[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 175 (Monday, September 10, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 46979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22648]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 082901A]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statements (SEISs) for the Essential Fish Habitat 
(EFH) Components of the Monkfish, Atlantic Herring, and Atlantic Salmon 
Fishery Management Plans (FMPs)

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

ACTION: Notification of intent to prepare an SEIS; request for 
comments; notice of scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to prepare SEISs in accordance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for the EFH 
components of the Monkfish, Atlantic Herring, and Atlantic Salmon FMPs. 
NMFS will hold a public scoping meeting and accept written comments to 
determine the range of management alternatives to be addressed in the 
SEISs to describe and identify EFH for these fisheries, minimize to the 
extent practicable the adverse effects of fishing on EFH, and identify 
other actions to encourage the conservation and enhancement of EFH.

DATES: NMFS will accept written comments through November 9, 2001. A 
public scoping meeting will be held on September 27, 2001, from 2:30 
until 4:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the intent to prepare the SEISs and 
requests for the scoping document or other information should be 
directed to the National Marine Fisheries Service, One Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930, Attn: Louis A. Chiarella. Comments may also be 
sent via facsimile (fax) to (978) 281-9301. NMFS will not accept 
unsigned faxes or comments by e-mail. The public meeting will be held 
at the NMFS Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, 
MA, on September 27, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Louis A. Chiarella, Essential Fish 
Habitat Coordinator, 978-281-9277, fax 978-281-9301, e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to a U.S. District Court Order 
(AOC v. Daley, September 14, 2000), the NMFS is re-evaluating the EFH 
components of Amendment 1 to the Monkfish FMP, the Atlantic Herring FMP 
and Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Salmon FMP. The EFH sections being re-
evaluated for these fisheries were developed as part of an EFH Omnibus 
Amendment and were approved by the Secretary of Commerce for monkfish 
on April 22, 1999, Atlantic herring on October 27, 1999, and Atlantic 
salmon on April 21, 1999. NMFS will prepare SEISs and will consider EFH 
and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) for these fisheries, as 
well as fishing and non-fishing threats to EFH as required under the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
    NMFS is considering the need to revise the EFH designations for 
monkfish, Atlantic herring, and Atlantic salmon based upon any 
available new scientific information and is considering potential HAPC 
designations. NMFS will consider a range of alternatives to minimize 
adverse effects of fishing activities on EFH.
    NMFS and the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
jointly develop EFH analysis and management alternatives for the 
Monkfish, Atlantic Herring, and Atlantic Salmon FMPs. Analysis and 
subsequent management alternatives may be presented as one NEPA 
document addressing EFH for all three species, as two or more separate 
NEPA documents addressing the EFH for each species separately or in 
combination with another species, or (3) as part of a combined NEPA 
document that also addresses other fisheries management issues for one 
or more of these species.
    The public is invited and encouraged to assist NMFS and the Council 
in developing the scope of EFH alternatives to be analyzed.

Public Information Meeting

    The public scoping meeting will be held on September 27, 2001, from 
2:30 until 4:30 p.m., at the NMFS Northeast Regional Office, One 
Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA, Conference Room.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Louis A. Chiarella (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT) at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: September 5, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-22648 Filed 9-7-01; 8:45 am]
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