[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 22 (Monday, February 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 5276]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2410]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 012803A]


Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Ad Hoc 
Groundfish Habitat Technical Review Committee (Habitat TRC) will hold a 
working meeting on the methodology and data being considered for an 
assessment of Pacific Coast groundfish essential fish habitat. The 
meeting is open to the public.

DATES: The Ad Hoc Groundfish Habitat Technical Review Committee working 
meeting will take place Wednesday, February 19, 2003, from 9 a.m. until 
5 p.m. The meeting will reconvene from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, 
February 20.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 
NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Building 9 (NOAA Auditorium), Seattle, WA 
98115-6349; (206) 526-6150. To gain admittance to the complex, visitors 
should tell the security guard they are attending the Ad Hoc Groundfish 
Habitat Technical Review Committee meeting sponsored by the Pacific 
Fishery Management Council.
    Council address: Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE 
Ambassador Place, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97220-1384.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jennifer Gilden; (503) 820-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this meeting is to guide the 
ongoing assessment of essential fish habitat for Pacific Coast 
groundfish. Specifically, the Habitat TRC will review data consolidated 
thus far and review a proposed analytical framework for assessing the 
status of groundfish habitat. The data include mapping efforts and 
literature reviews on fishing impacts, impacts related to non-fishing 
activities, and fish/habitat associations. The analytical framework for 
the assessment has been designed to determine if habitat function has 
been degraded by environmental and anthropogenic inputs. In so doing, 
it will provide a basis for informed policy discussions. By holding a 
public meeting, the Habitat TRC will further provide opportunity for 
public participation in the assessment process. The Habitat TRC will 
only consider technical and scientific questions related to the 
assessment and will not engage in policy discussions as part of its 
mission.
    Although nonemergency issues not contained in the meeting agenda 
may come before the Habitat TRC for discussion, those issues may not be 
the subject of formal Habitat TRC action during this meeting. Habitat 
TRC action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in 
this document and any issues arising after publication of this document 
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 Habitat TRC's intent to take final action to 
address the emergency.
    In our continuing efforts to streamline our meeting notification 
process, we are building an email notification list. If you would like 
to be notified of future meetings via email, please contact Ms. Kerry 
Aden at (503) 820-2409 or [email protected] to provide your email 
address.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Ms. Diane Marston at (206)526-6383 at least 5 
days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: January 28, 2003.
Theophilus R. Brainerd,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-2410 Filed 1-31-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S