39914 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 152 / Monday, August 10, 2009 / Proposed Rules 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Parts 229, 600, and 635 

[Docket No. 080519678–8685–01] 

RIN 0648–AW65 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 

Atlantic Shark Management Measures; 

Amendment 3 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of 

comment period. 

SUMMARY: In order to provide additional 

opportunities for the public, all five 

Atlantic Regional Fishery Management 

Councils, the Atlantic and Gulf States 

Marine Fisheries Commissions, and 

other interested parties to comment on 

the proposed rule for draft Amendment 

3 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic 

Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP), NMFS is 

extending the comment period for this 

action. On July 24, 2009, NMFS 

published the proposed rule for draft 

Amendment 3 to the 2006 Consolidated 

HMS FMP. In that proposed rule, the 

end of the comment period was 

announced as September 22, 2009, 

which would allow for a 60–day 

comment period on the proposed rule. 

NMFS is now extending the comment 

period until September 25, 2009 to 

accommodate two public hearings 

scheduled on September 22, 2009, and 

the New England Fishery Management 

Council meeting September 22 24, 2009. 

Comments received by NMFS on the 

proposed rule will help NMFS 

determine final management measures 

for small coastal sharks, shortfin mako 

sharks, and smooth dogfish as described 

in draft Amendment 3 to the 

Consolidated HMS FMP. 

DATES: The deadline for comments on 

the proposed rule for draft Amendment 

3 to the Consolidated HMS FMP has 

been extended from September 22, 

2009, as published on July 24, 2009 (74 

FR 36892), to 5 p.m. on September 25, 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: As published on July 24, 

2009 (74 FR 36892), written comments 

on this action should be sent to Karyl 

Brewster-Geisz, Highly Migratory 

Species Management Division, by any of 

the following methods: 

• Mail: 1315 East-West Highway, 

Silver Spring, MD 20910. Please mark 

the outside of the envelope ‘‘Shark 

Amendment 3 Comments.’’ 

• Fax: (301) 713–1917. 

• Electronic Submissions: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

Instructions: All comments received 

are a part of the public record and will 

generally be posted to Portal http:// 

www.regulations.gov without change. 

All Personal Identifying Information (for 

example, name, address, etc.) 

voluntarily submitted by the commenter 

may be publicly accessible. Do not 

submit Confidential Business 

Information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

NMFS will accept anonymous 

comments (enter ‘‘n/a’’ in the required 

fields if you wish to remain 

anonymous). Attachments to electronic 

comments will be accepted in Microsoft 

Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe 

PDF file formats only. 

Copies of the draft Amendment 3 to 

the Consolidated HMS FMP, including 

the Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement, the latest shark stock 

assessments, and other documents 

relevant to this rule are available from 

the Highly Migratory Species 

Management Division website at 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms or by 

contacting LeAnn Southward Hogan at 

301–713–2347. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karyl Brewster-Geisz or LeAnn 

Southward Hogan at (301) 713–2347, or 

Jackie Wilson at (240) 338–3936. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Atlantic shark fisheries are managed 

under the authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens 

Act). The 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP 

is implemented by regulations at 50 CFR 

part 635. 

On July 24, 2009 (74 FR 36892), 

NMFS published the proposed rule for 

draft Amendment 3 to the 2006 

Consolidated HMS FMP, which 

proposes management measures to 

rebuild blacknose sharks, end 

overfishing of blacknose sharks and 

shortfin mako sharks, and add smooth 

dogfish under federal management. In 

that proposed rule, the end of the 

comment period was announced as 

September 22, 2009, which would allow 

for a 60–day comment period on the 

proposed rule. Due to the timing of two 

public hearings on September 22, 2009, 

and the need for NMFS to consult with 

the New England Fishery Management 

Council during their September 2009 

meeting, NMFS is extending the 

comment period to provide additional 

opportunity for the public, all five 

Atlantic Regional Fishery Management 

Councils, the Atlantic and Gulf States 

Marine Fisheries Commissions, and 

other interested parties to comment on 

the proposed rule for draft Amendment 

3 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. 

These comments will assist NMFS in 

determining the final management 

measures to conserve and manage shark 

resources and fisheries, consistent with 

the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the 2006 

Consolidated HMS FMP. 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 561 and 16 U.S.C. 1801 

et seq. 

Dated: August 3, 2009. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–19095 Filed 8–7–09; 8:45 am] 

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