[Federal Register: April 10, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 69)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 18586-18587]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10ap01-35]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[I.D. 033001B]
Fisheries off the West Coast States and in the Western Pacific;
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Intent to Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for Fishing Conducted Under the Pacific Coast
Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an EIS; request for written
comments.
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SUMMARY: NOAA announces its intention to prepare an EIS, in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to assess the
impacts of Federal management of the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery
on the human environment. The scope of the EIS analysis will include
issues related to the conduct of the fishery, including the effects of
the groundfish fishery on essential fish habitat (EFH).
DATES: Written comments will be accepted on or before June 30, 2001.
Public scoping meetings are scheduled for May 22-23, May 29-30, June 5
and June 12, 2001 (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).
ADDRESSES: Written comments on suggested alternatives and potential
impacts should be sent to Donna Darm, Acting Administrator, Northwest
Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle,
WA 98115-0070. Comments also may be sent via facsimile (fax) to 206-
526-6736. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or
Internet. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson, Northwest Region,
NMFS, 206-526-6140; fax: 206-526-6736 and e-mail:
bill.robinson@noaa.gov or Svein Fougner, Southwest Region, NMFS, 562-
980-4000; fax: 562-980-4047 and e-mail: svein.fougner@ noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dates and Times for the Meetings
The following locations and times have been set for scoping
meetings:
1. Oregon - Hatfield Marine Science Center, meeting Room 9, 2040 SE
Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR, May 22, 2001, beginning at 7 p.m.;
2. Oregon - Oregon State University, Seafood Laboratory, 2021
Marine Drive, Astoria, OR, May 23, 2001, beginning at 7 p.m.;
3. California - Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation
District, Woodley Marina, 601 Startare Drive, Eureka, CA, May 29, 2001,
beginning at 5 p.m.;
4. California - California Department of Fish and Game, 4665
Lampson Avenue, Los Alamitos, CA, May 30, 2001, beginning at 3 p.m.;
5. Washington - NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Building 9, Seattle,
WA, June 5, 2001, beginning at 7 p.m.; and
California - Park Plaza International Hotel, 1177 Airport Blvd.,
Burlingame, CA, June 12, 2001, beginning at 7 p.m.
There are 82 species managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish
FMP, seven of which have been declared overfished. The groundfish
stocks support an array of commercial, recreational, and tribal fishing
interests in state and Federal waters off the coasts of Washington,
Oregon, and California. In addition, groundfish are also harvested
incidentally in non-groundfish fisheries, most notably the trawl
fisheries for pink shrimp, spot/ridgeback prawns, California halibut,
and sea cucumber. To rebuild overfished species, restrictive management
measures for most commercial and recreational fishing sectors have
recently been adopted.
To define management issues and provide a clear basis for public
comments, a summary of the current Federal management system for the
Pacific Coast groundfish fishery will be reviewed during the public
scoping hearings. A principal objective of the scoping and public input
process is to identify a reasonable set of management alternatives
that, with adequate analysis, will sharply define critical issues and
provide a clear basis for choice among the alternatives. Therefore, the
EIS will include a range of reasonable management alternatives and an
analysis of their impacts.
The intent of the EIS is to present an overall picture of the
environmental effects of fishing as conducted under the Pacific Coast
Groundfish FMP.
[[Page 18587]]
Alternatives will be analyzed for impacts on essential fish habitat,
target and non-target species of fish, discarded fish, marine mammals,
and other protected species present in the Pacific Coast ecosystem. In
addition, the environmental consequences section of the EIS will
contain an analysis of impacts from fishery management measures on the
following groups of individuals: (1) those who participate in
harvesting the fishery resources and other living marine resources; (2)
those who process and market the fish and fish products; (3) those who
are involved in allied support industries; (4) those who consume fish
products; (5) those who rely on living marine resources in the
management area, either for subsistence needs or for recreational
benefits; (6) those who benefit from non-consumptive uses of living
marine resources; (7) those involved in managing and monitoring
fisheries; and (8) fishing communities.
This EIS also responds to the U.S. District court's order in
American Oceans Campaign v. Daley, No 99-982, (D.D.C. Order dated
September 14, 2000), ordering NMFS to perform a new NEPA analysis on
the EFH provisions originally developed as part of Amendment ll to the
Groundfish FMP, which became effective on October 12, 1999 (64 FR 49092
September 10, 1999). Accordingly, the EIS will also evaluate
alternatives to describe and identify EFH and to minimize to the extent
practicable the adverse effects of fishing on EFH.
Scoping documents which identify the management issues, initial
alternatives, and an outline of the proposed analysis will be made
available at all scoping meetings.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are accessible to people with physical disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to William L. Robinson 206--526-6140 (voice) or 206-
526-6736 (fax), at least 5 days prior to the scheduled meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 4, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-8815 Filed 4-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S