[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 61 (Tuesday, March 31, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15375-15376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8289]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 031898B]


Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Essential Fish Habitat (EFH); 
Preparation Schedule for EFH Provisions of Fishery Management Plans

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of the schedules and updates 
for amending fishery management plans (FMPs) to incorporate EFH 
provisions, in compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The Magnuson-
Stevens Act requires the Secretary of Commerce to set forth a schedule 
to amend FMPs to identify EFH and to review and update EFH based on new 
scientific evidence or other relevant information. The Secretary's EFH 
amendment schedule requires all FMP amendments to be submitted to the 
Secretary by October 11, 1998. This document announces the availability 
of the fishery management councils' (Councils) schedules for preparing 
EFH provisions including the identification, description, conservation, 
and enhancement of EFH. The FMP amendments will contain the schedule to 
revise and update the EFH provisions.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of these schedules and updates should be 
made to the Director, Office of Habitat Conservation; Attention: EFH 
Schedule, NMFS; 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282. 
These schedules and additional information and updates of the schedules 
will also be available from the Councils or regional NMFS offices (see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION) and will be posted on the NMFS Office of 
Habitat Conservation Internet website at: http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/
rschreib/habitat.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lee Crockett, 301/713-2325.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The creation of these schedules is required 
by section 305(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 
1855(b)(1)(A)). Section 303(a) of the

[[Page 15376]]

Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1853(a)) lists the required provisions 
of FMPs, including EFH provisions that describe and identify EFH, 
minimize, to the extent practicable, adverse effects on such habitat 
caused by fishing, and identify other actions to encourage the 
conservation and enhancement of such habitat. NMFS issued interim final 
regulations (62 FR 66531, December 19, 1997) to assist the Councils in 
meeting these requirements. Information on the required EFH provisions 
is included in those regulations. The Councils' schedules for amending 
FMPs with EFH provisions will inform the public of opportunities for 
involvement, input, and comment during the preparation of EFH 
provisions. These schedules are subject to change and will be updated 
as appropriate.
    The statutory deadline for FMP amendments to include EFH 
provisions, as established by the Sustainable Fisheries Act, is October 
11, 1998, and all FMP amendments must be submitted to the Secretary for 
approval by that date. Within 5 days of submittal, the Secretary will 
publish a notice of availability for each amendment with a 60-day 
comment period. Within 30 days of the closure of the comment period, 
the Secretary will approve or disapprove the amendment. If the 
amendment contains regulations, the Secretary will also publish the 
draft regulations as a proposed rule with a 45-day comment period. The 
Secretary is required to publish a final rule within 30 days of the 
closure of the comment period.
    For further information and copies of the schedule contact the 
following offices:

NMFS Regional Offices

    Northeast Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation 
Division, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298; 978/281-9102.
    Southeast Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation 
Division, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-
2432; 813/570-5317.
    Southwest Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation 
Division, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213; 
562/980-4041.
    Northwest Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation 
Division, 525 NE. Oregon St., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-2737; 503/
230-5421.
    Alaska Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation Division, 
709 West 9th Street, Federal Bldg., Room 461, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 
AK 99802-1668; 907/586-7235.

Regional Fishery Management Council Offices

    New England Fishery Management Council; Suntaug Office Park, 5 
Broadway (Rte. 1); Saugus, MA 01906; Phone:(781)231-0422; FAX: 
(781)565-8937.
    Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Federal Bldg., Rm. 2115; 
300 S. New St.; Dover, DE 19901; Phone: (302)674-2331; FAX: (302)674-
5399.
    South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Southpark Building, Ste. 
306; 1 Southpark Circle; Charleston, SC 29407; Phone: (803)571-4366; 
FAX: (803)769-4520.
    Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Lincoln Center, Ste. 
331; 5401 W. Kennedy Blvd.; Tampa, FL 33609; Phone: (813)228-2815; FAX: 
(813)225-7015.
    Caribbean Fishery Management Council; 268 Ave. Munoz Rivera, Ste. 
1108; San Juan, PR 00918; Phone: (787)766-5926; FAX: (787)766-6239.
    Pacific Fishery Management Council; 2130 SW. 5th Ave., Ste. 224; 
Portland, OR 97201; Phone: (503)326-6352; FAX: (503)326-6831.
    North Pacific Fishery Management Council; 605 W. 4th Ave., Rm. 306; 
Anchorage, AK 99501; Phone:(907)271-2809; FAX: (907)271-2817.
    Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; 1164 Bishop St., Rm. 
1405; Honolulu, HI 96813; Phone:(808)522-8220; FAX: (808)522-8226.
    Highly Migratory Species Division, NMFS; 1315 East-West Highway; 
SSMC#3, 14th Floor, F/SF; Silver Spring, MD 20910; Phone:(301)713-2347; 
FAX: (301)713-1917.

    Dated: March 24, 1998.
James P. Burgess,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-8289 Filed 3-30-98; 8:45 am]
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