National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The New England Fishery Management Council's is convening its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 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.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS) will hold a meeting on August 31, 2022, in preparation for the September 2022 Pacific Council meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

Notice is hereby given that Randall Wells, Ph.D., Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis).

Notice is hereby given that the NMFS Office of Protected Resources, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP; Responsible Party: Sarah Wilkin), 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research and enhancement on marine mammals.

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 Texas Coastal Management Program.

This document announces additional season dates for Pacific halibut recreational fisheries in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. Specifically, this action adds the following dates: the Washington Puget Sound subarea to open 7 days per week from August 11 through September 30; Washington North Coast subarea to open Thursday through Monday from August 11 through September 5, and 7 days per week from September 6 through September 30; Washington South Coast and Columbia River subareas to open August 19, 25, 28, September 3, 4, and 23; and Oregon Central Coast subarea to open every Thursday through Saturday from August 4 through October 31. This action is intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide angler opportunity where available.

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 Connecticut Coastal Management Program.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Survey Working Group (SSWG) via webinar 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.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (L-DEO) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during geophysical surveys in the Northeast Pacific Ocean.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a public hearing to obtain input on the Comprehensive Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) Control Rule Amendment, which affects the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic (Dolphin Wahoo FMP), the FMP for the Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Golden Crab FMP), and the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region.

In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS), and Consent Decree, the Federal and State natural resource trustee agencies for the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (Louisiana TIG) have approved the Final Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #8: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats (RP/EA #8) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). In the Final RP/EA #8, the Louisiana TIG selects for implementation four restoration projects to partially restore for injuries to wetlands, coastal and nearshore habitats in the Louisiana Restoration Area. The Federal Trustees of the Louisiana TIG have determined that the implementation of the Final RP/EA #8 is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the context of the NEPA. They have concluded a FONSI is appropriate, and, therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has made a final determination on the Hoopa Valley Tribe's Tribal Resource Management Plan (TRMP). The determination is pursuant to the limitation on take prohibitions for actions conducted under Tribal Resource Management Plans promulgated under the 4(d) Rule of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (Tribal 4(d) Rule). The TRMP specifies harvest, research, and monitoring activities for tribal fisheries affecting ESA-listed Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Coho Salmon in the portion of the Trinity River within the Hoopa Valley Reservation. As required by the Tribal 4(d) Rule, NMFS sought public comment on its pending determination prior to making a final determination.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) will hold an online meeting.

As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS has considered public comments for revisions of the 2021 marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs). This notice announces the availability of 50 final 2021 SARs that were updated and finalized.