[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 182 (Friday, September 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58339-58340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20636]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID: 0648-XA462]


Draft Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment for 
Fisheries Research Conducted and Funded by the Northeast Fisheries 
Science Center

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

ACTION: Notice of availability, request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of the ``Draft Supplemental 
Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA) for Fisheries Research 
Conducted and Funded by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.'' 
Publication of this notice begins the official public comment period 
for this SPEA. The purpose of this Draft SPEA

[[Page 58340]]

is to evaluate potential direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of 
changes in research that were not analyzed in the 2016 NEFSC 
Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA), or new research activities 
along the U.S. East Coast, from North Carolina to Nova Scotia, Canada. 
Where necessary, updates to certain information on species, stock 
status or other components of the affected environment that may result 
in different conclusions from the 2016 PEA are presented in this 
analysis.

DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than October 
19, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft SPEA should be addressed to Victor A. 
Nordahl Jr, Environmental Compliance Specialist, 166 Water St. Woods 
Hole, MA 02543.
    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 Draft SPEA 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: 
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/draft-supplemental-programmatic-environmental-assessment-nefsc-research-now-available. Documents cited 
in this notice may also be viewed, by appointment, during regular 
business hours at the aforementioned address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victor A. Nordahl Jr., email: 
[email protected], phone: (508-495-2350).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NEFSC is the research arm of NMFS in the 
Northeast Region. The purpose of NEFSC fisheries research is to produce 
scientific information necessary for the management and conservation of 
living marine resources along the U.S. East Coast Exclusive Economic 
Zone (EEZ) Federal waters from North Carolina to Nova Scotia, Canada. 
NEFSC's research is needed to promote both the long-term sustainability 
of the resource and the recovery of certain species, while generating 
social and economic opportunities and benefits from their use. Primary 
research activities include: seasonal bottom trawl surveys to support 
assessments of ground fish; a summer bottom trawl survey to support the 
assessment of Northern Shrimp; seasonal mid-water pelagic surveys to 
support the assessment of semi-pelagic fish species; summer dredge and 
optical surveys to support the assessment of Deep-sea scallops; summer 
hydraulic dredge surveys to support assessment of surf clams and ocean 
quahogs; bottom longline surveys for ground fish in the Gulf of Maine; 
bottom and pelagic Apex Predator long line surveys; opportunistic trawl 
comparison studies; ecosystem based plankton surveys; inshore Penobscot 
Bay trawl and acoustic surveys; and Fisheries Observer Training trips 
(all gears) in the EEZ.
    NMFS has prepared the Draft SPEA under NEPA to evaluate two 
alternatives for conducting and funding fisheries and ecosystem 
research activities as the primary Federal action. Additionally in the 
Draft SPEA, 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 Draft SPEA evaluates activities that could result in 
unintentional takes of ESA-listed marine species.
    The following (2) alternatives are currently evaluated in the Draft 
SPEA.
     Alternative 1--Continue current fisheries and ecosystem 
research (Status Quo/no action) as described in the 2016 NEFSC PEA.
     Alternative 2--Conduct current research with some 
modifications as well as new research activities that are planned for 
the future (i.e., 2021-2026). New future research proposed under 
Alternative 2 was not previously analyzed in the 2016 PEA.
    The alternatives include a program of fisheries and ecosystem 
research projects conducted or funded by the NEFSC as the primary 
Federal action. Because this primary action is connected to a secondary 
Federal action, to consider authorizing incidental take of marine 
mammals under the MMPA, NMFS must identify as part of this evaluation 
the 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 NEFSC 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 two action alternatives also include 
mitigation measures intended to minimize potentially adverse 
interaction 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 under the ESA, and bird species 
protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
    Potential direct and indirect effects on the environment are 
evaluated under each alternative in the Draft SPEA. 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 Draft SPEA for the 
geographic regions in which NEFSC surveys are conducted.
    NMFS requests comments on the Draft SPEA for Fisheries Research 
Conducted and Funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Please include, with your comments, 
any supporting data or literature citations that may be informative in 
substantiating your comment.

    Dated: September 9, 2020.
Garth Edwin Smelser,
Chief Operations, Management and Information Division, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-20636 Filed 9-17-20; 8:45 am]
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