[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 10, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 18586-18587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8815]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 033001B]


Fisheries off the West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Intent to Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for Fishing Conducted Under the Pacific Coast 
Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an EIS; request for written 
comments.

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SUMMARY: NOAA announces its intention to prepare an EIS, in accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to assess the 
impacts of Federal management of the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery 
on the human environment. The scope of the EIS analysis will include 
issues related to the conduct of the fishery, including the effects of 
the groundfish fishery on essential fish habitat (EFH).

DATES: Written comments will be accepted on or before June 30, 2001. 
Public scoping meetings are scheduled for May 22-23, May 29-30, June 5 
and June 12, 2001 (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).

ADDRESSES: Written comments on suggested alternatives and potential 
impacts should be sent to Donna Darm, Acting Administrator, Northwest 
Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, 
WA 98115-0070. Comments also may be sent via facsimile (fax) to 206-
526-6736. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or 
Internet. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson, Northwest Region, 
NMFS, 206-526-6140; fax: 206-526-6736 and e-mail: 
noaa.gov">bill.robinson@noaa.gov or Svein Fougner, Southwest Region, NMFS, 562-
980-4000; fax: 562-980-4047 and e-mail: svein.fougner@ noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Dates and Times for the Meetings

    The following locations and times have been set for scoping 
meetings:
    1. Oregon - Hatfield Marine Science Center, meeting Room 9, 2040 SE 
Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR, May 22, 2001, beginning at 7 p.m.;
    2. Oregon - Oregon State University, Seafood Laboratory, 2021 
Marine Drive, Astoria, OR, May 23, 2001, beginning at 7 p.m.;
    3. California - Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation 
District, Woodley Marina, 601 Startare Drive, Eureka, CA, May 29, 2001, 
beginning at 5 p.m.;
    4. California - California Department of Fish and Game, 4665 
Lampson Avenue, Los Alamitos, CA, May 30, 2001, beginning at 3 p.m.;
    5. Washington - NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Building 9, Seattle, 
WA, June 5, 2001, beginning at 7 p.m.; and
    California - Park Plaza International Hotel, 1177 Airport Blvd., 
Burlingame, CA, June 12, 2001, beginning at 7 p.m.
    There are 82 species managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish 
FMP, seven of which have been declared overfished. The groundfish 
stocks support an array of commercial, recreational, and tribal fishing 
interests in state and Federal waters off the coasts of Washington, 
Oregon, and California. In addition, groundfish are also harvested 
incidentally in non-groundfish fisheries, most notably the trawl 
fisheries for pink shrimp, spot/ridgeback prawns, California halibut, 
and sea cucumber. To rebuild overfished species, restrictive management 
measures for most commercial and recreational fishing sectors have 
recently been adopted.
    To define management issues and provide a clear basis for public 
comments, a summary of the current Federal management system for the 
Pacific Coast groundfish fishery will be reviewed during the public 
scoping hearings. A principal objective of the scoping and public input 
process is to identify a reasonable set of management alternatives 
that, with adequate analysis, will sharply define critical issues and 
provide a clear basis for choice among the alternatives. Therefore, the 
EIS will include a range of reasonable management alternatives and an 
analysis of their impacts.
    The intent of the EIS is to present an overall picture of the 
environmental effects of fishing as conducted under the Pacific Coast 
Groundfish FMP.

[[Page 18587]]

 Alternatives will be analyzed for impacts on essential fish habitat, 
target and non-target species of fish, discarded fish, marine mammals, 
and other protected species present in the Pacific Coast ecosystem. In 
addition, the environmental consequences section of the EIS will 
contain an analysis of impacts from fishery management measures on the 
following groups of individuals: (1) those who participate in 
harvesting the fishery resources and other living marine resources; (2) 
those who process and market the fish and fish products; (3) those who 
are involved in allied support industries; (4) those who consume fish 
products; (5) those who rely on living marine resources in the 
management area, either for subsistence needs or for recreational 
benefits; (6) those who benefit from non-consumptive uses of living 
marine resources; (7) those involved in managing and monitoring 
fisheries; and (8) fishing communities.
    This EIS also responds to the U.S. District court's order in 
American Oceans Campaign v. Daley, No 99-982, (D.D.C. Order dated 
September 14, 2000), ordering NMFS to perform a new NEPA analysis on 
the EFH provisions originally developed as part of Amendment ll to the 
Groundfish FMP, which became effective on October 12, 1999 (64 FR 49092 
September 10, 1999). Accordingly, the EIS will also evaluate 
alternatives to describe and identify EFH and to minimize to the extent 
practicable the adverse effects of fishing on EFH.
    Scoping documents which identify the management issues, initial 
alternatives, and an outline of the proposed analysis will be made 
available at all scoping meetings.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are accessible to people with physical disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to William L. Robinson 206--526-6140 (voice) or 206-
526-6736 (fax), at least 5 days prior to the scheduled meeting date.

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

    Dated: April 4, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-8815 Filed 4-9-01; 8:45 am]
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