[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 9 (Thursday, January 14, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 2467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-839]



[[Page 2467]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 010699C]


Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene 
four public hearings on Draft Amendment 14 to the Pacific Coast Salmon 
Plan and its draft supplemental environmental impact statement (draft 
SEIS).

DATES: Written comments will be accepted at the Council office until 
March 3, 1999. The hearings will be held from February 1-3, 1999. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The hearings will be held in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and 
California. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for locations of the hearings 
and special accommodations.
    Comments should be sent to Mr. Lawrence D. Six, Executive Director, 
Pacific Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 224, 
Portland, OR 97201; telephone (503) 326-6352. Written comments received 
at the Council office by Thursday, February 18, 1999, will be copied 
and distributed to the Council approximately 1 week before final 
consideration of the Amendment. Copies of the draft amendment and the 
appendices are available from the Council office.
    Comments may also be provided during the Council meeting, March 8-
12, 1999, at the Doubletree Hotel-Columbia River, 1401 North Hayden 
Island Drive, Portland, OR.
    The hearings will be held in California, Washington, Oregon, and 
Idaho. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for locations of the hearings and 
special accommodations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence D. Six, Executive Director, 
Pacific Fishery Management Council, at (503) 326-6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council is convening four public 
hearings to discuss Draft Amendment 14 to the salmon fishery management 
plan (FMP) under the provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act. Draft Amendment 14 and its 
accompanying draft SEIS would comprehensively update the salmon FMP. 
The changes are necessary to make the FMP responsive to the Sustainable 
Fisheries Act (SFA) of 1996, to reflect increased listings of salmon 
stocks under the Endangered Species Act, and to include issues 
identified in amendment scoping sessions. The draft amendment includes 
a complete updating of the fishery description and identification of 
what the salmon FMP covers. To be consistent with the SFA, draft 
Amendment 14 redefines optimum yield, provides new criteria to prevent 
or end overfishing, describes and defines essential fish habitat, and 
establishes salmon bycatch reporting specifications. In response to 
harvest allocation issues, the draft amendment modifies the FMP section 
on non-Indian harvest allocations north of Cape Falcon, Oregon to (1) 
allow more flexibility in implementing selective fisheries that target 
on hatchery fish and (2) formally recognize a recreational allocation 
for the La Push port area which has been essentially implemented for 
several years during the preseason management process. The draft 
amendment also contains many other editorial changes to help clarify 
the FMP.

Dates, Times, and Locations

    Monday, February 1, 1999, 7:00 p.m., Washington Department of Fish 
and Wildlife, Natural Resources Building, Room 172, 1111 Washington 
Street NE, Olympia, WA.
    Tuesday, February 2, 1999, 7:00 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, South Umpqua 
Room, 1313 North Bayshore Drive, Coos Bay, OR.
    Tuesday, February 2, 1999, 7:00 p.m., Idaho Department of Fish and 
Game, Commission Room, 600 South Walnut Street, Boise, ID.
    Wednesday, February 3, 1999, 7:00 p.m., California Department of 
Fish and Game, First Floor Auditorium, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, 
CA.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to John Rhoton at (503) 326-352 at 
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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


    Dated: January 8, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-839 Filed 1-13-99; 8:45 am]
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