[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45970-45971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22069]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 082401C]


North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

[[Page 45971]]

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) will hold 
an essential fish habitat (EFH) committee meeting to review NMFS draft 
summary of EFH scoping comments, to identify significant issues and 
preliminary alternatives, and to determine staffing needs.

DATES: The EFH committee will meet at 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on 
Tuesday, September 18, 2001, and at 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 
September 19, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The committee will meet in Sitka, AK, at the Northern 
Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA), 1308 Sawmill Creek 
Road, in the conference room.
    Questions should be addressed to NMFS, Habitat Conservation 
Division, ATTN: Cindy Hartmann, 709 West 9th , Suite 461, P.O. Box 
21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
    Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 
4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy Hartmann, NMFS, (907) 586-7585, 
e-mail: [email protected]; or Cathy Coon, NPFMC, (907) 271-2809, 
e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The NPFMC's EFH committee was formally established by the NPFMC's 
acting executive director in May 2001. The committee was established in 
response to the need to prepare a supplemental environmental impact 
statement (SEIS) for the EFH fishery management plan amendments. For 
further information about the SEIS, see the notice of intent to prepare 
an SEIS published in the Proposed Rules section of the Federal Register 
(66 FR 30396, June 6, 2001).
    The function of the EFH Committee is to serve as a steering 
committee for the EFH EIS process. The Committee's overarching goal is 
to facilitate input by the industry, conservation community, Council, 
and general public to the EFH EIS process. More specifically, the 
Committee will assist in identifying: (1) The ``significant issues'' 
used to develop and evaluate proposed alternatives; (2) The 
alternatives for describing, identifying, and protecting EFH; (3) The 
means of determining possible fishery impacts on habitat; (4) and 
Interpreting existing information for development and analysis of 
alternatives; (5) The alternatives for mitigating fishing gear impacts 
on habitat; (6) Alternative criteria and approaches that could be used 
to designate and manage HAPC areas; and (7) Identify and prioritize 
future research needs. Additionally, the committee will assist the 
agency with appointing and working with technical teams. This will be 
the third meeting of the EFH Committee. Prior meetings were held May 30 
and August 13 and 14, 2001.
    Agenda items for this meeting include:
    1. Discussion of NMFS preliminary draft scoping report;
    2. Committee recommendations to the NPFMC on significant issues;
    3. Discussion of technical teams and their composition; and
    4. EFH Committee tasks, timetable and next meeting.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action 
under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Cindy Hartmann, (907) 586-7235, at least 5 
working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: August 24, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-22069 Filed 8-30-01; 8:45 am]
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