Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 245 / Thursday, December 21, 2006 / Notices 76639 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 121506A] 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Initiation of a Status Review under the 

Endangered Species Act for the 

Atlantic White Marlin 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of initiation of a status 

review under the Endangered Species 

Act (ESA); request for information. 

SUMMARY: We, NMFS, announce the 

initiation of a status review for the 

Atlantic white marlin (Tetrapturus 

albidus), and we solicit information on 

the status of and threats to the species. 

DATES: Information regarding the status 

of and threats to the Atlantic white 

marlin must be received by February 20, 

2007. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit 

information on the Atlantic white 

marlin by any one of the following 

methods: 

• Fax: 727–824–5309, Attention: Dr. 

Stephania Bolden 

• Mail: Information on paper, disk or 

CD-ROM should be addressed to the 

Assistant Regional Administrator for 

Protected Resources, NMFS Southeast 

Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, 

St. Petersburg, FL 33701 

• E-mail: whitemarlin.info@noaa.gov. 

Include in the subject line the following 

identifier: white marlin review 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Stephania Bolden, NMFS, Southeast 

Regional Office (727) 824–5312, or Ms. 

Marta Nammack, NMFS, Office of 

Protected Resources (301) 713–1401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

We conducted a status review of the 

Atlantic white marlin under the ESA 

and published a 12-month 

determination that listing was not 

warranted (67 FR 57204; September 9, 

2002). As a result of subsequent 

litigation and a settlement agreement 

with the Center for Biological Diversity, 

we agreed to initiate a status review 

following the 2006 stock assessment by 

the International Commission for the 

Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT); 

the 2006 ICCAT white marlin stock 

assessment can be found at 

www.iccat.int. Atlantic white marlin are 

billfish (Family: Istiophoridae) found 

throughout tropical and temperate 

waters of the Atlantic Ocean and 

adjacent seas. White marlin, along with 

other billfish and tunas, are managed 

internationally by the member nations 

of the ICCAT. At this time we announce 

commencement of a new status review 

for the Atlantic white marlin, and 

request information regarding the status 

of and threats to the species, pursuant 

to the terms of the aforementioned 

settlement agreement. 

Request for Information 

To support this status review, we are 

soliciting information relevant to the 

status of and threats to the species, 

including, but not limited to, 

information on the following topics: (1) 

historical and current abundance and 

distribution of the species and 

congeners throughout the species range; 

(2) potential factors for the species’

decline throughout the species range; (3) 

rates of capture and release of the 

species from both recreational and 

commercial fisheries; (4) post-release 

mortality; (5) life history information 

(size/age at maturity, growth rates, 

fecundity, reproductive rate/success, 

etc.); (6) morphological and molecular 

information to assist in determining 

taxonomy of this species and congeners; 

(7) threats to the species, particularly: 

(a) present or threatened destruction, 

modification, or curtailment of habitat 

or range; (b) over-utilization for 

commercial, recreational, scientific, or 

educational purposes; (c) disease or 

predation, (d) inadequacy of existing 

regulatory mechanisms, or (e) other 

natural or manmade factors affecting its 

continued existence; and (8) any 

ongoing conservation efforts for the 

species. See DATES and ADDRESSES for 

guidance on and deadlines for 

submitting information. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. 

Dated: December 18, 2006. 

Donna Wieting, 

Deputy Director, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 06–9812 Filed 12–18–06; 2:45 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Overseas Environmental Impact 

Statement for the Southern California 

Range Complex (including the San 

Clemente Island Range Complex) and 

To Announce Public Scoping Meetings 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by 

the Council on Environmental Quality 

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), 

and Presidential Executive Order 12114 

(Environmental Effects Abroad of Major 

Federal Actions), the Department of the 

Navy (DON) announces its intent to 

prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS)/Overseas 

Environmental Impact Statement (OEIS) 

to evaluate the potential environmental 

effects associated with conducting naval 

readiness activities in the Southern 

California (SOCAL) Range Complex (to 

include the San Clemente Island (SCI) 

Range Complex). DON proposes to 

support current, emerging, and future 

military activities in the SOCAL and SCI 

Range Complexes as necessary to 

achieve and sustain Fleet readiness, 

including military training; research, 

development, testing, and evaluation 

(RDT&E) of systems, weapons, and 

platforms; and investment in range 

resources and range infrastructure, all in 

furtherance of our statutory obligations 

under Title 10 of the United States Code 

governing the roles and responsibilities 

of the DON. 

On August 17, 1999, DON initiated 

the NEPA process for an EIS/OEIS 

evaluating the impacts of DON activities 

at the SCI Range Complex by publishing 

a Notice of Intent in the Federal 

Register (64 FR 44716–44717). DON has 

determined that it is appropriate to 

include within the scope of the SOCAL 

Range Complex EIS/OEIS the previously 

announced environmental analysis of 

military activities on the SCI Range. 

Therefore, this Notice of Intent 

supersedes and withdraws the August 

17, 1999, notice of the DON’s intent to 

prepare an EIS/OEIS for the SCI Range 

Complex. 

Dates and Addresses: Three public 

scoping meetings will be held to receive 

oral and written comments on 

environmental concerns that should be 

addressed in the EIS/OEIS. Public 

scoping meetings will be held on the 

following dates, at the times and 

locations specified: 

1. Wednesday, January 29, 2007, 

6 p.m.–8 p.m., Cabrillo Marine 

Aquarium Library, 3720 Stephen M. 

White Drive, San Pedro, CA. 

2. Tuesday, January 30, 2007, 6 p.m.–

8 p.m., Oceanside Civic Center Library, 

330 North Coast Highway, Oceanside, 

CA. 

3. Wednesday, January 31, 2007, 6 

p.m.–8 p.m., Coronado Public Library, 

640 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA. 


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