[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 117 (Wednesday, June 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36539-36540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15407]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 060603E]


Intent to Analyze the Effects of the Subsistence Taking of 
Northern Fur Seals on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska

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

ACTION: Notice of intent; scoping meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) regarding possible changes to the subsistence harvest of the 
Pribilof Islands stock of northern fur seals. The scope of the EIS will 
consist of a broad review of the subsistence harvest management on the 
Pribilof Islands including the manner in which the harvest is 
conducted. NMFS intends to hold scoping meetings to receive public 
input on the issues of concern and the appropriate range of management 
alternatives to be addressed in the EIS. In addition to holding the 
scoping meetings, NMFS solicits written comments related to the scope 
of the analysis.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted through September 16, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Assistant 
Regional Administrator, Protected Resources Division, NMFS, P.O. Box 
21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Lori Durall. Requests to be included on 
a mailing list of persons interested in the EIS should be sent to Mr. 
David Cormany at 222 West 7th Avenue, Box 43, Anchorage, AK 99513. 
Comments may also be hand-delivered to NMFS, Federal Building, 709 West 
9th Street, Juneau, AK, or NMFS, Federal Building, Room 517, 222 West 
7\th\ Avenue, Anchorage, AK. NMFS is not accepting email or internet 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Cormany, (907) 271-5006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 9, 1985 (50 FR 27914), NMFS 
published an emergency interim rule to govern the subsistence taking of 
fur seals by Alaska Native (Aleut) residents of the Pribilof Islands. A 
final rule was subsequently published on July 9, 1986 (51 FR 24828). 
The subsistence harvest of northern fur seals on the Pribilof Islands 
is governed by regulations at 50 CFR 216 Subpart F--Pribilof Islands, 
Taking for Subsistence Purposes. These regulations were published under 
the authority of the Fur Seal Act (FSA), 16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq., and 
the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq. The 
purpose of these regulations was to provide for the subsistence needs 
of the Pribilof Aleuts using humane harvesting methods and to restrict 
taking by sex, age, and season for herd management purposes.

The Need for an EIS on this Action

    An Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact 
of the harvest on the fur seal population have been considered adequate 
to address the Agency's NEPA compliance responsibilities in the past. 
However, evidence is building that continued management under the 
harvest regulations in combination with other past, present, and future 
actions, may be having a significant impact on the human environment. 
Therefore, preparation of an EIS for the proposed action may be 
required by NEPA and implementing regulations at 40 CFR 1501.4.
    NMFS is required to publish a Notice of Intent (NOI) to, among 
other things, describe the proposed scoping process, including any 
scoping meetings to be held. The NOI also serves as the official notice 
that a Federal agency is commencing preparation of an EIS pursuant.
    NMFS will examine all activities addressing the conduct of the 
subsistence harvest management. The cumulative effects section of the 
EIS will address the incremental cumulative effects of these management 
alternatives on northern fur seals when added to the effects of past, 
other present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions including the 
significant effects finding of the Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures 
EIS (NMFS 2001). The EIS for Steller sea lions examined the effects of 
management measures implemented in the groundfish fisheries in the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) to protect endangered Steller 
sea lions in the area. In the analyses of the cumulative effects of the 
action on the environment, it was determined that commercial fishing 
and environmental changes (effects of a regime shift) may result in a 
conditionally significant adverse effect on northern fur seals. 
Therefore, while the subsistence harvest is not likely to have any 
direct or indirect effects on the fur seal population that would be 
considered significant under NEPA, the cumulative effects of the 
subsistence harvest alternatives when added to the effects of the 
groundfish fisheries on the harvest alternatives may result in a 
similar cumulative effects finding as identified in NMFS (2001).

Information and Comments Solicited

    NMFS solicits comments and information to identify the complete 
range of alternatives to be analyzed. Alternatives analyzed in this EIS 
may include those identified below, plus additional alternatives 
identified through the public scoping process and through working with 
the Tribal Governments and other constituent groups. Potential 
alternatives that have already been identified include the following: 
(1) status quo alternative- No action will be taken to change existing 
regulations at 50 CFR 216 subpart F. The conduct and management of the 
harvest will remain as it has been; (2) an alternative that combines 
some of the existing regulations with agreed upon stipulations 
identified in the co-management agreements between NMFS and the Tribal 
Governments pursuant to section 119 of the MMPA; and (3) a harvest 
regime that is completely managed through co-management pursuant to 
section 119 of the MMPA.
    NMFS has entered into co-management agreements with the Tribal 
Governments of St. Paul Island and St. George Island under section 119 
of the MMPA in 2000 and 2001, respectively. These agreements are 
specific to the conservation and management of northern fur seals and 
Steller sea lions on the Pribilof Islands, with particular attention to 
the subsistence take and use of these animals. NMFS has worked with 
both communities to integrate the agreements into one management plan 
for the purpose of recovering and maintaining the fur seal population. 
Under this alternative all current regulations would be eliminated.
    NMFS is also seeking information on the environmental, social and 
economic issues to be considered in the analysis.

[[Page 36540]]

 The direct and indirect effects sections of the EIS will present the 
impacts of each identified alternative on the human environment. Major 
issues are likely to include: the impact of subsistence and commercial 
fisheries removals on this stock, the impacts of regulated harvests on 
the subsistence needs, traditional and cultural values of Alaskan 
Natives, and co-management of the subsistence harvest under section 119 
of the MMPA.

Public Involvement

    Scoping is an open process for determining the scope of issues to 
be addressed and for identifying the significant issues related to the 
proposed action. A principle objective of this process is to identify a 
range of reasonable management alternatives that, with analysis, will 
provide a clear basis for distinguishing between the alternatives and 
selecting a preferred alternative.
    Scoping meetings will be held on the Pribilof Islands, AK, and in 
Anchorage, AK. Dates have not been set at this time and will follow the 
cessation of the 2003 subsistence harvest. Times and locations of the 
scoping meetings will also be published in a subsequent notice.

    Dated: June 11, 2003.
Donna Wieting,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-15407 Filed 6-17-03; 8:45 am]
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