[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9203-9204]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4682]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 120996A]


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: The Alaska Region of the NMFS will hold an essential fish 
habitat (EFH) core team meeting to discuss the following items: 
strategic investment framework, FY 98 spending plan, habitat criteria 
paper and habitat areas of particular concern, EFH habitat assessment 
reports, GIS maps for survey and observer data, EFH technical team 
recommendations, EFH research needs, EFH proposed conservation and 
enhancement measures, fishing and non-fishing threats, prey species, 
public comments on EFH habitat assessments. There will also be an 
evening meeting/workshop to allow for more public involvement and 
public comment.

DATES: The Alaska Region core EFH team will meet Monday, March 2 
through March 5 or 6, 1998, in Juneau, Alaska. The public is invited to 
participate from 11 a.m., Monday, March 2 through noon on Wednesday, 
March 4, 1998. From Wednesday afternoon through Friday the core team 
meeting will be limited to National Marine Fisheries Service employees 
only. There will be an evening public workshop on Tuesday, March 3, 
1998, from 7 to 9 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The EFH core team will meet in Juneau, Alaska, at the 
Federal Building, 709 West 9th, room 445. The evening workshop will be 
March 3, 1998, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Centennial Hall Convention 
Center, Egan Room, 101 Egan Drive in Juneau, Alaska.
    Questions should be addressed to Protected Resources Management 
Division, ATTN: Cindy Hartmann, 709 W. 9th , Suite 461, P.O. Box 21668, 
Juneau, AK 99802-1668; telephone: (907) 586-7585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy Hartmann, NMFS, (907) 586-7585, 
e-mail: Cindy.H[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The NMFS Alaska Region core EFH team was formally established in 
April 1997 to implement the EFH provisions

[[Page 9204]]

of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. EFH 
provisions include the description and identification of essential fish 
habitat and threats to that habitat and coordination and consultation 
on actions that may adversely affect EFH. From 11 a.m., Monday, March 2 
through noon, Wednesday, March 4, the EFH core team will review and 
discuss the available information and be open to public comments. From 
1 p.m., Wednesday, March 4 through the end of the meeting (Thursday or 
Friday) only NMFS employees will continue to meet to review the best 
available scientific information and draft NMFS EFH recommendation(s). 
This meeting is open to the public only from 11 a.m., Monday, March 2 
to noon Wednesday, March 4, 1998.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Cindy Hartmann, (907) 586-7235, at least 5 
working days prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: February, 12, 1998.
James P Burgess,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-4682 Filed 2-19-98; 4:54 pm]
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