[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 9204]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4533]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 021398B]


Magnuson Act Provisions; Essential Fish Habitat; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is convening a meeting of the Pacific coast groundfish 
essential fish habitat (EFH) technical team to review EFH descriptions 
for groundfish and adverse affects on groundfish EFH. The meeting is 
open to the public.

DATES: The meeting will be held March 2, 1998, from 7:00 pm to 10:00 
pm.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Pacific Fishery Management 
Council offices, 2130 SW Fifth Ave., Suite 224, Portland, OR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvonne deReynier, 206-526-6120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is in the process of developing 
recommendations on EFH for Pacific coast groundfish in accordance with 
recent amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act. EFH recommendations to be presented to the Pacific 
Fishery Management Council for an amendment to the Pacific Coast 
groundfish fishery management plan (FMP) include a description of EFH 
for groundfish species managed by the FMP; a description of adverse 
effects to EFH including fishing and non-fishing threats; and a 
description of measures to ensure the conservation and enhancement of 
EFH.
    NMFS has formed a technical team consisting of individuals from the 
fishing industry, environmental, state, tribal, and Federal interests 
and agencies to provide technical input and advice on the development 
of the NMFS recommendations. The first meeting of the technical team 
was held on January 30, 1998. The technical team will meet a second 
time on March 2 to review draft EFH documents as they are prepared. The 
meetings will be open to the public and the public will have an 
opportunity to comment. EFH documents will be available at the meeting.

Special Accomodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Yvonne deReynier (206-526-6120) at least 5 
working days prior to the meeting date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: February 17, 1998.
James P. Burgess,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-4533 Filed 2-18-98; 4:46 pm]
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