[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83896-83897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28292]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA734]


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 2021 ocean salmon 
fisheries. This document announces the availability of Pacific Council 
documents, as well as the anticipated 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 2021 Pacific Council meetings will be published 
in subsequent Federal Register documents prior to the actual meetings.

DATES: Written comments on the salmon management alternatives must be 
submitted through the Pacific Council's e-portal (https://pfmc.psmfc.org.) and received by the public comment deadline prior to 
the April 2021 Council meeting. Information will be available on the 
Pacific Council's website (http://www.pcouncil.org.) as the date for 
the April Council meeting approaches.

ADDRESSES: Documents will be available upon request 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).
    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 16, 2021: ``Review of 2020 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.
    March 1, 2021: ``Preseason Report I--Stock Abundance Analysis and 
Environmental Assessment Part 1 for 2021 Ocean Salmon Fishery 
Regulations'' is scheduled to be posted on the Pacific Council website 
at http://www.pcouncil.org.
    March 22, 2021: ``Preseason Report II--Proposed Alternatives and 
Environmental Assessment Part 2 for 2021 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

[[Page 83897]]

posted on the Pacific Council website at http://www.pcouncil.org.
    April 22, 2021: ``Preseason Report III--Council-Adopted Management 
Measures and Environmental Assessment Part 3 for 2021 Ocean Salmon 
Fishery Regulations'' is scheduled to be posted on the Pacific Council 
website at http://www.pcouncil.org.
    May 16, 2021: Federal regulations for 2021 ocean salmon regulations 
are published in the Federal Register and implemented.

Meetings and Hearings

    January 19-22, 2021: The Salmon Technical Team (STT) will meet 
online in a public work session to draft ``Review of 2020 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 2021 ocean 
salmon fisheries. The STT may also discuss additional topics and work 
as time allows, including but not limited to the Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP) Amendment 20, inclusion of Pacific Council-adopted southern 
resident killer whale management measures to the salmon FMP, potential 
impacts to fishery management due to COVID-19 in 2020, and ecosystem or 
administrative matters on the Pacific Council's March and April 2021 
meetings.
    February 16-19, 2021: The STT will meet online in a public work 
session to draft ``Preseason Report I--Stock Abundance Analysis and 
Environmental Assessment Part 1 for 2021 Ocean Salmon Fishery 
Regulations'' and to consider any other estimation or methodology 
issues pertinent to the 2021 ocean salmon fisheries. The STT may also 
discuss additional topics as time allows, including but not limited to 
the FMP Amendment 20, inclusion of Council-adopted southern resident 
killer whale management measures to the salmon FMP, potential impacts 
to fishery management due to COVID-19 in 2020, and ecosystem or 
administrative matters on the Pacific Council's March and April 2021 
meetings.
    March 23-24, 2021: Three public hearings will be held online to 
receive comments on the proposed 2021 ocean salmon fishery management 
alternatives adopted by the Pacific Council. Each public hearing will 
be state-specific and begin at 7 p.m. Public hearings focusing on 
Washington and California salmon fisheries will occur simultaneously on 
March 23, and the public hearing for Oregon salmon fisheries will occur 
on March 24. A summary of oral comments heard at the hearings will be 
provided to the Pacific Council at its April meeting. Written comments 
on the salmon management alternatives must be submitted through the 
Pacific Council's e-portal (https://pfmc.psmfc.org.).
    Specific meeting information, including instructions on how to join 
the meeting and system requirements will be provided in meeting 
announcements on the Pacific Council's website (see www.pcouncil.org). 
You may send an email to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt 
([email protected]) or contact him at (503) 820-2412 for 
technical assistance.
    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

    Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt 
([email protected]; (503) 820-2412) at least 10 days prior to 
the meeting date.

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

    Dated: December 17, 2020.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-28292 Filed 12-22-20; 8:45 am]
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