[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 95 (Tuesday, May 17, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30517-30518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11574]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE612


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico; Amendment 41

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement (DEIS); request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The NMFS Southeast Region in collaboration with the Gulf of 
Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) intends to prepare a DEIS 
to describe and analyze a range of alternatives for management actions 
to be included in Amendment 41 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for 
the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 41). Amendment 
41 will consider management approaches for the harvest of red snapper 
from vessels with a Gulf Charter Vessel/Headboat Permit for Reef Fish 
that do not participate in the Southeast Region Headboat Survey. The 
purpose of this NOI is to solicit public comments on the scope of 
issues to be addressed in the DEIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the 
DEIS will be accepted until June 16, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2016-0057, 
by either of the following methods:
     Electronic submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail; D=NOAA-NMFS-2016-0057, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.

[[Page 30518]]

     Mail: Submit written comments to Cynthia Meyer, NMFS 
Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 
33701.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Meyer, NMFS Southeast Regional 
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305; or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council recently took action to provide 
more flexibility in managing the harvest of red snapper by the various 
components of the Gulf reef fish recreational sector. In 2014, the 
Council established separate private angling and Federal charter 
vessel/headboat (for-hire) components of the red snapper recreational 
sector. There has been a decrease over time in the proportion of red 
snapper harvested by anglers fishing from Federal for-hire vessels and 
differences in regulatory environments faced by Federal for-hire 
operators and private anglers. These factors contributed to the 
Council's decision to restructure the red snapper recreational sector 
to increase flexibility for each component.
    The purpose of Amendment 41 is to develop a management approach for 
federally permitted Gulf reef fish charter vessels that reduces 
management uncertainty, provides flexibility and improves economic 
conditions for the owners and operators of Federal charter vessels, and 
increases opportunities for anglers who fish from Federal charter 
vessels to harvest red snapper.
    NMFS, in collaboration with the Council, will develop a DEIS for 
Amendment 41 to describe and analyze alternatives to address the 
management needs described above, including the ``no action'' 
alternative. In accordance with the regulations issued by the Council 
on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 40 CFR parts 1500-1508), NMFS, in 
collaboration with the Council, has identified preliminary 
environmental issues as a means to initiate discussion for scoping 
purposes only. These preliminary issues may not represent the full 
range of issues that eventually will be evaluated in the DEIS. A copy 
of the Amendment 41 draft options paper is available at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/gulf_fisheries/reef_fish/index.html.
    Comments on the scope of the DEIS may be submitted in writing to 
NMFS (see ADDRESSES) during the 30-day scoping period. After the 
scoping period and throughout the development of Amendment 41, the 
Council will accept written comments on the action, and oral comments 
may be made during the public testimony portion of any Council meeting. 
The upcoming Council meetings will be in Clearwater Beach, Florida on 
June 20-24, 2016, and New Orleans, Louisiana on August 15-19, 2016.
    After the DEIS associated with Amendment 41 is completed, it will 
be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). After filing, 
the EPA will publish a notice of availability of the DEIS for public 
comment in the Federal Register. Consistent with the CEQ regulations, 
the DEIS will have a 45-day public comment period.
    The Council and NMFS will consider public comments received on the 
DEIS in developing the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and 
before adopting final management measures for the amendment. NMFS will 
submit the consolidated final amendment and supporting FEIS to the 
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) for review as required by the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
    NMFS will announce, through a notification in the Federal Register, 
the availability of the final amendment for public review during the 
Department of Commerce Secretarial review period and will consider all 
public comments. During Secretarial review, NMFS will also file the 
FEIS with the EPA, and the EPA will publish a notice of availability 
for the FEIS in the Federal Register. This public comment period is 
expected to be concurrent with the Secretarial review period and will 
end prior to final agency action to approve, disapprove, or partially 
approve the Amendment 41.
    NMFS will announce, through a document published in the Federal 
Register, all public comment periods on the final amendment, its 
proposed implementing regulations, and the availability of its 
associated FEIS. NMFS will consider all public comments received during 
the Secretarial review period, whether they are on the final amendment, 
the proposed regulations, or the FEIS, prior to final agency action.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: May 11, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-11574 Filed 5-16-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P