National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 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 Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA), NOAA, announces temporary restrictions consistent with the requirements of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan's (ALWTRP) implementing regulations. These regulations apply to lobster trap/pot and anchored gillnet fishermen in an area totaling approximately 2,031 nm\2\ (6,966 km\2\), southeast of Portland, Maine, for 15 days. The purpose of this action is to provide protection to an aggregation of northern right whales (right whales).

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring commercial bluefish quota to the State of New York from its 2007 quota. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

Notice is hereby given of the availability of the Proposed Findings Document, Environmental Assessment, and Finding of No Significant Impact for Indiana's Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program. Coastal states and territories are required to submit their coastal nonpoint programs to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval. The Findings Document was prepared by NOAA and EPA to provide the rationale for the agencies' decision to approve the state coastal nonpoint pollution control program. Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA), 16 U.S.C. 1455b, requires states and territories with coastal zone management programs that have received approval under section 306 of the Coastal Zone Management Act to develop and implement coastal nonpoint programs. The Environmental Assessment was prepared by NOAA, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. sections 4321 et seq., to assess the environmental impacts associated with the approval of the coastal nonpoint pollution control program submitted to NOAA and EPA by Indiana. NOAA and EPA have proposed to approve, with conditions, the coastal nonpoint program submitted by Indiana. The requirements of 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508 (Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations to implement the National Environmental Policy Act) apply to the preparation of these Environmental Assessments. Specifically, 40 CFR section 1506.6 requires agencies to provide public notice of the availability of environmental documents. This notice is part of NOAA's action to comply with this requirement. Copies of the proposed Findings Document, Environmental Assessment, and Finding of No Significant Impact may be found on the NOAA Web site at https://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/assessments/welcome.html or may be obtained upon request from: Allison Castellan, Coastal Programs Division (N/ORM3), Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, phone (301) 713-3155, extension 125, e-mail allison.castellan@noaa.gov.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BS/AI) groundfish plan teams will meet in Seattle.

NMFS publishes this final rule to enhance the safety of observers and the efficiency of their deployment. The purpose of the final rule is to clarify prohibited actions regarding observers, reinforce that an observer may not be deployed nor stay aboard an unsafe vessel, clarify when a fishing vessel is inadequate for observer deployment and how an owner or operator can resolve discrepancies, clarify when the safety decal requirement applies, and provide for an alternate NMFS safety equipment examination of certain small fishing vessels. This final rule is necessary to maintain and enhance the safety and effectiveness of fisheries observers in carrying out their duties as authorized by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the fishery management plans and regulations adopted under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

NMFS has determined that the Atlantic tunas General category daily Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) retention limit should be adjusted for the November and December time periods of the 2007 fishing year and the January period of the 2008 fishing year. NMFS increases the daily BFT retention limits, including on previously scheduled Restricted Fishing Days (RFDs), to provide enhanced commercial fishing opportunities to harvest the established General category quota.

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.

NMFS publishes Fraser River salmon inseason orders to regulate salmon fisheries in U.S. waters. The orders were issued by the Fraser River Panel (Panel) of the Pacific Salmon Commission (Commission) and subsequently approved and issued by NMFS during the 2007 salmon fisheries within the U.S. Fraser River Panel Area. These orders established fishing dates, times, and areas for the gear types of U.S. treaty Indian and all citizen fisheries during the period the Panel exercised jurisdiction over these fisheries.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Non- Target Species Committee will meet at the offices of At-Sea Processors Association.

NMFS amends regulations governing salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of salmon bycatch measures by exempting pollock vessels from Chinook and Chum Salmon Savings Area closures if they participate in an intercooperative agreement (ICA) to reduce salmon bycatch, and exempting vessels participating in non- pollock trawl fisheries from Chum Salmon Savings Area closures because these fisheries intercept minimal amounts of salmon. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP).

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Summer Flounder Monitoring Committee, Scup Monitoring Committee, Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee, and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Council's and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisors will hold public meetings.

