61346 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 200 / Monday, October 18, 2004 / Notices 

issues, their information, training, and 

technical assistance needs, and their 

technical capabilities in order to make 

quality improvements the Center’s 

products and services.

II. Method of Collection

A paper survey will be used, but a 

password-protected Web version of the 

survey will also be available.

III. Data

OMB Number: None.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Federal government; 

state, local, or tribal government (e.g., 

natural resource management agencies); 

not-for-profit institutions (Sea Grant 

programs).

Estimated Number of Respondents:

1,500.

Estimated Time Per Response: 30 

minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 750 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden 

(including hours and cost) of the 

proposed collection of information; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including through the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology.

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for OMB 

approval of this information collection; 

they also will become a matter of public 

record.

Dated: October 12, 2004.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 04–23286 Filed 10–15–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–JE–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 101304A]

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Northeast (NE) 

Multispecies Framework Adjustment 

40–A Logbook Information Data 

Collection

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before December 17, 

2004,

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Diana Hynek, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 

14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, 

Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at dHynek@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument and instructions should be 

directed to Douglas W. Christel, 

National Marine Fisheries Service, 1 

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; 

telephone: 978–281–9141.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The proposed rule for Framework 

Adjustment 40–A (Framework 40–A) to 

the NE Multispecies Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP) was published 

in the Federal Register on September 

14, 2004 (69 FR 55388). Framework 40–

A was developed by the New England 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

to provide additional opportunities for 

vessels in the fishery to target relatively 

healthy stocks of groundfish in order to 

mitigate the economic and social 

impacts resulting from the effort 

reductions promulgated by Amendment 

13 to the NE Multispecies FMP (69 FR 

22906, April 27, 2004), and to harvest 

groundfish stocks at levels that 

approach optimum yield. Framework 

40–A proposes to create three programs 

to allow vessels to use Category B Daysat-Sea (DAS) (both Regular and Reserve) 

to target healthy stocks: (1) Regular B 

DAS Pilot Program; (2) Closed Area I 

Hook Gear Haddock Special Access 

Program (SAP); and (3) Eastern U.S./

Canada Haddock SAP Pilot Program.

In addition, Framework 40–A 

proposes to relieve an Amendment 13 

restriction that currently prohibits 

vessels from fishing both in the Western 

U.S./Canada Area, and outside that area 

on the same trip.

The information collection for the 

provisions relating to logbook 

requirements within Framework 40–A 

was approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget in an 

emergency clearance submission on 

September 22, 2004. This information 

collection submission included daily 

catch reports for vessels participating in 

the Category B (regular) DAS Pilot 

Program or fishing on combined trips in 

the Western U.S./Canada Area and 

outside of the area. This submission also 

included daily catch reports for vessels 

that are not participating in the Georges 

Bank (GB) Cod Hook Sector and that 

would be fishing in the Closed Area I 

Hook Gear Haddock SAP. Daily catch 

reports for vessels participating in the 

Eastern U.S./Canada Area Haddock SAP 

Pilot Program were previously 

considered and approved under the 

information collection submitted for 

Amendment 13.

II. Method of Collection

Catch reports for vessels participating 

in the above programs proposed in 

Framework 40–A would be required to 

be submitted on a daily basis. In 

addition, for those vessels participating 

in the Closed Area I Hook Gear Haddock 

SAP or fishing on a combined trip into 

the Western U.S./Canada Area, vessels 

would also be required to submit a catch 

report when entering or exiting each 

area. The catch reports would be 

required to be submitted using the 

vessel monitoring system (VMS) aboard 

each vessel. Reporting this information 

via VMS is required to monitor the 

catches of regulated multispecies so that 

the incidental catch hard total allowable 

catches (TACs) associated with the U.S./

Canada Resource Sharing Agreement for 

GB cod, GB haddock, or GB yellowtail 

flounder, and the incidental catch TACs 

for species of concern proposed in 

Framework 40–A, would not be 

exceeded. These data would also be 

used in biological analyses and stock 

assessments, regulatory impact analyses, 

quota allocation selections and 

monitoring, economic profitability 

profiles, and analysis of ecological 

interactions among species.

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 200 / Monday, October 18, 2004 / Notices 61347

III. Data

OMB Number: 0648–0502.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Business or other for 

profit organizations; and individuals or 

households.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

997.

Estimated Time Per Response: Each 

catch report is expected to take 

approximately 15 minutes (0.25 hours) 

per submission.

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 2,533.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden 

(including hours and cost) of the 

proposed collection of information; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and

(d) ways to minimize the burden of 

the collection of information on 

respondents, including through the use 

of automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for OMB 

approval of this information collection; 

they also will become a matter of public 

record.

