[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21639-21640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10774]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 042602E]


Magnuson Stevens Act Provisions; Essential Fish Habitat; Public 
Meeting

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

ACTION: Notification of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The NPFMC will hold an essential fish habitat (EFH) Steering 
Committee (EFH Committee) meeting May 15-17, 2002. The EFH Committee 
will discuss the following: fishery descriptions, EFH alternatives, 
habitat areas of particular concern (HAPC) alternatives, specific HAPC 
sites and HAPC types. HAPC criteria, mitigation tools, research needs 
and adaptive management, and key terms in the EFH final rule including: 
``to the extent practicable'' and ``minimal and temporary.''

DATES: The EFH Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 15, 
2002, from 1 to 5:30 p.m.; on Thursday, May 16, 2002, from 8:30 a.m. to 
5:30 p.m.; on Friday, May 17, 2002, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The EFH Committee meeting will be in Sitka, Alaska at the 
Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA), 1308 
Sawmill Creek Road. For directions call NSRAA at 907-747-6850.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy Hartmann, NMFS, Habitat 
Conservation Division, 709 West 9th, Suite 801, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 
Alaska, 99802-1668, 907-586-7585 e-mail: [email protected]; or 
Cathy Coon, NPFMC, 605 West 4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, Alaska, 
99501-2252, 907-271-2809, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The EFH Committee was formally established by the Chair of the 
NPFMC in May 2001. The EFH Committee was established in response to the 
need to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) 
for the EFH fishery management plan amendments. The function of the EFH 
Committee is to serve as a steering committee in facilitating input to 
NMFS on the SEIS for EFH. The EFH Committee will provide input to NMFS 
and the Council from industry, the conservation community, and general 
public as appropriate. The EFH Committee also will submit periodic 
updates to the Council on the SEIS for EFH. Further information on the 
EFH Committee can be found on the NPFMC website at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Committees/EFH/efh.htm.
    Agenda items for the May 2002 EFH Committee meeting include: 
finalizing fishery descriptions; review and discussion of revised EFH 
and HAPC alternatives; discussion of gear impacts on habitat; 
discussion of potential mitigation tools for each fishery; discussion 
of HAPC criteria and possible nomination of HAPC sites and types or a 
development of a nomination and evaluation process for HAPC sites and 
types; research needs; adaptive management; effects of rationalization; 
and key terms in the EFH final rule will be discussed including the 
terms'' ``to the extent practicable'' and ``minimal and temporary.'' 
The EFH Committee will develop recommendations for the June NPFMC 
meeting on some or all of the agenda items listed above. The EFH 
Committee also will discuss plans for future tasks and meetings.
    For further information about the EFH SEIS, see the Notice of 
Intent to prepare an SEIS published to 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.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
the EFH Committee for discussion, those issues will not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Formal action will be restricted 
to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of the 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 
Committee'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

[[Page 21640]]

auxiliary aids should be directed to Cindy Hartmann, 907-586-7235, at 
least 5 working days prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: April 26, 2002.
Matteo Milazzo,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-10774 Filed 4-30-02; 8:45 am]
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