[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 236 (Friday, December 9, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 75569-75570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26828]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

RIN 0648-BL42


Extension of Public Comment Period for Amendment 123 to the 
Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 
Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP); Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
Halibut Abundance-Based Management of Amendment 80 Prohibited Species 
Catch Limit

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

ACTION:  Notice; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY:  On November 9, 2022, the National Marine Fisheries Service 
published a Notice of Availability and request for comments on 
Amendment 123 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP), but 
inadvertently did not include the supporting Amendment text. With this 
notice, NMFS is extending the public comment period by 60 days to 
February 7, 2023, to afford the public with additional time to provide 
comments on Amendment 123.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 123 and supporting documents must be 
received by February 7, 2023 as specified under ADDRESSES.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2022-0088, 
by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA-NMFS-2022-0088 in the Search box. 
Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and 
enter or attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Josh Keaton, Acting 
Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 
Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: Records Office. Mail comments to P.O. Box 
21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
    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), 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).
    Electronic copies of Amendment 123 and the final Environmental 
Impact Statement/Regulatory Impact Review (collectively referred to as 
the ``Analysis'') prepared for this proposed rule may be obtained from 
https://www.regulations.gov. The Analysis may also be found on the 
Alaska Regional Office website at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/final-environmental-impact-statement-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-bsai-halibut.

[[Page 75570]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bridget Mansfield, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 9, 2022, the National Marine 
Fisheries Service published a Notice of Availability (NOA) and request 
for comments on Amendment 123 to the Fishery Management Plan for 
Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI 
FMP) (87 FR 67665, November 9, 2022). After inquiries from the public, 
NMFS realized that a supporting document containing the revised BSAI 
FMP text was not made available for public review with the November 9, 
2022 publication of the NOA. The BSAI FMP revised text was posted to 
regulations.gov on December 2, 2022. With this notification, NMFS is 
extending the comment period on the FMP Amendment to provide 60 days 
from the date of publication of this notification in the Federal 
Register.
    NMFS is soliciting public comments on proposed Amendment 123 
through the end of the comment period (see DATES). NMFS is separately 
seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would implement 
Amendment 123.
    Respondents do not need to submit the same comments on Amendment 
123 and the proposed rule. All relevant written comments received by 
the end of the applicable comment period, whether specifically directed 
to the BSAI FMP amendment or the proposed rule will be considered by 
NMFS in the approval/disapproval decision for Amendments 123 and 
addressed in the response to comments in the final rule. Comments 
received after the end of the applicable comment period will not be 
considered in the approval/disapproval decision on Amendment 123. To be 
considered, comments must be received, not just postmarked or otherwise 
transmitted, by the last day of the comment period (see DATES).

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

    Dated: December 6, 2022.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-26828 Filed 12-8-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P