[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 190 (Friday, September 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 67312]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23691]



[[Page 67312]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE812


Pacific Island Fisheries; Aquaculture

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement; public meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS, in coordination with the Western Pacific Fishery 
Management Council, intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement (PEIS) to analyze the potential environmental impacts 
of a proposed Pacific Islands Region aquaculture management program and 
alternatives. The PEIS would support offshore aquaculture development, 
including appropriate management unit species for aquaculture, 
reasonably foreseeable types of offshore aquaculture operations, and 
permitting and reporting requirements for persons conducting 
aquaculture activities in Federal waters.

DATES: NMFS must receive written comments by October 31, 2016. The 
meeting dates are:
    1. October 18, 2016, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saipan.
    2. October 20, 2016, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Guam.

ADDRESSES: The meeting locations are:
    1. Saipan--October 18, 2016, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Northern Marianas 
College, As Terlaje Campus, Building S, Room S-1, Saipan, MP 96950.
    2. Guam--October 20, 2016, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Hilton Guam Resort & 
Spa, 202 Hilton Road, Tumon Bay, Guam 96913.
    You may submit comments on this action, identified by NOAA-NMFS-
2016-0111, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NMFS-2016-0111, click the ``Comment 
Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your 
comments.
     Mail: Send written comments to Michael D. Tosatto, 
Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1845 Wasp 
Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
     Scoping Meeting: Submit written comments at a scoping 
meeting held by NMFS for this action.
    Instructions: You must submit comments by the above methods to 
ensure that NMFS receives, documents, and considers your comments. NMFS 
may not consider comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period. 
NMFS will consider all comments received as part of the public record 
and will generally post comments for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address) submitted voluntarily by the sender 
will be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will 
accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you 
wish to remain anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Nichols, NMFS, Pacific Islands 
Regional Office, (808) 725-5180.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS previously published a Notice of Intent 
to prepare a PEIS to analyze the potential environmental impacts of a 
proposed Pacific Islands aquaculture management program and 
alternatives (81 FR 57567, August 23, 2016). Details regarding 
development of the PEIS may be found in that Notice of Intent, and are 
not repeated here.
    NMFS is holding two additional public scoping meetings in Guam and 
Saipan (see DATES and ADDRESSES) to help identify alternatives and 
determine the scope of environmental issues for consideration in the 
PEIS.
    NMFS will again ask for additional public comments once NMFS 
publishes the Draft PEIS, probably in late spring 2017. You may find 
more information about the NMFS aquaculture program and the progress of 
the PEIS at www.fpir.noaa.gov/SFD/SFD_aq.html.

    Dated: September 27, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-23691 Filed 9-29-16; 8:45 am]
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