[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 247 (Thursday, December 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70954-70955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27810]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XV153]


Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings and Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of reports; public meetings, and 
hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) has 
begun its annual preseason management process for the 2020 ocean salmon 
fisheries. This document announces the availability of Pacific Council 
documents, as well as the dates and locations of upcoming Pacific 
Council meetings and public hearings hosted by the Pacific Council. 
These documents and events comprise the Pacific Council's complete 
schedule for determining the annual proposed and final modifications to 
ocean salmon fishery management measures. The agendas for the March and 
April 2020 Pacific Council meetings will be published in subsequent 
Federal Register documents prior to the actual meetings.

[[Page 70955]]


DATES: Written comments on the salmon management alternatives must be 
received by 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, March 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Documents will be available from the Pacific Fishery 
Management Council, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 
97220-1384; telephone: (503) 820-2280 (voice) or (503) 820-2299 (fax). 
Written comments should be sent electronically to Mr. Phil Anderson, 
Chair, Pacific Fishery Management Council, via the Pacific Council's E-
Portal by visiting https://pfmc.psmfc.org. Comments can also be 
submitted through the Federal Rulemaking E-Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments, 
and include the I.D. number in the subject line of the message. If you 
are unable to access either E-Portal, written comments may be mailed to 
Mr. Phil Anderson at the Pacific Fishery Management Council office 
address stated above. Written comments will then be entered into the 
Pacific Council's E-Portal by Council staff. For specific meeting and 
hearing locations, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Council address: Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE 
Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Robin Ehlke, telephone: (503) 820-
2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tentative Schedule for Document Completion and Availability

    February 14, 2020: ``Review of 2019 Ocean Salmon Fisheries, Stock 
Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Document for the Pacific Coast Salmon 
Fishery Management Plan'' is scheduled to be posted on the Pacific 
Council website at http://www.pcouncil.org.
    February 28, 2020: ``Preseason Report I--Stock Abundance Analysis 
and Environmental Assessment Part 1 for 2020 Ocean Salmon Fishery 
Regulations'' is scheduled to be posted on the Pacific Council website 
at http://www.pcouncil.org.
    March 20, 2020: ``Preseason Report II--Proposed Alternatives and 
Environmental Assessment Part 2 for 2020 Ocean Salmon Fishery 
Regulations''. The report will include a description of the adopted 
salmon management alternatives and a summary of their biological and 
economic impacts. The public hearings schedule will also be included on 
the inside cover of the report and will be posted on the Pacific 
Council website at http://www.pcouncil.org.
    April 16, 2020: ``Preseason Report III--Council-Adopted Management 
Measures and Environmental Assessment Part 3 for 2020 Ocean Salmon 
Fishery Regulations'' is scheduled to be posted on the Pacific Council 
website at http://www.pcouncil.org.
    May 1, 2020: Federal regulations for 2020 ocean salmon regulations 
are published in the Federal Register and implemented.

Meetings and Hearings

    January 21-24, 2020: The Salmon Technical Team (STT) will meet at 
the Pacific Council office in a public work session to draft ``Review 
of 2019 Ocean Salmon Fisheries, Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation 
Document for the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan'' and to 
consider any other estimation or methodology issues pertinent to the 
2020 ocean salmon fisheries. The STT may also discuss additional topics 
and work as time allows, including but not limited to the Fishery 
Management Plan Amendment 20, the methodology review on Willapa Bay 
coho abundance forecasts, and Klamath Dam removal.
    February 18-21, 2020: The STT will meet at the Pacific Council 
office in a public work session to draft ``Preseason Report I--Stock 
Abundance Analysis and Environmental Assessment Part 1 for 2020 Ocean 
Salmon Fishery Regulations'' and to consider any other estimation or 
methodology issues pertinent to the 2020 ocean salmon fisheries. The 
STT may also discuss additional topics as time allows, including but 
not limited to the Fishery Management Plan Amendment 20, the 
methodology review on Willapa Bay coho abundance forecasts, and Klamath 
Dam removal.
    March 23-24, 2020: Public hearings will be held to receive comments 
on the proposed ocean salmon fishery management alternatives adopted by 
the Pacific Council. Written comments received at the public hearings 
and a summary of oral comments heard at the hearings will be provided 
to the Pacific Council at its April meeting.
    All public hearings begin at 7 p.m. on the dates and locations 
specified below:
    March 23, 2020: Chateau Westport, Beach Room, 710 West Hancock, 
Westport, WA 98595, telephone: (360) 268-9101.
    March 23, 2020: Red Lion Hotel, South Umpqua Room, 1313 North 
Bayshore Drive, Coos Bay, OR 97420, telephone: (541) 267-4141.
    March 24, 2020: Red Lion Hotel, Redwood Ballroom, 1929 4th Street, 
Eureka, CA 95501, telephone: (707) 445-0844.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in the STT meeting 
agendas may come before the STT for discussion, those issues may not be 
the subject of formal STT action during these meetings. STT action will 
be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this document and 
to any issues arising after publication of this document requiring 
emergency action under Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified 
of the STT's intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These public meetings and hearings are physically accessible to 
people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or 
other auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt at 
(503) 820-2280 (voice), or (503) 820-2299 (fax) at least ten days prior 
to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: December 19, 2019.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-27810 Filed 12-23-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P