[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 20, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23276-23277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09154]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE485


Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment for Fisheries and Ecosystem Research Conducted and Funded by 
the National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast 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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of the ``Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Assessment (DPEA) for Fisheries and Ecosystem Research 
Conducted and Funded by the Southeast Fisheries Science Center 
(SEFSC).'' 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 the southeastern coast of 
the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea marine waters of 
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than May 20, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DPEA should be addressed to: NOAA/NMFS/
SEFSC/Director's Office, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Key Biscayne, FL 
33149. 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://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/dpea.html
    Documents cited in this notice may also be viewed, by appointment, 
during regular business hours, at the aforementioned address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Melissa Cook, SEFSC, (228) 762-
4591.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Southeast Fisheries Science Center 
(SEFSC) is the research arm of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 
in the Southeast region of the U.S. The SEFSC conducts research and 
provides scientific advice to manage fisheries and conserve protected 
species in marine and estuarine habitats of the Atlantic Ocean along 
the southeastern coast of the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, and the 
Caribbean Sea, including marine waters offshore from Puerto Rico and 
the U.S. Virgin Islands. Three regional Fishery Management Councils 
rely in part on data collected by the SEFSC. The South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council (SAFMC), the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council (GMFMC), and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) 
rely primarily on the SEFSC for fisheries independent research data for 
development of stock assessment reports and other management purposes. 
The SEFSC also provides research data and works cooperatively with 
numerous other domestic and international fisheries management 
organizations.
    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 SEFSC
    The first three alternatives include a program of fisheries and 
ecosystem research projects conducted or funded by the SEFSC 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 SEFSC 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

[[Page 23277]]

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 SEFSC surveys are conducted. NMFS 
requests comments on the DPEA for Fisheries and Ecosystem Research 
Conducted and Funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Please include, with your comments, 
any supporting data or literature citations that may be informative in 
substantiating your comment.

    Dated: April 15, 2016.
Bonnie Ponwith,
Director, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-09154 Filed 4-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P