[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 33 (Tuesday, February 19, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7344-7345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-3982]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 020702E]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Hearing

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene a public hearing to consider additional alternatives for the 
Sargassum Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Secretary of Commerce has 
prepared a Draft Supplemental

[[Page 7345]]

Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) that identifies and analyzes 
additional alternatives that the Council had not previously analyzed. 
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for more information.

DATES: The public hearing will be held March 6, 2002, at 1:30 p.m. 
Written comments must be received in the Council office by March 6, 
2002.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held at the Hilton Savannah DeSoto, 15 
East Liberty Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401; phone 800-426-8483 or 
912-232-9000. Written comments should be sent to Bob Mahood, Executive 
Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One Southpark 
Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC 29407-4699, or via email to 
[email protected]. Copies of the SDEIS are available from Kim Iverson, 
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One Southpark Circle, Suite 
306, Charleston, SC 29407-4699; telephone: 843-571-4366.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council, One Southpark Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC 
29407-4699; telephone: 843-571-4366; fax: 843-769-4520; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Both the Sargassum FMP and the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Calico Scallop Fishery in the South Atlantic 
Region (Calico Scallop FMP) were originally incorporated in the 
Comprehensive Amendment Addressing Essential Fish Habitat in the 
Fishery Management Plans for the South Atlantic Region (EFH FMP). A 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the Comprehensive EFH 
Amendment, including the Sargassum and Calico Scallop measures, was 
filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in July 1998 (63 
FR 38643, July 17, 1998). On advice from the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS), the Council subsequently removed both the Sargassum FMP 
and the Calico Scallop FMP from the EFH FMP and created stand alone 
documents.
    NMFS prepared a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
in order to analyze additional alternatives for the Sargassum FMP and 
to give the public additional opportunity to comment on the proposed 
actions. The notice of availability of the SDEIS published in the 
Federal Register January 11, 2002 (67 FR 1461) with the comment period 
ending February 25, 2002. At the March meeting, the Council intends to 
review NMFS' SDEIS as well as comments received during the comment 
period and consider whether modification to the FMP is appropriate.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) 
by March 1, 2002.

    Dated: February 12, 2002.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-3982 Filed 2-15-02; 8:45 am]
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