Notice is hereby given that Dr. Kathryn A. Ono, Department of Biological Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on marine mammals.

This document provides notice of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) approved by NOAA for use by vessels participating in the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery, Open Access Sector and sets forth relevant features of the VMS.

This document provides notice of the type-approval of the Faria WatchDog 750VMS for use in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.

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.

NMFS announces that effective 0001 hours, October 25, 2007, federally permitted vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, transfer or land more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring in or from Management Area 1A (Area 1A) per trip or calendar day until January 1, 2008, when the 2008 TAC becomes available, except for transiting purposes as described in this notice. This action is based on the determination that 95 percent of the Atlantic herring total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to Area 1A for 2007 is projected to be harvested by October 25, 2007. Regulations governing the Atlantic herring fishery require publication of this notification to advise vessel and dealer permit holders that no TAC is available for the directed fishery for Atlantic herring harvested from Area 1A.

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA), NOAA, announces temporary restrictions consistent with the requirements of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan's (ALWTRP) implementing regulations. These regulations apply to lobster trap/pot and anchored gillnet fishermen in an area totaling approximately 2,305 nm\2\ (7,905 km\2\), south of Portland, Maine, for 15 days. The purpose of this action is to provide protection to an aggregation of northern right whales (right whales).

NMFS solicits nominations for the Advisory Panel (AP) on Pacific Whiting called for in the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and Canada on Pacific Hake/Whiting. Nominations are being sought for at least 6, but not more than 12 individuals to serve as United States representatives on the AP.

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, November 5, 2007, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Tuesday, November 6, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. 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 agenda. Place: The meeting will be held both days in the NOAA Nickles Conference Room 3910 at the National Weather Center on the campus of the University of Oklahoma, 120 David L. Boren Blvd., Norman, Oklahoma 73072-7303. Please check the SAB Web site https://www.sab.noaa.gov for confirmation of the venue. Status: The meeting will be open to public participation with a 30- minute public comment period on November 6 (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 five (5) minutes. Written comments should be received in the SAB Executive Director's Office by October 29, 2007 to provide sufficient time for SAB review. Written comments received by the SAB Executive Director after October 29, 2007, will be distributed to the SAB, but may not be reviewed prior to the meeting date. Seats will be available on a first-come, first- served basis. Matters To Be Considered: The meeting will include the following topics: (1) The final NOAA response to the Reports from the Hurricane Intensity Research Working Group (HIRWG); (2) the final NOAA response to the External Review of NOAA's Ecosystem Research and Science Enterprise; (3) the draft report from the SAB's Extension, Outreach, and Education Working Group; (4) a presentation on Laboratory Reviews in the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; (5) tours and discussions of the University of Oklahoma and NOAA components of the National Weather Center; and (6) Updates from SAB Working Groups on Fire Weather Research, Social Science, and Partnerships.

NMFS announces a temporary reopening of the Eastern U.S./ Canada Area, including the Eastern U.S./Canada Haddock Special Access Program (SAP), to limited access NE multispecies days-at-sea (DAS) vessels through November 30, 2007. This action also implements a 1,000- lb (454-kg) trip limit for Georges Bank (GB) cod for all limited access NE multispecies DAS vessels fishing in the Eastern U.S./Canada Area. This action is being taken to allow NE multispecies DAS vessels increased access to the substantial Eastern U.S./Canada Area GB haddock total allowable catch (TAC), and provide increased opportunities to achieve optimum yield in the groundfish fishery. The intended effect is to maximize the utility of the remaining GB cod TAC by opening the Eastern U.S./Canada Area when the relative abundance of GB haddock in relation to GB cod is highest.

NMFS announces that the 2007 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the State of New York has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in New York for the remainder of calendar year 2007, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise New York that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in New York.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a public meeting of the Ad Hoc Recreational Red Snapper Advisory Panel (AP).