[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 11676]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6182]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 031102A]


North Pacific Fishery Management Council Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notification of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS and the NPFMC will hold a workshop March 25--26, 2002, to 
discuss effects of fishing on habitat, mitigation tools and fishery 
descriptions. The NPFMC will hold an essential fish habitat (EFH) 
committee meeting on March 27, 2002.

DATES: The workshop will be on Monday, March 25, 2002, from 1 p.m. to 5 
p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2002. The EFH 
committee will meet from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27, 2002.

ADDRESSES: The workshop and committee meeting will be in Seattle, WA, 
in Building 9, at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
Western Regional Center, 7600 Sand Point Way, N.E.
    Questions should be addressed to NMFS, Habitat Conservation 
Division, ATTN: Cindy Hartmann, 709 West 9th, Suite 801, P.O. Box 
21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.

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]. To facilitate security clearance at the 
NOAA facility the public is requested to contact Cindy by March 22, 
2002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The focus of the workshop will be a discussion of the effects of 
fishing on EFH including the following: (1) A discussion of the 
criteria on what is a minimal and what is a temporary impact on EFH; 
(2) Review of the scientific studies on gear impacts pertinent to 
Alaska fisheries; (3) Discussion of a set of tools for mitigating 
adverse impacts and to what situations they apply; (4) Description of 
Alaska fisheries. The discussion of criteria for a minimal and 
temporary impact, review of scientific studies on gear impacts 
pertinent to Alaska fisheries and an initial discussion of mitigation 
tools and to what situations they apply is planned for Monday 
afternoon. On Tuesday, participants will break into four workgroups to 
revise fishery descriptions, discuss potential adverse effects of their 
specific fisheries and discuss mitigation tools and their application 
to their fisheries.
    For further information about the EFH supplemental environmental 
impact statement (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). For further information on the preliminary 
alternative approaches for the designation of EFH and habitat areas of 
particular concern (HAPC) see 67 FR 1325, January 10, 2002.
    On March 27, 2002, the EFH Committee meets to: review fishery 
descriptions; discuss potential mitigation tools from each subgroup and 
any other group products; develop committee recommendations for the 
April NPFMC meeting; and plan for future EFH Committee tasks and 
meetings.
    The NPFMC 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 an SEIS for the EFH fishery management 
plan amendments. The function of the committee is to serve as a 
steering committee in facilitating input to NMFS on the SEIS for EFH 
submitted by the industry, conservation community, Council, and general 
public and the involvement of the NPFMC in the SEIS. The Committee will 
work to provide input as appropriate, and submit periodic updates to 
the Council on the environmental impact statement for EFH. Further 
information on the EFH Committee can be found on the NPFMC web site at: 
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Committees/EFH/efh.htm.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
the Committee for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of 
formal action during the meeting. Action will be restricted to those 
issues specifically identified in this notice.

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: March 11, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-6182 Filed 3-14-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S