[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 147 (Monday, August 2, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41905-41906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19642]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 072099F]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene a series of 10 public workshops on the possible use of marine 
reserves as a fishery management tool in Federal waters of the Gulf of 
Mexico.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on September 13, 
1999. The public workshops will be held from August 9 through 24, 1999. 
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times of the 
public hearings.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Gulf of Mexico 
Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301, North, Suite 1000, 
Tampa, Florida 33619. Copies of the scoping documents that will be used 
at the workshops (Marine Reserves for Fisheries Management: Questions 
and Answers; and Marine Reserves Technical Document) can be obtained 
from the Council office at 813-228-2815; web site: http://
www.gulfcouncil.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; (813) 228-
2815; Fax: 813-225-7015.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These workshops are to introduce the concept 
of marine reserves, i.e., zones of restricted or no fishing, to the 
public, to solicit public comment on whether they are an appropriate 
tool to use for fishery management in the Gulf of Mexico, and if so, 
how they should be used. No specific options to create marine reserves 
will be presented at these workshops, but the the Council will consider 
comments provided by the workshop participants in deciding whether and 
how to proceed with the development of marine reserves. The Council 
intends to use an outside facilitator to gain the greatest amount of 
input from participants and avoid any perceptions of bias.
    The workshops will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the 
following locations:
    1. Monday, August 9, 1999--Four Points Sheraton, 3777 North 
Expressway, Brownsville, TX; telephone: 956-547-1500;
    2. Tuesday, August 10, 1999--Ellis Memorial Library, 700 West 
Avenue A, Port Aransas, TX; telephone: 512-749-4116;
    3. Wednesday, August 11, 1999--Texas A&M University Auditorium, 200 
Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX; telephone:
    409-740-4416;
    4. Thursday, August 12, 1999--Four Points Sheraton, 333 Poydras 
Street, New Orleans, LA; telephone: 504-525-9444;
    5. Monday, August 16, 1999--J. L. Scott Marine Education Center & 
Aquarium, 115 East Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS; telephone: 228-374-
5550;
    6. Tuesday, August 17, 1999--Hilton Beachfront Garden Inn, 23092 
Perdito

[[Page 41906]]

Beach Boulevard, Orange Beach, AL; telephone:
    334-974-1600;
    7. Wednesday, August 18, 1999--The Boardwalk Beach and Conference 
Center, 9600 South Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach, FL; telephone: 850-
234-3484;
    8. Thursday, August 19, 1999--Steinhatchee Elementary School, 1st 
Avenue South, Steinhatchee, FL; telephone:
    352-498-3303;
    9. Monday, August 23, 1999--Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman 
Avenue, Key West, FL; telephone: 305-292-4431; and
    10. Tuesday, August 24, 1999--Radisson Bay Harbor Inn, 7700 
Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa, FL; telephone: 813-281-8900.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Anne Alford at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) by August 2, 1999.

    Dated: July 27, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-19642 Filed 7-30-99; 8:45 am]
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