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

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for a meeting of the Science Advisory Board (SAB). The members will discuss issues outlined in the section on Matters to be considered.

The Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils (Councils) will hold a public meeting of their joint Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel will hold a public webinar meeting. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for agenda details.

NMFS proposes to implement annual harvest specifications and management measures for the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine (hereafter, Pacific sardine), for the fishing year from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This proposed rule would prohibit most directed commercial fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Pacific sardine harvest would be allowed only for use as live bait, in minor directed fisheries, as incidental catch in other fisheries, or as authorized under exempted fishing permits. The proposed harvest specifications for 2024-2025 include an overfishing limit of 8,312 metric tons (mt), an annual catch limit of 6,005 mt, and an annual catch target of 5,500 mt. This proposed rule is intended to conserve, manage, and rebuild the Pacific sardine stock off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, NMFS hereby promulgates regulations to govern the incidental taking of marine mammals by Avangrid Renewables, LLC, (Avangrid), the parent company of the original applicant, Park City Wind, LLC (Park City Wind), during the construction of the New England Wind Project (the Project), an offshore wind energy project, developed in two phases, known as Park City Wind (phase 1) and Commonwealth Wind (phase 2), in Federal and State waters off of Massachusetts, specifically within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Areas (OCS-A 0534 and OCS-A 0561) and the southwest (SW) portion of Lease Area OCS-A 0501 (collectively referred to as the Lease Area), and along an export cable routes to sea-to-shore transition points (collectively, the Project Area), over the course of 5 years (March 27, 2025, through March 26, 2030). The proposed rule for this action concerned only Lease Areas OCS-A 0534 and the SW portion of Lease Area OCS-A 0501. However, after publication of the proposed rule, Lease Area OCS-A 0534 was segregated into two portions: OCS-A 0534 and OCS-A 0561. Phase 1 remained with Park City Wind (OCS-A 0534) while phase 2 (OCS-A 0561) was assigned to a sister company named Commonwealth Wind, LLC (subsidiary of Avangrid). As a result of this, Park City Wind requested that the Letter of Authorization (LOA), if issued, be issued to Avangrid, who would oversee the construction of the both phases of the Project by its two subsidiaries. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a LOA for the incidental take of marine mammals during construction-related activities within the Project Area during the effective dates of the regulations, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.

This notice invites non-Federal entities to partner with the ocean and coastal mapping programs of NOAA's National Ocean Service on jointly-funded projects of mutual interest, and establishes selection criteria and submission requirements for such projects under the NOAA Rear Admiral Richard T. Brennan Ocean Mapping Fund program. With this funding opportunity, NOAA will match selected non-Federal partners at a 70:30 NOAA:partner ratio for projects totaling up to $1,000,000, and proposing to contract for ocean, coastal and/or Great Lakes mapping data. Selected non-Federal partners further benefit from this opportunity by leveraging NOAA's contracting (NOAA has a pool of pre- qualified technical experts in surveying and mapping) and data management expertise. This ocean and coastal mapping funding opportunity is subject to the availability of funds.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and NMFS will convene a Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) of the fishery dependent and life history data that will be used in the future benchmark stock assessment for the multispecies bottomfish complex in Guam.

Following formal rulemaking proceedings including an on-the- record hearing before an administrative law judge, NMFS is waiving the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) moratorium on taking Eastern North Pacific (ENP) gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) to allow the Makah Indian Tribe to conduct a limited ceremonial and subsistence hunt of up to 25 ENP gray whales over a 10-year period in accordance with the Treaty of Neah Bay of 1855 and the quota first established by the International Whaling Commission in 1997. NMFS is also promulgating regulations to govern the issuance of hunt permits and the hunt itself.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in an abbreviated framework action under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This proposed rule would modify the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) lane snapper catch limits. The purpose of this proposed rule is to modify the Gulf lane snapper catch limits based on the best scientific information available. This proposed rule would also revise reporting and compliance requirements for Gulf reef fish commercial permit holders using vessel monitoring systems (VMS).

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 the U.S. Navy (Navy) to incidentally harass marine mammals during construction activities associated with the New London Pier Extension Project at Naval Submarine Base (SUBASE) New London in Groton, Connecticut. There are no changes from the proposed authorization in this final authorization.

NMFS implements this final temporary rule to reduce overfishing of red snapper in Federal waters of the South Atlantic. For the 2024 fishing year, this temporary rule reduces the commercial and recreational annual catch limits (ACLs) and revises the authority of the Regional Administrator to change the red snapper recreational season dates under certain adverse weather conditions. This temporary rule also announces the red snapper 2024 commercial and recreational fishing season dates in the South Atlantic. This temporary rule is effective for 180 days. The purpose of this temporary rule is to reduce overfishing of red snapper and to provide notification of the red snapper seasons for 2024.

NMFS reduces the commercial trip limit for greater amberjack in or from the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) to 250 lb (113 kg), gutted weight; 260 lb (118 kg), round weight, on June 16, 2024, as a result of 75 percent of the adjusted commercial quota being reached. Additionally, subsequent to the trip limit reduction, NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for Gulf commercial greater amberjack to close commercial harvest when NMFS projects landings have reached the adjusted commercial annual catch target (ACT). The 2024 commercial fishing season for greater amberjack in the Gulf EEZ will close on June 30, 2024, and will remain closed through December 31, 2024. These actions are necessary to protect the Gulf greater amberjack resource.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued a renewal incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to harass marine mammals incidental to construction activities associated with the debris dock replacement project in Sausalito, California.

The SEDAR 95 assessment of the Atlantic stock of cobia will consist of a series of data and assessment webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The NMFS is issuing permits to authorize the incidental, but not intentional, take of specific Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed marine mammal species or stocks under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), in certain U.S. commercial fisheries.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Sanctuary System Business Advisory Council (council). The meeting is open to the public, and an opportunity for oral and written comments will be provided.

Notice is hereby given that permits have been issued to the following entities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as applicable.

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2024 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia. This adjustment to the 2024 fishing year quota is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2024 commercial quotas for North Carolina and Virginia.

NMFS and the Assessment Oversight Panel will convene the Management Track Assessment Peer Review Meeting for the purpose of reviewing four stocks of Atlantic cod (western Gulf of Maine; eastern Gulf of Maine; Georges Bank; southern New England), as well as Atlantic surfclam, black sea bass, butterfish, and golden tilefish. The Management Track Assessment Peer Review is a formal scientific peer- review process for evaluating and presenting stock assessment results to managers for fish stocks in the offshore U.S. waters of the northwest Atlantic. Assessments are prepared by the management track working groups and reviewed by an independent panel of stock assessment experts. The public is invited to attend the presentations and discussions between the review panel and the scientists who have participated in the stock assessment process.

NMFS has received a request from Weyerhaeuser Company (Weyerhaeuser) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to Log Export Dock Project on the Columbia River near Longview, Washington. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS is also requesting comments on a possible one-time, 1-year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in the Request for Public Comments section at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, in addition, continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

NOAA is issuing final regulations for the designation of the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary (LONMS) in eastern Lake Ontario to recognize the national significance of the area's historical, archaeological, and cultural resources and to manage this special place as part of the National Marine Sanctuary System. The area encompasses 1,300 nmi\2\ (1,722 mi\2\) of eastern Lake Ontario waters and borders Wayne, Cayuga, Oswego, and Jefferson counties. NOAA will co-manage LONMS with New York State.