[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25702-25703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10441]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC511


Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment for Fisheries Research Conducted and Funded by the National 
Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment; Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of the ``Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Assessment (DPEA) for Fisheries Research Conducted and 
Funded by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC).'' Publication 
of this notice begins the official public comment period for this DPEA. 
The purpose of the DPEA is to evaluate, in compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the potential direct, indirect, and 
cumulative impacts of conducting and funding fisheries and ecosystem 
research along the U.S. West Coast, throughout the Eastern Tropical 
Pacific Ocean, and in the Scotia Sea area off Antarctica.

DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than July 1, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DPEA should be addressed to Jeremy Rusin, 
Deputy Director, SWFSC Protected Resources Division, 8901 La Jolla 
Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. The mailbox address for providing 
email comments is [email protected]. NMFS is not responsible for 
email comments sent to addresses other than the one provided here. 
Comments sent via email, including all attachments, must not exceed a 
10-megabyte file size.
    A copy of the DPEA may be obtained by writing to the address 
specified above, telephoning the contact listed below (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT), or visiting the internet at: http://swfsc.noaa.gov/dpea.aspx. Documents cited in this notice may also be 
viewed, by appointment, during regular business hours, at the 
aforementioned address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeremy Rusin, SWFSC, NMFS, (858) 546-
7101.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SWFSC is the research arm of NMFS in

[[Page 25703]]

the Southwest Region. The SWFSC conducts research and provides 
scientific advice to manage fisheries and conserve protected species 
along the U.S. West Coast in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE), 
throughout the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) Ocean, and in the Scotia 
Sea area off Antarctica. Research is aimed at monitoring fish stock 
recruitment, survival and biological rates, abundance and geographic 
distribution of species and stocks, and providing other scientific 
information needed to improve our understanding of complex marine 
ecological processes. Primary research activities include: mid-water 
trawl surveys to support assessments of coastal pelagic species, salmon 
and groundfish in the CCE; longline surveys for life history studies of 
sablefish in the CCE and highly migratory species tagging in the CCE 
and ETP; deep-set buoy surveys for tagging swordfish in the CCE; 
ecosystem surveys using active acoustic systems, plankton nets, and 
other oceanographic equipment in the CCE and ETP; and bottom trawl and 
ecosystem surveys in the Antarctic Research Area.
    NMFS has prepared the DPEA under NEPA to evaluate several 
alternatives for conducting and funding fisheries and ecosystem 
research activities as the primary federal action. Additionally in the 
DPEA, NMFS evaluates a related action--also called a ``connected 
action'' under 40 CFR 1508.25 of the Council on Environmental Quality's 
regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)--which is the proposed promulgation of regulations 
and authorization of the take of marine mammals incidental to the 
fisheries research under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). 
Additionally, because the proposed research activities occur in areas 
inhabited by species of marine mammals, birds, sea turtles, and fish 
listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as threatened or 
endangered, this DPEA evaluates activities that could result in 
unintentional takes of ESA-listed marine species.
    The following four alternatives are currently evaluated in the 
DPEA:

 No-Action/Status Quo Alternative--Conduct Federal Fisheries 
and Ecosystem Research with Scope and Protocols Similar to Past Effort
 Preferred Alternative--Conduct Federal Fisheries and Ecosystem 
Research (New Suite of Research) with Mitigation for MMPA and ESA 
Compliance
 Modified Research Alternative--Conduct Federal Fisheries and 
Ecosystem Research (New Suite of Research) with Additional Mitigation
 No Research Alternative--No Fieldwork for Federal Fisheries 
and Ecosystem Research Conducted or Funded by SWFSC

    The first three alternatives include a program of fisheries and 
ecosystem research projects conducted or funded by the SWFSC as the 
primary federal action. Because this primary action is connected to a 
secondary federal action (also called a connected action under NEPA), 
to consider authorizing incidental take of marine mammals under the 
MMPA, NMFS must identify as part of this evaluation ``(t)he means of 
effecting the least practicable adverse impact on the species or stock 
and its habitat.'' (Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA [16 U.S.C. 1361 et 
seq.]). NMFS must therefore identify and evaluate a reasonable range of 
mitigation measures to minimize impacts to protected species that occur 
in SWFSC research areas. These mitigation measures are considered as 
part of the identified alternatives in order to evaluate their 
effectiveness to minimize potential adverse environmental impacts. The 
three action alternatives also include mitigation measures intended to 
minimize potentially adverse interactions with other protected species 
that occur within the action area. Protected species include all marine 
mammals, which are covered under the MMPA, all species listed under the 
ESA, and bird species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
    NMFS is also evaluating a second type of no-action alternative that 
considers no federal funding for field fisheries and ecosystem research 
activities. This is called the No Research Alternative to distinguish 
it from the No-Action/Status Quo Alternative. The No-Action/Status Quo 
Alternative will be used as the baseline to compare all of the other 
alternatives.
    Potential direct and indirect effects on the environment are 
evaluated under each alternative in the DPEA. The environmental effects 
on the following resources are considered: physical environment, 
special resource areas, fish, marine mammals, birds, sea turtles, 
invertebrates, and the social and economic environment. Cumulative 
effects of external actions and the contribution of fisheries research 
activities to the overall cumulative impact on the aforementioned 
resources is also evaluated in the DPEA for the three main geographic 
regions in which SWFSC surveys are conducted.
    NMFS requests comments on the DPEA for Fisheries Research Conducted 
and Funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest 
Fisheries Science Center. Please include, with your comments, any 
supporting data or literature citations that may be informative in 
substantiating your comment.

    Dated: April 25, 2013.
Francisco E. Werner,
Director, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-10441 Filed 5-1-13; 8:45 am]
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