[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 174 (Monday, September 9, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 57207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22836]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 083002C]


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Public hearing meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
currently developing Amendment 13 to the Surfclam and Ocean Quahog 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP), pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act of 1976, as amended. The Council will 
hold a series of public hearings to solicit comments on proposals to be 
included in Amendment 13. The intended effect of this action is to 
alert interested public of the commencement of this hearing process and 
to provide for public participation.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. October 15, 
2002. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific location and dates of 
the public hearings.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director of 
the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Room 2115, Federal 
Building, 300 South New Street, Dover, DE 19904. When submitting 
comments, identify correspondence as ``Comments on Draft Amendment 
13.'' Copies of the public hearing document and the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DEIS) for Amendment 13 may be obtained from the 
Council. Hearings will be held in Maine, New Jersey, and Delaware. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific locations. Requests for special 
accommodations should be addressed to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council, Federal Building, 300 South New Street, Dover, DE 
19904.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director 
of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 302-674-2331, ext. 
19.:

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council proposes to take action to 
implement Amendment 13 to the FMP. Amendment 13 addresses five major 
issues: (1) a new surfclam overfishing definition; (2) fishing gear 
impacts to essential fish habitat (EFH); (3) multi-year quotas; (4) 
suspension of the surfclam minimum size limit; and (5) a vessel 
monitoring-type system.
    In conjunction with the development of Amendment 13, the Council 
prepared a DEIS under the National Environmental Policy Act to assess 
the potential effects of the proposed action, and the alternatives to 
those actions, on the human environment. A Notice of Availability for 
the DEIS for Amendment 13 was published in the Federal Register on 
August 30, 2002 (67 FR 55838). The 45-day comment period for the DEIS 
ends on October 15, 2002. Copies of the DEIS can be obtained from the 
Council (see ADDRESSES).
    Once it has considered public comments, the Council will approve 
final management measures and prepare a submission package for NMFS. 
There will be an additional opportunity for public comment when the 
Notice of Availability and the proposed rule for Amendment 13 are 
published in the Federal Register.

Public Hearings

    The dates, times, and locations of the hearings are scheduled as 
follows:
    1. Tuesday, September 24, 2002, beginning at 7 p.m.--University of 
Maine, Science Building, Room 102, Machias, ME; telephone: 207-255-
1289.
    2. Monday, September 30, 2002, beginning at 7 p.m.--Clarion Hotel 
and Convention Center, 6821 Black Horse Pike, Atlantic City, NJ; 
telephone: 609-272-0200.
    3. Wednesday, October 2, 2002, beginning at 7 p.m.--Holiday Inn 
Select, 630 Naamans Road, Claymont, DE; telephone: 302-791-4603. This 
hearing will be in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council's October meeting at the same location.
    Special Accommodations
    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Joanna Davis at the Mid-Atlantic Council's office 
at least 5 days prior to the hearing date.

    Dated: August 30, 2002.
Virginia M. Fay,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-22836 Filed 9-6-02; 8:45 am]
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