National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 4, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received applications for renewal of two enhancement permit applications pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) section for hatchery operations rearing and releasing Snake River fall Chinook salmon in the Snake River basin of Idaho. The applications are in the form of two existing hatchery and genetic management plans (HGMPs) and an addendum. This new addendum and the associated HGMPs describe programs operated by the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), and funded by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) through the Lower Snake Compensation Plan (LSRCP), Idaho Power Company (IPC), and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). This document serves to notify the public of the availability of these materials for review and comment prior to a decision by NMFS as to whether to issue the permit.

NOAA announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final Portland Harbor Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Restoration Plan (PEIS/RP). The NOAA Restoration Center Chief and the Assessment and Restoration Division Chief signed the ROD on May 29, 2018, which constitutes the agency's final decision.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC) Bluefish Monitoring Committee will hold a public meeting.

The SEDAR 57 assessment of the U.S. Caribbean spiny lobster will consist of: A Data Workshop; a series of Assessment webinars; and a Review Workshop.

NMFS has requested the Center for Independent Experts (CIE) to conduct a peer review of the agency's stock assessments for the Aleutian Islands golden king crab (AIGKC) and Norton Sound red king crab (NSRKC) stocks. The CIE is a group affiliated with the University of Miami that provides independent peer reviews of NMFS science nationwide, including reviews of stock assessments for fish, shellfish and marine mammals. The AIGKC and NSRKC stock assessments are reviewed annually by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) Crab Plan Team, and the NPFMC Scientific and Statistical Committee. The CIE review will examine whether the assessments incorporate the best scientific information available for making management decisions and whether they provide reasonable approaches to understanding the population dynamics and stock status for the AIGKC and NSRKC stocks. The public is invited to attend and observe the presentations and discussions between the CIE panel and the NMFS and Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADFG) scientists who designed the underlying assessment models, collected the data, and performed the stock assessments.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received one permit application from the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (District) to enhance propagation and survival of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended, for a five-year period (with a five-year renewal). As part of this permit application, the District has submitted a Rescue and Rearing Management Plan (RRMP). The RRMP specifies operational methods for South-Central California Coast (S-CCC) steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) rescue, rearing, and relocation activities associated with the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility (Facility). The Facility is located on the Carmel River on the Central California Coast. This document serves to notify the public of the availability of the permit application and associated RRMP for review and comment prior to a decision by NMFS whether to issue the permit. The permit application and associated RRMP can be viewed online at: https://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/hatcheries/ carmel_rrmp/carmel_rrmp_nor.html.