live bait or tribal fishery or as incidental catch in other fisheries; the incidental harvest of Pacific sardine would initially be limited to 40-percent by weight of all fish per trip when caught with other CPS or up to 2 metric tons (mt) when caught with non-CPS. The proposed annual catch limit (ACL) for the 2016-2017 Pacific sardine fishing year is 8,000 mt. This proposed rule is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific sardine stock off the U.S. West Coast.

NMFS announces the re-opening of the commercial sector for gray triggerfish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic through this temporary rule. The most recent commercial landings of gray triggerfish indicate the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for the January through June fishing season has not yet been reached. Therefore, NMFS re-opens the commercial sector for gray triggerfish in the South Atlantic EEZ for 18 days to allow the commercial ACL to be caught, while minimizing the risk of the commercial ACL being exceeded.

NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for commercial blueline tilefish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. Commercial landings for blueline tilefish are projected to reach the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) by June 1, 2016. Therefore, NMFS is closing the commercial sector for blueline tilefish in the South Atlantic EEZ at 12:01 a.m., local time, June 1, 2016, and it will remain closed until the start of the next fishing season on January 1, 2017. This closure is necessary to protect the blueline tilefish resource.

This interim rule establishes a limit for calendar year 2016 on fishing effort by U.S. purse seine vessels in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (U.S. EEZ) and on the high seas between the latitudes of 20[deg] N. and 20[deg] S. in the area of application of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention). The limit is 1,828 fishing days. This action is necessary for the United States to implement provisions of a conservation and management measure adopted by the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC or Commission) and to satisfy the obligations of the United States under the Convention, to which it is a Contracting Party.

In accordance with the Hydrographic Service Improvements Act Amendments of 2002, Public Law 107-372, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is required to solicit nominations for membership at least once a year for the Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP). The HSRP, a Federal advisory committee, advises the Administrator on matters related to the responsibilities and authorities set forth in section 303 of the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act and such other appropriate matters as the Administrator refers to the Panel for review and advice. Those responsibilities and authorities include, but are not limited to: Acquiring and disseminating hydrographic data and providing hydrographic services, as those terms are defined in the Act; promulgating standards for hydrographic data and services; ensuring comprehensive geographic coverage of hydrographic services; and testing, developing, and operating vessels, equipment, and technologies necessary to ensure safe navigation and maintain operational expertise in hydrographic data acquisition and hydrographic services. The Act states ``the voting members of the Panel shall be individuals who, by reason of knowledge, experience, or training, are especially qualified in one or more of the disciplines and fields relating to hydrographic data and hydrographic services, marine transportation, port administration, vessel pilotage, coastal and fishery management, and other disciplines as determined appropriate by the Administrator.'' The NOAA Administrator seeks and encourages individuals with expertise in marine navigation, port administration, marine shipping or other intermodal transportation industries, cartography and geographic information systems, geodesy, physical oceanography coastal resource management, including coastal resilience and emergency response, and other related fields. To apply for membership on the Panel, applicants are requested to submit the following five items and answer five response questions. The entire package should be a maximum length of seven pages or fewer. NOAA is an equal opportunity employer. (1) A cover letter that responds to the five questions listed below as a statement of interest to serve on the panel, ``Short Response Questions'' below. (2) Highlight the nominee's specific area(s) of expertise relevant to the purpose of the Panel from the list in the Federal Register Notice; (3) A current resume. (4) A short biography of 400 to 600 words. (5) The nominee's full name, title, institutional affiliation, and contact information.

Notice is hereby given that an amendment to Permit No. 15537 has been issued to Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS), P.O. Box 207, Gulfport, MS 39502 (Dr. Moby Solangi, Responsible Party).

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.

The Northeast Regional Planning Body (NE RPB), which is composed of eight Federal agencies and departments, six States, six federally recognized Indian Tribes, and the New England Fishery Management Council, is requesting public comment on its draft Northeast Ocean Plan. The Northeast Ocean Plan, developed pursuant to the National Ocean Policy, was prepared collaboratively by the Regional Planning Body to build upon and improve existing Federal, State, and Tribal decision-making and planning processes in the Northeast Region. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as lead Federal agency for the Northeast Regional Planning Body, is publishing this notice on behalf of the NE RPB.