[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 2004)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7185-7186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-3283]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 012604A]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Scoping Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of scoping meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) 
intends to consider alternatives for developing a Generic Amendment for 
Offshore Marine Aquaculture. In accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Council has prepared a scoping 
document, and has scheduled a series of scoping meetings to solicit 
public input regarding these alternatives. Based on the range of 
alternatives and issues identified during the scoping process, the 
Council may be required to develop a Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (DSEIS).

DATES: The scoping meetings will be held in February and March 2004. 
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates, times, and locations. 
Public comments on the scoping document for a Generic Amendment for 
Offshore Marine Aquaculture should be received in the Council office by 
5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 5, 2004, to ensure consideration by 
the Council.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on, and requests for, the scoping document 
should be addressed to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 
3018 U.S. North Highway 301, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619; telephone: 
(813) 228-2815.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Wayne Swingle, Executive Director, 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 228-2815 
ext. 230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council announces a series of public 
scoping meetings to solicit input from

[[Page 7186]]

interested parties on the provisions of the Scoping document for 
Generic Amendment for Offshore Marine Aquaculture. The scoping 
document: (1) Summarizes existing Federal statutes, programs, and rules 
that apply to marine aquaculture of fish and marine organisms in the 
Federal waters of the Exclusive Economic Zone; (2) lists fishery stocks 
that may be cultured in marine aquaculture programs carried out under 
the amendment; (3) discusses the environmental impact and other effects 
of various marine aquaculture practices to provide a background for 
selecting alternatives for the best management practices (BMP) for 
regulating the marine aquaculture process; and (4) sets forth a broad 
range of management alternatives for public consideration in selecting 
the best management practices (BMP) possible Copies of the scoping 
document will be available at the meetings and are available prior to 
the meetings from the Council (see ADDRESSES).
    In accordance with NOAA Administrative Order 216-6, Section 
5.02(c), the Council has identified this preliminary range of 
alternatives as a means to initiate discussion for scoping purposes 
only. This may not represent the full range of alternatives that 
eventually will be evaluated by the Council. Depending on the range of 
alternatives and issues identified during the scoping process, the 
Council may prepare an Environmental Assessment, with a Finding of No 
Significant Impact in association with the proposed actions. Should 
significant issues be identified in regard to the proposed actions, 
NMFS would publish a Notice of Intent to prepare a DSEIS.

Times and Locations of Scoping Meetings

    The scoping meetings will be held at the following locations and 
dates immediately following the scoping hearings for a Generic Limited 
Access Amendment (noticed separately) that will begin at 6 p.m. and 
conclude by 10 p.m.
    1. Tuesday, February 17, 2004, Adams Mark Hotel and Resort, 64 
South Water Street, Mobile, AL 36602; telephone: 251-438-4000;
    2. Wednesday, February 18, 2004, J.L. Scott Marine Education Center 
and Aquarium, 115 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS 39530; telephone: 228-
374-5550;
    3. Thursday, February 19, 2004, Larose Regional Park, 2001 East 5th 
Street, Larose, LA 70373; telephone: 504-693-7355;
    4. Monday, February 23, 2004, Holiday Inn Emerald Beach, 1102 South 
Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 78401; telephone: 361-883-5731;
    5. Tuesday, February 24, 2004, Moody Gardens Hotel, 7 Hope 
Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77554; telephone: 409-741-8484;
    6. Wednesday, February 25, 2004, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Panama City Laboratory, 3500 Delwood Beach Road, Panama City, FL 32408; 
telephone: 850-234-6541 ext. 201;
    7. Thursday, February 26, 2004, Madeira Beach City Hall Auditorium, 
300 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, FL 33708; telephone: 727-391-9951; 
and
    8. Monday, March 1, 2004, Holiday Inn Beachside, 3841 North 
Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL 33040; telephone: 305-294-2571.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Trish Kennedy at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) by February 13, 2004.

    Dated: February 9, 2004.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-3283 Filed 2-12-04; 8:45 am]
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