Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 56 / Friday, March 23, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 13711 

physician self-referral regulations. We 

have given the numerous and varied 

public comments exhaustive review, 

which required a significant amount of 

time and resources. Further, because the 

physician self-referral rules are jointly 

enforced by CMS, the Office of Inspector 

General, and the Department of Justice, 

substantial interagency coordination has 

been necessary. 

This notice extends the timeline for 

publication of the Phase III final rule 

through March 26, 2008. In accordance 

with section 1871(a)(3)(C) of the Act, the 

March 26, 2004 interim final rule shall 

remain in effect through March 26, 2008 

(unless Phase III is published and 

becomes effective before March 26, 

2008). 

Authority: Section 1871 of the Social 

Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395hh). 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program No. 93.773 Medicare—Hospital 

Insurance Program; and No. 93.774, 

Medicare—Supplementary Medical 

Insurance Program) 

Dated: March 19, 2007. 

Ann C. Agnew, 

Executive Secretary to the Department. 

[FR Doc. 07–1434 Filed 3–20–07; 4:00 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 070213032–7032–01; I.D. 

032007A] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification 

of a closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 

610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 48 

hours. This action is necessary to fully 

use the B season allowance of the 2007 

total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock 

specified for Statistical Area 610 of the 

GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), March 21, 2007, through 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 23, 2007. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., April 4, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue 

Salveson, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Comments may be 

submitted by: 

• Mail to: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 

99802; 

• Hand delivery to the Federal 

Building, 709 West 9th Street, Room 

420A, Juneau, Alaska; 

• FAX to 907–586–7557; 

• E-mail to inseason-fakr@noaa.gov 

and include in the subject line of the email comment and in the body of the 

email the document identifier: 

g61plk2ro2.fo.wpd (E-mail comments, 

with or without attachments, are limited 

to 5 megabytes); or 

• Webform at the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions at that site for submitting 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Hogan, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of 

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

under authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act. Regulations governing 

fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance 

with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 

CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679. 

NMFS closed the directed fishery for 

pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the 

GOA under § 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on March 

13, 2007 (72 FR 11288, March 13, 2007), 

and reopened the fishery on March 16, 

2007 and closed it on March 18, 2007 

and will publish in the Federal Register 

March 21, 2007. 

NMFS has determined that 

approximately 2,000 mt of pollock 

remain in the directed fishing 

allowance. Therefore, in accordance 

with § 679.25(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i)(C), and 

(a)(2)(iii)(D), and to fully utilize the B 

season allowance of the 2007 TAC of 

pollock in Statistical Area 610, NMFS is 

terminating the previous closure and is 

reopening directed fishing for pollock in 

Statistical Area 610 of the GOA. In 

accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the 

Regional Administrator finds that this 

directed fishing allowance will be 

reached after 48 hours. Consequently, 

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for 

pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the 

GOA, effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 

23, 2007. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement to provide prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment 

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. This requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest as it would prevent NMFS from 

responding to the most recent fisheries 

data in a timely fashion and would 

delay the opening of pollock in 

Statistical Area 610 of the GOA. NMFS 

was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of March 19, 

2007. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30–day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

Without this inseason adjustment, 

NMFS could not allow the fishery for 

pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the 

GOA to be harvested in an expedient 

manner and in accordance with the 

regulatory schedule. Under 

§ 679.25(c)(2), interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments on 

this action to the above address until 

April 4, 2007. 

This action is required by § 679.25 

and § 679.20 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: March 20, 2007. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 07–1438 Filed 3–20–07; 2:12 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with RULES