[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 2061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00323]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[RTID 0648-XC621]


Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings and Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of opportunities to provide public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has begun its 
annual preseason process to develop regulations to manage the 2023 
ocean salmon fisheries off the U.S. West Coast. This document informs 
the public of opportunities to provide oral and written comments on the 
development of 2023 ocean salmon regulations.

DATES: Comments on the salmon management alternatives that will be 
adopted by the Council at its March 2023 meeting and will be described 
in its Preseason Report II, received orally, electronically, or in hard 
copy by 5 p.m. Pacific Time, March 31, 2023, will be considered in the 
Council's final recommendation for the 2023 management measures.

ADDRESSES: Documents will be available from the Pacific Fishery 
Management Council, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 
97220-1384, and will be posted on the Council's website at https://www.pcouncil.org. You may submit written comments by any one of the 
following methods:
     Council e-Portal: Written comments must be submitted 
electronically to Mr. Marc Gorelnik, Chair, Pacific Fishery Management 
Council, via the Council's e-Portal by visiting https://pfmc.psmfc.org.
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: Electronic public comments 
via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov 
and enter NOAA-NMFS-2023-0001 in the Search box. Click on the 
``Comment'' tab, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your 
comments. 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 and the Council will accept anonymous comments (enter 
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Robin Ehlke, Pacific Fishery 
Management Council, telephone: 503-820-2280; email: 
[email protected]. For information on submitting comments via the 
Federal e-Rulemaking portal, contact Shannon Penna, NMFS West Coast 
Region, telephone: 562-980-4239; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council has announced the schedule of 
reports, public meetings, and hearings for the 2023 ocean salmon 
fisheries on its website (https://www.pcouncil.org) and in the Federal 
Register (87 FR 76027, December 12, 2022). The Council will adopt 
alternatives for the management cycle that begins on May 16, 2023 and 
continues through May 15, 2024, at its March 4-10, 2023, meeting which 
is scheduled to occur in person, in Seattle, Washington. Details of 
this meeting are available on the Council's website (https://www.pcouncil.org). On March 20, 2023, ``Preseason Report II--Proposed 
Alternatives and Environmental Assessment Part 2 for 2023 Ocean Salmon 
Fishery Regulations'' is scheduled to be posted on the Council's 
website at https://www.pcouncil.org. The report will include a 
description of the salmon management alternatives and a summary of 
their biological and economic impacts.
    Public hearings will be held to receive oral comments on the 
proposed ocean salmon fishery management alternatives adopted by the 
Council. All public hearings begin at 7 p.m. Public hearings focusing 
on Washington and Oregon salmon fisheries will occur simultaneously on 
March 20, 2023, and the public hearing for California salmon fisheries 
will occur on March 21, 2023. A summary of oral comments heard at the 
hearings will be provided to the Council at its April meeting. These 
public hearings are tentatively scheduled to occur in person, in the 
cities of Westport, Washington; Coos Bay, Oregon; and Santa Rosa, 
California. Actual hearing venues or instructions for joining online 
hearings will be posted on the Council's website (https://www.pcouncil.org) in advance of the hearing dates.
    Comments on the alternatives the Council adopts at its March 2023 
meeting, and described in its Preseason Report II, may be submitted in 
writing or electronically as described under ADDRESSES, orally (in-
person) at a public hearing, orally (online or in-person) or in writing 
at the Council meeting held on March 4-10, 2023, or orally (online or 
in-person) at the Council meeting, April 1-7, 2023, which is scheduled 
to occur in person, in Foster City, California. Details of these 
meetings will be available on the Council's website (https://www.pcouncil.org) and will be published in the Federal Register. 
Written and electronically submitted comments must be received prior to 
the April 2023 Council meeting, in order to be included in the briefing 
book for the Council's April meeting, where they will be considered in 
the adoption of the Council's final recommendation for the 2023 salmon 
fishery regulations. All comments received accordingly will be reviewed 
and considered by the Pacific Council and NMFS.

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

    Dated: January 5, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-00323 Filed 1-11-23; 8:45 am]
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