[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 99 (Monday, May 23, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31215-31216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11048]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC050]


NOAA Fisheries Draft Climate Regional Action Plans (2022-2024)

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

ACTION: Notice, extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is extending the comment period for the Notice of 
Availability of Draft Climate Regional Action Plans. We, NMFS, are 
soliciting review and comment from the public and all interested 
parties, and will consider all substantive comments received during the 
review period before publishing final Climate Regional Action Plans. 
Comments are invited on: (a) The clarity of the goals and activities in 
the plans, (b) how to strengthen the proposed Plans and activities; (c) 
what additional goals and activities need to be addressed. Comments 
submitted in response to this notice will be provided to the Regional 
Action Plan Teams for consideration in development of the final plans. 
To review the draft regional plans, visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/climate/climate-science-strategy-regional-action-plans.

DATES: The original NoA issued on 22 April 2022 (87 FR 24099) provided 
a comment period ending on 02 June 2022. The comment period is now 
being extended and will close 29 July 2022. Comments received after 
this date may not be accepted. Comments received prior to this 
announcement do not need to be resubmitted as a result of the extension 
of the comment period.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted on the NOAA Fisheries Draft 
Climate Regional Action Plans by either of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
    1. Go to www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA-NMFS-2022-0007 in the 
search box.
    2. Click the ``Comment'' icon
    3. Enter or attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Roger Griffis, NMFS/
Office of Science and Technology, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910. Include on the envelope the following identifier 
``Draft Climate Regional Action Plans 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 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).
    The NOAA Fisheries Draft Climate Regional Action Plans are 
available online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/climate/climate-science-strategy-regional-action-plans or upon request from the 
NMFS Office of Science and Technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Griffis, (301)-980-4694, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy, released in August of 
2015 and available at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/climate-change, responded to the growing demand from fisheries and other 
decision makers for better information about what's changing, what's at 
risk and how to respond to changing climate and ocean conditions. The 
Climate Science Strategy identified seven key objectives to produce and 
deliver the climate-related information to meet these needs and fulfill 
NMFS mandates in a changing climate. The Climate Science

[[Page 31216]]

Strategy provided a national framework designed to be customized and 
implemented in each region through Regional Action Plans.
    In 2016 NMFS created the first Regional Action Plans in 
collaboration with Fishery Management Councils and many other partners 
to identify the strengths, weaknesses, priorities, and specific actions 
to implement the Climate Science Strategy in the Northeast, Southeast, 
Pacific Islands, West Coast and Alaska Regions. While some impacts of 
changing climate and oceans on living marine resources are shared 
across regions, each region has a unique combination of climate-related 
challenges, capabilities, and information requirements needed to 
implement the Strategy.
    The Climate Science Regional Action Plans are cross-agency, 
coordinated efforts to increase implementation of the Climate Science 
Strategy in each region, and include goals and actions to help track 
changing marine ecosystem conditions, assess risks, provide early 
warnings and longer-term projections, and evaluate management 
strategies under changing conditions.

Development of the Draft Regional Action Plans

    In 2021 NMFS conducted an assessment of progress to implement the 
Climate Science Strategy during 2016-2020 including efforts under the 
first Regional Action Plans. This 5 year Progress Report (https://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/content/tech-memo/noaa-fisheries-climate-science-strategy-five-year-progress-report) provides useful information for 
development of updated Regional Action Plans for 2022-2024. The draft 
2022-2024 Regional Action Plans were developed by regional teams 
consisting of NMFS personnel from Science Centers and Regional Offices. 
The updated plans build upon previous efforts and identify proposed 
actions over the next 3 years (2022-2024) to address key climate-
science needs in each region.
    The goal of the draft Regional Action Plans is to continue to 
increase the production, delivery and use of climate-related 
information needed for fisheries management and protected species 
conservation in each region. Each draft Regional Action Plan identifies 
specific actions to implement the seven objectives of the NOAA 
Fisheries Climate Science Strategy. The actions address key needs in 
each region based on input from NMFS scientists, resource managers, 
stakeholders and other sources. The draft Regional Action Plans include 
actions to provide decision makers with better information on what's 
changing, what's at risk and how different management strategies may 
perform under changing climate and ocean conditions.
    Some specific actions and products include:
    Tracking change: Monitor and assess key indicators of ecosystem 
conditions to better track and provide early warnings of changing 
conditions.
    Forecasting conditions: Research and modeling to understand the 
mechanisms of change and provide near and longer term forecasts of 
conditions.
    Assessing risks: Assess the vulnerability of marine resources, 
fisheries, fishing communities and other sectors that depend on marine 
resources.
    Evaluating best strategies: Identify alternative management 
approaches and evaluate how they may perform under changing conditions 
to identify best approaches for stewardship of the Nation's valuable 
marine resources.

Public Comments Solicited

    NMFS is committed to increasing the production, delivery, and use 
of climate-related information to fulfill its living marine resource 
stewardship mandates. NMFS works with and depends on many partners to 
fulfill its science and information needs, including other government 
agencies, academia, fisheries, and other organizations. As such, NMFS 
is providing this opportunity for broad public review and comment on 
the draft Climate Science Regional Action Plans.
    Public comments are invited to help clarify and strengthen the 
draft Regional Action Plans. Comments are invited on: (a) The clarity 
of the goals and activities in the plans, (b) how to strengthen the 
proposed Plans and activities; (c) what additional goals or activities 
need to be addressed. Comments submitted in response to this notice 
will be provided to the Regional Action Plan Teams for consideration in 
development of the final Plans.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1881c, Fisheries Research Section 404(a) and 
Executive Order 14008, Section 216(c).

    Dated: May 18, 2022.
Evan Howell,
Director, Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-11048 Filed 5-20-22; 8:45 am]
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