76532 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 230 / Monday, November 30, 2020 / Notices 

NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 

216–6A, NMFS must review our 

proposed action (i.e., the issuance of an 

incidental harassment authorization) 

with respect to potential impacts on the 

human environment. 

This action is consistent with 

categories of activities identified in 

Categorical Exclusion B4 (IHAs with no 

anticipated serious injury or mortality) 

of the Companion Manual for NOAA 

Administrative Order 216–6A, which do 

not individually or cumulatively have 

the potential for significant impacts on 

the quality of the human environment 

and for which we have not identified 

any extraordinary circumstances that 

would preclude this categorical 

exclusion. Accordingly, NMFS has 

determined that the issuance of the IHA 

Renewal qualifies to be categorically 

excluded from further NEPA review. 

Determinations 

The construction activities planned 

by POK are identical to those analyzed 

in the initial IHA, as are the planned 

number of days of activity, the method 

of taking, and the effects of the action. 

The potential effects of POK’s activities 

are limited to Level A and Level B 

harassment in the form of auditory 

injury and behavioral disturbance. In 

analyzing the effects of the activities in 

the initial IHA, NMSF determined that 

POK’s activities would have a negligible 

impact on the affected species or stocks 

and that the authorized take numbers of 

each species or stock were small relative 

to the relevant stocks (e.g., less than 

seven percent of all stocks). The 

mitigation measures and monitoring and 

reporting requirements as described 

above are identical to the initial IHA. 

NMFS has concluded that there is no 

new information suggesting that our 

analysis or findings should change from 

those reached for the initial IHA. This 

includes consideration of the estimated 

abundance of the Eastern U.S. stock of 

Steller sea lions decreasing slightly. 

Based on the information and analysis 

contained here and in the referenced 

documents, NMFS has determined the 

following: (1) the required mitigation 

measures will effect the least practicable 

impact on marine mammal species or 

stocks and their habitat; (2) the 

authorized takes will have a negligible 

impact on the affected marine mammal 

species or stocks; (3) the authorized 

takes represent small numbers of marine 

mammals relative to the affected stock 

abundances; (4) POK’s activities will not 

have an unmitigable adverse impact on 

taking for subsistence purposes as no 

relevant subsistence uses of marine 

mammals are implicated by this action, 

and; (5) appropriate monitoring and 

reporting requirements are included. 

Endangered Species Act 

Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973 (ESA: 16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.) requires that each Federal 

agency insure that any action it 

authorizes, funds, or carries out is not 

likely to jeopardize the continued 

existence of any endangered or 

threatened species or result in the 

destruction or adverse modification of 

designated critical habitat. To ensure 

ESA compliance for the issuance of 

IHAs, NMFS consults internally 

whenever we propose to authorize take 

for endangered or threatened species. 

No incidental take of ESA-listed marine 

mammal species is expected to result 

from this activity, and none would be 

authorized. Therefore, NMFS has 

determined that consultation under 

section 7 of the ESA is not required for 

this action. 

Renewal 

NMFS has issued a Renewal IHA to 

POK for the take of marine mammals 

incidental to conducting in-water 

construction activities associated with 

the POK Expansion Project on the 

Lower Columbia River, Washington, 

from November 23, 2020 through 

October 18, 2021. 

Dated: November 24, 2020. 

Donna S. Wieting, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–26344 Filed 11–27–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XA686] 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery 

Management Council (Council) is 

scheduling a public meeting of its 

Herring Committee via webinar to 

consider actions affecting New England 

fisheries in the exclusive economic zone 

(EEZ). Recommendations from this 

group will be brought to the full Council 

for formal consideration and action, if 

appropriate. 

DATES: This webinar will be held on 

Friday, December 11, 2020 at 9 a.m. 

Webinar registration URL information: 

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/ 

register/7246047020300504335. 

ADDRESSES: Council address: New 

England Fishery Management Council, 

50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, 

MA 01950. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda 

The Committee will meet to review 

and discuss 2021 work priorities for the 

Atlantic Herring Fishery Management 

Plan including: (1) A framework action 

that considers spawning closures on 

Georges Bank (GB); (2) development of 

a formal rebuilding plan for Atlantic 

herring; (3) review and potentially 

adjust accountability measures (AMs) in 

the herring plan; and (4) coordinate 

with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council (MAFMC) and 

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 

Commission (ASMFC) on various 

herring management issues (i.e. river 

herring and shad (RH/S)). Other 

business will be discussed, as necessary. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained on the agenda may come 

before this Council for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during this meeting. Council 

action will be restricted to those issues 

specifically listed in this notice and any 

issues arising after publication of this 

notice that require emergency action 

under section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Act, provided the public has 

been notified of the Council’s intent to 

take final action to address the 

emergency. The public also should be 

aware that the meeting will be recorded. 

Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy 

of the recording is available upon 

request. 

Special Accommodations 

This meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, at 

(978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to 

the meeting date. 

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

Dated: November 24, 2020. 

Diane M. DeJames-Daly, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–26348 Filed 11–27–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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