[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 78 (Friday, April 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24131-24132]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08629]



[[Page 24131]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the NMFS 
Saltonstall-Kennedy Research and Development Program

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; announcement of public meetings; 
request for written comments.

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SUMMARY: NOAA announces the availability of its Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) which analyzes the potential 
environmental impacts of the implementation of projects that foster the 
promotion, marketing, research, and development of U.S. Fisheries and 
their associated fishing sectors, as consistent with NOAA's 
Saltonstall-Kennedy Research and Development Program (S-K Program). The 
focus of this action is on activities and projects under the S-K 
Program, which interfaces with numerous programs within NOAA, and it is 
NOAA's intention that this PEIS may also cover those activities and 
projects implemented by other NOAA programs and offices that are 
consistent with the scope of the S-K Program. This notice of 
availability (NOA) of the Draft PEIS invites interested parties to 
provide comments on the proposed project, its potential to affect the 
human environment, and means for avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating 
those effects.

DATES: Written comments on this Draft PEIS must be received no later 
than June 6, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2022-0045, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA-NMFS-2022-0045 in the Search box. 
Click on the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter 
or attach your comments.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous).
    Comments will also be accepted at public meetings during the Draft 
PEIS comment period. The webinar and telephone information for the 
public meetings is provided below in the Draft PEIS Process section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cliff Cosgrove, Saltonstall-Kennedy 
Program Manager, telephone: (301-427-8736); [email protected]; or 
visit the S-K Program website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/content/saltonstall-kennedy-research-and-development-program.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Project Scope

    The purpose of this PEIS is to identify and evaluate the general 
impacts, issues and concerns related to the implementation of the types 
of projects that are consistent with the scope of the S-K Program. The 
S-K Program funds projects that address the needs of fishing 
communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining 
sustainable fisheries (where the term ``fisheries'' includes commercial 
wild capture, recreational fishing, cultural and subsistence fishing, 
and marine aquaculture), and increase other opportunities to keep 
working waterfronts viable. The PEIS will be used to support site- and 
project-specific NEPA reviews, as necessary. The PEIS addresses all of 
the priorities, and their associated project types, that the S-K 
Program has funded since 2010, which cover the range of priorities and 
project types that fall under the S-K Program. The affected environment 
associated with the proposed action includes all marine, estuarine, and 
coastal habitats in the United States and territories. It also includes 
freshwater interior habitats that influence or affect rivers, streams, 
and creeks affecting marine or estuarine waters, or that support 
migratory fish populations. It may also include adjacent or continuous 
habitats in Canada or Mexico that support living coastal and marine 
resources under NOAA trusteeship.
    To ensure consideration of input from interested parties in each 
region, NOAA will conduct three public meetings for the Draft PEIS. 
Each meeting will be focused on a region or combination of regions 
based on time zone proximity. More information about each meeting, 
including meeting dates and times, can be found in the Draft PEIS 
Process section below.

Background

    In 1954, the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act (15 U.S.C. 713c-3) was passed 
to address the needs of U.S. fisheries and their related fishing 
sectors, and thereby established the S-K Program. The Saltonstall-
Kennedy Act states that The Secretary shall make grants to assist 
persons in carrying out research and development projects addressed to 
any aspect of United States fisheries, including, but not limited to, 
harvesting, processing, marketing, and associated infrastructures.
    The S-K Program provides funding to projects that benefit fishing 
communities through the promotion, marketing, research, and development 
of U.S. fisheries and their associated fishing sectors. Since its 
inception, grants have been provided to fishers, individuals, private 
businesses, fishing organizations, universities, states, research 
institutes, non-governmental organizations, and others.
    The S-K Program is composed of a competitive grant program and a 
national program. Grants and cooperative agreements are provided under 
both programs and can occur in any of NMFS' five fisheries regions. The 
national program is designed to fund needed fishery industry projects 
that are not addressed through the competitive grants program. Funding 
for the S-K Program is determined through annual congressional 
appropriations. Historically, the S-K Program has had a diverse set of 
priorities, selecting between two and seven projects each year for 
funding. While the primary priority has been projects that meet the 
purpose of promotion, development, and marketing (PDM) of the U.S. 
fisheries and their associated fishing sectors, and NMFS anticipates 
that will continue to be the primary priority, priorities can change 
annually and additional priorities can be chosen.
    For more information about the S-K Program, please use the link 
provided in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above.

Proposed Action, Purpose, and Need

    The proposed Federal action is to fund projects that are consistent 
with the scope of the S-K Program. The purpose of the proposed action 
is threefold: (1) Address the needs of fishing communities, consistent 
with NOAA's mandate through the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act; (2) ensure 
that NOAA continues to meet the intent and requirements of the 
Saltonstall-Kennedy Act; and (3) assist NOAA in meeting its

[[Page 24132]]

mission, ``To understand and predict changes in climate, weather, 
oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with 
others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and 
resources.'' The Proposed Action is needed to implement the S-K Act and 
funding program to build and maintain sustainable fisheries, optimize 
economic benefits, and increase other opportunities to keep working 
waterfronts viable.
    Types of projects funded by the S-K Program include, but are not 
limited to, (1) seafood promotion and marketing; (2) research and 
monitoring; (3) gear testing, bycatch reduction, and processing 
studies; (4) aquaculture; (5) socioeconomic research; and (6) outreach, 
education, and planning.

