[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 34025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13985]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-BC09


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Notice of Public Scoping 
Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has scheduled an additional scoping meeting for Amendment 
7 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery 
Management Plan, which will focus on management issues related to 
Atlantic bluefin tuna. A Notice of Intent published on April 23, 2012, 
which notified the public that NMFS intended to hold public scoping 
meetings and that it anticipated preparing a draft environmental impact 
statement. That Federal Register document provided the public with 
specific dates and times for four scheduled scoping meetings. This 
notice notifies the public of another scoping meeting on Amendment 7 in 
Portland, ME.

DATES: The Portland, ME, scoping meeting will be held on June 18, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The Amendment 7 public scoping meeting will be held in 
Portland, ME, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay. See supplementary 
information below for further details.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Warren or Brad McHale, 978-281-
9260.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS published a Notice of Intent on April 
23, 2012 (77 FR 24161), which notified the public of its intent to hold 
public scoping meetings and that it anticipated preparing a draft 
environmental impact statement, and requested comments. The intent of 
the public comment and scoping meetings is to determine the scope and 
significance of issues to be analyzed in a potential proposed amendment 
to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management 
Plan and any associated environmental impact statement on management 
measures for Atlantic bluefin tuna. The public scoping process will 
help NMFS determine if existing measures are the best means of 
achieving certain management objectives for bluefin tuna and providing 
flexibility for future management, consistent with relevant Federal 
laws. NMFS also announced the availability of a scoping document 
describing measures for potential inclusion in a proposed Amendment, 
and solicited public comment on the objectives and management options. 
Written comments on the Notice of Intent and the scoping document must 
be received on or before July 15, 2012.
    The April 23, 2012 Notice of Intent included the specific location, 
date, and time of four scoping meetings, and the location and 
approximate time of three NMFS consultations with regional fishery 
management councils (Councils), during their June meetings (Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council; New England Fishery Management 
Council, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council), and more detailed 
background information. That information is not repeated here.
    Since the publication of the Notice of Intent, NMFS decided to 
schedule an additional scoping meeting that would be held in 
conjunction with the New England Fishery Management Council meeting in 
Portland, Maine, to provide additional opportunity for public input. 
The relevant information is provided below:

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               Date                          Time               Meeting locations               Address
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June 18, 2012.....................  6:30-9 p.m...........  In Association with the     Holiday Inn by the Bay,
                                                            New England Fishery         88 Spring Street,
                                                            Management Council          Portland, ME 04101, 800-
                                                            Meeting Portland, ME.       345-5050.
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    In addition to this Federal Register notice, NMFS will notify the 
public of this meeting via email, and the following Web site: 
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breakingnews.htm.

Special Accommodations

    The meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Tom Warren (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) 
at least 7 days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: June 4, 2012.
Carrie D. Selberg,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-13985 Filed 6-7-12; 8:45 am]
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