[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 83 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 23706-23707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11080]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

36 CFR Part 13


Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska; Commercial Fishing Regulations 
and Environmental Assessment

AGENCIES: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Availability of Commercial Fishing Environmental Assessment 
(EA) and public comment period extension for Proposed Rule and EA.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of 
the Environmental Assessment (EA) and extension of the public comment 
period for the proposed rule concerning Glacier Bay National Park 
commercial fishing (62 FR 18547). The public comment period for the EA 
and proposed rule will end June 1, 1998. This is the second extension 
of the public comment period on the proposed rule.
    This document also announces the dates and locations of open houses 
and public hearings to solicit comments on the proposed rule and EA 
which are listed in the under Supplementary Information section, below.

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule and EA will be accepted through 
June 1, 1998. For dates of open houses and hearings, see Supplementary 
Information.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed rule and EA should be submitted to 
the: Superintendent, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 
140, Gustavus, Alaska 99826. For locations of open houses and hearings, 
see Supplementary Information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the environmental assessment 
and an executive summary are available by writing Glen Yankus, National 
Park Service, Alaska Support Office, 2525 Gambell St., Anchorage, AK 
99503-2838, or calling (907) 257-2645. A copy of the Executive Summary 
for the EA will be available on the park's web site at http://
www.nps.gov/glba in the management issues section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Open houses and public hearings are 
scheduled on the dates and at the time and locations indicated below:

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Gustavus..........  May 4..........  Gustavus Library.  3:00-5:00 p.m.  
                                     Gustavus School..   (open house).  
                                                        7:00-10:00 p.m. 
Hoonah............  May 5..........  Council Chambers.  3:00-5:00 p.m.; 
                                                         7:00-10:00 p.m.
Pelican...........  May 7..........  Community Hall...  3:00-5:00 p.m.; 
                                                         7:00-10:00 p.m.
Elfin Cove........  May 8..........  School Library...  4:00-6:00 p.m.; 
                                                         7:00-10:00 p.m.

[[Page 23707]]

                                                                        
Juneau............  May 11.........  Egan Room,         3:00-5:00 p.m.; 
                                      Centennial Hall.   7:00-10:00 p.m.
Sitka.............  May 12.........  Mausseau Room,     3:00-5:00 p.m.; 
                                      Centennial.        7:00-10:00 p.m.
Seattle...........  May 14.........  Klondike Gold      3:00-5:00 p.m.; 
                                      Rush, NHP          7:00-10:00 p.m.
                                      Theater.                          
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    The first 2 hours of each meeting will be an open house, discussion 
session. Representatives of the NPS will be available to answer 
questions and hear your comments in a more informal setting. The rest 
of the meeting will be a public hearing; a brief introduction by the 
hearing facilitator will be followed by public testimony on the plan.
    The environmental assessment evaluates the proposed action and four 
alternatives for managing commercial fishing in the marine waters of 
the park.
    The proposed action (Alternative One) would allow commercial 
fishing by qualified fishers in non-wilderness marine waters of Glacier 
Bay proper to continue for 15 years; commercial fishing in wilderness 
waters would end at the time the regulations go into effect. Commercial 
fishing would generally be authorized to continue in non-wilderness 
waters outside Glacier Bay proper under a cooperative fisheries 
management plan developed by the NPS and State of Alaska.
    Alternative Two-No Action--This alternative would enforce the 
existing statutory and regulatory prohibitions regarding commercial 
fishing activities within the marine waters of the park. Enforcement of 
NPS regulations would result in the immediate cessation of all 
commercial fisheries in all park waters with no opportunity to phase 
out fishing through limited exemptions.
    Alternative Three--This alternative incorporates marine reserve 
concepts consistent with the park's purposes. Specifically, this 
alternative would focus on protecting those species for which the park 
serves as an appropriate marine reserve (i.e., resident species) while 
allowing continued harvest of species that are subject to harvest 
outside park waters (i.e., transient species).
    Alternative Four--This alternative would allow local individuals to 
continue commercial fishing throughout Glacier Bay National Park. This 
alternative would prohibit only those fisheries that cannot be 
sustained or that cause unacceptable habitat degradation.
    Alternative Five--This alternative would implement a fisheries plan 
described in a NPS proposed regulations released in 1991. It would end 
all commercial fishing activities in the park after seven years, and 
until that time would allow commercial fishing in non-wilderness waters 
by traditional methods.

    Dated: April 16, 1998.
Paul R. Anderson,,
Acting Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 98-11080 Filed 4-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P