Alternatives

    The Draft PEIS considers two alternatives: (1) A No Action 
Alternative, and (2) the proposed action, which NOAA is referring to as 
the Promotion, Marketing, Research and Development Alternative 
(Preferred Alternative). Under the No Action Alternative, the S-K 
Program would not fund projects that address the needs of fishing 
communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining 
sustainable fisheries, and increase other opportunities to keep working 
waterfronts viable. The No Action Alternative serves as a baseline 
against which the impacts of the Preferred Alternative are compared. 
Implementation of the Preferred Alternative would allow for the funding 
of actions through federal financial assistance for all possible types 
of projects that meet the intent of the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act and the 
needs of U.S. fishing communities, consistent with the scope of the S-K 
Program. This alternative would provide the S-K Program with 
flexibility in choosing priorities each year while also considering the 
funding environment.

Draft PEIS Process

    This notice initiates a public comment period for the Draft PEIS. 
Please review the information in this notice and additional information 
about the S-K Program, located on the NOAA S-K Program website (see the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above). NOAA is particularly 
interested in receiving comments regarding biological, cultural, or 
ecological issues that the analysis should address. We also encourage 
comments that assist us in further delineating the proposed project, 
its potential to affect the human environment, means for avoiding, 
minimizing, or mitigating those effects, and other issues of public 
concern. To promote informed decision-making, we especially encourage 
commenters to submit any scientific data, studies, or research that you 
feel is relevant to the analysis.
    To facilitate the public and agency involvement in the PEIS 
process, NOAA will hold three virtual public meetings during the 45-day 
Draft PEIS public comment period. The meetings will be virtual in 
format. The meetings will solicit input from the public and interested 
public agencies regarding the environmental impacts analyzed in the 
Draft PEIS. Three virtual public meetings (in webinar format only) will 
be held in each of three regions, as follows:

 Eastern and Gulf of Mexico Region (includes Atlantic States, 
Gulf of Mexico States, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico)--May 3, 
2022
    [cir] 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
    [cir] 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
 Western Region (includes Pacific States, Idaho, Alaska)--May 
4, 2022
    [cir] 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
    [cir] 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time (AKDT)
 Western Pacific Region (includes Hawaii and Pacific 
Territories)--May 5, 2022
    [cir] May 5, 2022, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Hawaii-Aleutian Standard 
Time (HST)
    [cir] May 6, 2022, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Chamorro Standard Time 
(CHST)

    Use the webinar links and dial-in information below to join each of 
the public scoping meetings:

 Eastern and Gulf of Mexico Region:
    [cir] Webinar Link: https://kearnsandwest.webex.com/kearnsandwest/j.php?MTID=ma03971dfae8c6b633729b0999b548449
    [cir] Access Code: 2498 400 6694
    [cir] Dial-in Information: 1-844-621-3956 (US Toll Free) +1-415-
655-0001 (US Toll)
 Western Region:
    [cir] Webinar Link: https://kearnsandwest.webex.com/kearnsandwest/j.php?MTID=m27121be3b23b64dd86e686176c472cc2
    [cir] Access Code: 2496 674 8493
    [cir] Dial-in Information: 1-844-621-3956 (US Toll Free) +1-415-
655-0001 (US Toll)
 Western Pacific Region:
    [cir] Webinar Link: https://kearnsandwest.webex.com/kearnsandwest/j.php?MTID=m96385ca30659a7d4df14ea3d29379680
    [cir] Access Code: 2487 332 4826
    [cir] Dial-in Information: 1-844-621-3956 (US Toll Free) +1-415-
655-0001 (US Toll)

    Participants are encouraged to download the Webex Meetings app 
ahead of the meetings, using this link: https://www.webex.com/downloads.html. Then use the meeting link above to join a public 
meeting at the appropriate time. You may also participate by phone 
toll-free by calling 1-844-621-3956 (US Toll Free) or +1-415-655-0001 
(US Toll), then entering the Access Code above when prompted.
    After the comment period closes, NOAA will review and consider all 
comments received during the comment period and any other relevant 
information when developing the Final PEIS. Upon completion of the 
Final PEIS, a document announcing its availability will be published in 
the Federal Register.
    Authority: This PEIS is being prepared under the authority of, and 
in accordance with, the requirements of NEPA, implementing regulations 
published by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1500-1508), 
other applicable regulations, and NOAA's policies and procedures for 
compliance with those regulations.

    Dated: April 18, 2022.
Daniel A. Namur,
Director of the NMFS Financial Assistance Division, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-08629 Filed 4-21-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P