[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 26009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11971]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG053


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; 
Extension of Public Comment Period

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

ACTION: Notice of intent; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is extending the public comment period for the Notice of 
Intent (NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to 
inform its decision of whether to determine that a resource management 
plan (RMP) jointly developed by the Washington Department of Fish and 
Wildlife (WDFW) and the Puget Sound Tribes (Tribes), collectively the 
co-managers, meets requirements under Limit 6 of the Endangered Species 
Act (ESA) 4(d) rule for the ESA-listed Puget Sound Chinook salmon 
Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU), which is listed as threatened 
under the ESA. The NOI was published in the Federal Register on 
Thursday, May 3, 2018. The public comment period on the NOI was 
originally scheduled to end June 4, 2018. NMFS is extending that 
comment period by 14 days and will now consider comments received 
through June 18, 2018.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of comments on the NOI published on May 
3, 2018 (83 FR 19528), is extended to June 18, 2018. Written or 
electronic scoping comments must be received at the appropriate address 
or email mailbox (see ADDRESSES) on or before June 18, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Barry A. Thom, Regional 
Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, Attn: Emi Kondo, 1201 NE Lloyd 
Boulevard, Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232. Comments may also be sent by 
email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emi Kondo, NMFS West Coast Region, 
telephone: 503-736-4739, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On Thursday, May 3, 2018, NMFS published an 
NOI to prepare an EIS to inform its decision of whether to determine 
that an RMP jointly developed by the co-managers, meets requirements 
under Limit 6 of the ESA 4(d) rule for the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon 
ESU, which is listed as threatened under the ESA. The purpose of the 
RMP is to manage commercial, recreational, ceremonial, and subsistence 
salmon fisheries potentially affecting the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon 
ESU within the marine and freshwater areas of Puget Sound, from the 
entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca inward, including fisheries 
under the jurisdiction of the Pacific Salmon Commission's Fraser River 
Panel. In order for NMFS to make a positive determination under Limit 6 
on the RMP, NMFS must conclude that the RMP's management framework is 
consistent with the criteria under Limit 6. Limit 6 applies to RMPs 
developed jointly by the states of Washington, Oregon and/or Idaho and 
the tribes within the continuing jurisdiction of United States v. 
Washington or United States v. Oregon.
    NMFS provided notice to advise other agencies and the public of our 
plan to analyze effects related to NMFS 4(d) determination and co-
manager implementation of the RMP and to obtain suggestions and 
information that may be useful to the scope of issues and alternatives 
to include in the EIS (83 FR 19528, May 3, 2018), and requested 
comments be received by June 4, 2018. NMFS has decided to extend the 
public comment period on the NOI by 14 days to Monday, June 18, 2018, 
to allow opportunity for the public to review additional information on 
this project, available on the NMFS West Coast Region website: http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/salmon_steelhead/puget_sound_fisheries.html.

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 40 CFR 1500-1508; and 
Companion Manual for NOAA Administrative Order 216-6A, 82 FR 4306.

    Dated: May 30, 2018.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-11971 Filed 6-4-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P