Dated: October 12, 2004.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 04–23287 Filed 10–15–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 050304B]

Endangered and Threatened Species: 

Extension of Public Comment Period 

and Notice of Rescheduled Public 

Hearing on Proposed Hatchery Listing 

Policy

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Extension of public comment 

period; notice of rescheduled public 

hearing.

SUMMARY: In June 2004, NMFS proposed 

a new policy for the consideration of 

hatchery salmon (chum, Oncorhynchus 

keta; coho, O. kisutch, sockeye, O. 

nerka; chinook, O. tshawytscha) and O. 

mykiss (inclusive of anadromous 

steelhead and resident rainbow trout) in 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing 

determinations and subsequently 

extended the due date for public 

comments and announced public 

hearings. NMFS is again extending the 

public comment period on the proposed 

policy through November 12, 2004. 

Additionally, NMFS is rescheduling a 

public hearing in Portland, OR 

(originally to be held on October 13, 

2004) to be held on November 9, 2004.

DATES: The due date for written 

comments is extended from October 20, 

2004, to November 12, 2004. A public 

hearing is rescheduled to be held on 

November 9, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on the proposed hatchery listing policy 

(69 FR 31354; June 3, 2004) by any of 

the following methods:

E-mail: The mailbox address for 

submitting e-mail comments on the 

proposed hatchery listing policy is 

hatch.policy@noaa.gov. Please include 

in the subject line of the e-mail 

comment the document identifier 

‘‘Hatchery Listing Policy.’’

Mail: Submit written comments and 

information to Chief, NMFS, Protected 

Resources Division, 525 NE Oregon 

Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232–

2737. Please identify the comment as 

regarding the ‘‘Hatchery Listing Policy.’’

You may hand-deliver written 

comments to our office at the street 

address given above, suite 210. Business 

hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Hand Delivery/Courier: NMFS, 

Protected Resources Division, 525 NE 

Oregon Street, Suite 210, Portland, OR 

97232–2737. Business hours are noted 

above.

Fax: 503–230–5435. Please identify 

the fax comment as regarding the 

‘‘Hatchery Listing Policy.’’

The public hearing will be held at the 

Doublettree Hotel Portland-Columbia 

River, 1401 N. Hayden Island Drive, 

Portland, OR 97217. You may obtain 

information updates on the public 

hearing on the Internet at the following 

web address: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/

AlseaResponse/20040528/

meetings.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Garth Griffin, NMFS, Northwest Region, 

(503) 231–2005. Copies of the Federal 

Register notices cited herein and 

additional salmon-related materials are 

available on the Internet at http://

www.nwr.noaa.gov/1srd/

ProplDetermins/. For information 

regarding public hearings on the 

proposed hatchery listing policy being 

held in California, please contact Craig 

Wingert, NMFS, Southwest Region, 

(562) 980–4021. Information on public 

hearings in California is also available 

on the Internet at http://

swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/news/

SalmonidHearings.NR.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On June 3, 2004, NMFS published a 

proposed policy addressing the role of 

hatchery produced Pacific salmon and 

O. mykiss in ESA listing determinations 

(69 FR 31354; ‘‘proposed hatchery 

listing policy’’). The proposed hatchery 

listing policy would supersede NMFS’

1993 Interim Policy on salmonid 

artificial (hatchery) propagation (58 FR 

17573; April 5, 1993), which requires 

revision following the 2001 U.S. District 

Court ruling in Alsea Valley Alliance v. 

Evans (161 F. Supp. 2d 1154, D. Oreg. 

2001; appeal dismissed, 358 F.3d 1181 

(9th Cir. 2004); Alsea ruling). The Alsea

ruling held that NMFS had made an 

improper distinction under the ESA by 

not listing certain artificially propagated 

salmon populations determined to be 

part of the same Evolutionarily 

Significant Unit (ESU) as listed natural 

populations. Under the proposed 

hatchery listing policy: hatchery fish 

with a level of genetic divergence 

relative to local natural populations that 

is no more than would be expected 

between closely related populations 

within the ESU would be included as 

part of the ESU; within-ESU hatchery 

fish would be considered in 

determining whether the ESU should be 

listed under the ESA; and within-ESU 

hatchery fish would be included in any 

listing of the ESU. NMFS applied this 

proposed policy in conducting its 

comprehensive review of ESA listing 

status for 26 previously listed ESUs, and 

one candidate ESU, of West Coast 

salmon and O. mykiss.

With the publication of the proposed 

hatchery listing policy NMFS 

announced a 90–day public comment 

period extending through September 1, 

2004. In Federal Register notices 

published on August 31, 2004 (69 FR 

53039) and September 9, 2004 (69 FR 

54647), NMFS extended the public 

comment period for the proposed policy 

through October 20, 2004. Additionally, 

NMFS announced that it would hold