National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration December 2, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is providing notice that the final rule published on October 16, 2024, to designate Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS), is effective on November 30, 2024.

NMFS issues this notice to inform the public that there will be a decrease of the fee rate required to repay the reduction loan financing the non-pollock groundfish fishing capacity reduction program. Effective January 1, 2025, NMFS is decreasing the Loan A fee rate to $0.016 per pound to ensure timely repayment of the loan. The fee rate for Loan B will remain unchanged at $0.001 per pound. The decreased fee rate is due to a recalculation based on the required amortization target and projected non-pollock groundfish Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for 2025, as well as a temporary adjustment related to 2024 Season B.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting comments from the public regarding a proposed revision of the management plan for the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NBNERR). A management plan provides a framework to guide a reserve's programs, track progress toward meeting its goals, and identify potential opportunities or changes in direction. It is also used to guide programmatic evaluations. Management plan revisions are required at least every five years. This draft, revised management plan is intended to replace the NBNERR management plan approved in 2010.