[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 30, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31224-31225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15466]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[Docket No. 080102007-81097-01]
RIN 0648-AW18


Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; 
Regional Fishery Management Councils; Operations

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

ACTION:  Proposed rule, extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY:  NMFS extends the comment period for proposed regulations that 
address the operations and administration of regional fishery 
management councils (Councils).

DATES:  Comments must be received by November 2, 2009.

ADDRESSES:  You may submit comments, identified by ``RIN 0648-AW18,'' 
by any one of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov.
     Fax: 301-713-1175.
     Mail: Alan Risenhoover, Director, Office of Sustainable 
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, 
SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Please mark the outside of the envelope 
``Council Operations.''
    Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record 
and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without 
change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, 
address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter n/a in the required 
fields, if you wish to remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or 
Adobe pdf file formats only.
    Written comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or other 
aspects of the collection-of-information requirements contained in this 
proposed rule may be submitted to the Office of Sustainable Fisheries 
at the mailing address or fax number specified above and by e-mail to 
[email protected], or fax to (202) 395-7285.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  William D. Chappell, 301-713-2337.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 302 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act 
includes provisions for the establishment and administration of the 
Councils. The Magnuson-Stevens Act was reauthorized on January 12, 
2007, with amendments throughout, and this proposed rule would 
implement some of the changes that were made to Section 302. 
Additionally, several issues regarding Council operations and 
membership have prompted proposed changes to the regulations. Key 
aspects of this proposed rule are: requirements relative to the Council 
Coordinating Committee; requirements for Scientific and Statistical 
Committees (SSCs) and financial interest reporting for SSC members; an 
update of Council and committee meeting announcement

[[Page 31225]]

requirements; a requirement for Councils to have procedures for 
proposed regulations; designation of an alternate for the Indian tribal 
representative of the Pacific Fishery Management Council; requirements 
for nominating individuals to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council; revisions to the process and deadline for governors to submit 
Council member nominations to the Secretary; restrictions on direct or 
indirect lobbying by Council members, Council staff, and contractors; 
addition of lobbying and advocacy as types of financial interest 
activities that must be reported by affected individuals; and the 
requirement for new Council members to attend a training course. 
Additionally, this proposed rule would implement several minor changes 
in Magnuson-Stevens Act section 302, as well as a number of technical 
changes and minor corrections, unrelated to the reauthorization of the 
Act. Many of the key aspects of this proposed rule reiterate statutory 
requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. NMFS is including this 
statutory text in regulations so that relevant Council process 
provisions both statutory and regulatory are presented together for 
ease of reference.
    On March 27, 2009 (74 FR 13386), NMFS published this proposed rule 
with a comment period ending July 6, 2009. Because this proposed rule 
primarily affects the Councils, their input is critical in ensuring 
that questions regarding the requirements of this proposed rule are 
raised and responded to prior to a final rule being published. The 
original comment period allowed enough time for almost all Councils to 
have a meeting and discuss this proposed rule during the comment 
period. The Councils have now requested that the comment period be 
extended to allow all Councils to have two meetings during the comment 
period. NMFS agrees with this request and extends the comment period 
until November 2, 2009 to allow the Councils and the public adequate 
time to understand this proposed rule, discuss its effects on their 
circumstances, and provide their comments.

    Dated: June 24, 2009.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-15466 Filed 6-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S