[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 233 (Friday, December 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75856-75857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30674]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE333


Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment for Fisheries and Ecosystem Research Conducted and Funded by 
the National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands 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 and Ecosystem Research 
Conducted and Funded by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center 
(PIFSC).'' 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 in NOAA's Pacific Islands 
Region.

DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than January 
4, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DPEA should be addressed to: NOAA IRC, NMFS/
PIFSC/Director's Office, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. #176, Honolulu, HI 
96818. The mailbox address for providing email comments is 
[email protected]. NMFS is not responsible for email comments sent to

[[Page 75857]]

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://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/nepa Documents cited in this notice may also be 
viewed, by appointment, during regular business hours, at the 
aforementioned address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Vandersande, (808) 725-5333.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PIFSC is the research arm of NMFS in the 
Pacific Islands Region. PIFSC conducts research and provides scientific 
advice to manage fisheries and conserve protected species throughout 
the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, including the State of Hawaii, 
Territory of American Samoa, Territory of Guam, the Commonwealth of the 
Mariana Islands, and the Pacific Remote Island Areas. Research is aimed 
at monitoring fish stock recruitment, survival, and biological rates; 
abundance and geographic distribution of both pelagic and insular 
marine species; 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 pelagic stages of insular species and other mesopelagic 
organisms; dive surveys to conduct coral reef ecosystem assessment and 
monitoring; hook-and-line surveys to collect fishery life history 
samples and deploy telemetry tags; marine debris research and removal 
activities; advanced sampling technology surveys (e.g. stereo-video 
cameras, autonomous underwater vehicles) to assess and monitor marine 
organisms and habitats; longline surveys for life history studies and 
bycatch reduction research; ecosystem surveys using active acoustic 
systems, plankton nets, and other oceanographic equipment; and 
collaborative research in foreign territorial seas. 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 PIFSC.
    The first three alternatives include a program of fisheries and 
ecosystem research projects conducted or funded by the PIFSC 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 PIFSC 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 PIFSC surveys are conducted. NMFS 
requests comments on the DPEA for Fisheries and Ecosystem Research 
Conducted and Funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific 
Islands Fisheries Science Center. Please include, with your comments, 
any supporting data or literature citations that may be informative in 
substantiating your comment.

    Dated: November 23, 2015.
Michael P. Seki,
Director, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-30674 Filed 12-3-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P