62342 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 174 / Monday, September 11, 2023 / Notices 

and threatened CCC Distinct Population 

Segment (DPS) of steelhead (O. mykiss). 

Background 

The City of Santa Cruz’s operation, 

maintenance, rehabilitation, and 

management of their water supply and 

water system facilities, municipal 

facilities, and City lands are essential to 

the welfare of the City’s citizens and 

visitors. Normal, otherwise lawful 

operation of the City of Santa Cruz 

facilities could result in take of ESAlisted species. Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the 

ESA authorizes NMFS to issue an ITP to 

non-Federal parties for the potential 

incidental taking of endangered and 

threatened species. In support of their 

ITP application, the City of Santa Cruz 

has prepared an ASHCP to address 

effects of water diversions and for 

operation, rehabilitation, replacement, 

repair and maintenance of conveyance 

facilities and other existing 

infrastructure (covered activities) on 

salmonids listed under the ESA. The 

ASHCP plan area includes watershed 

and water service/urban areas that total 

approximately 176 square miles (∼455.8 

km2) in Santa Cruz County, California 

across three geographically distinct 

areas: (1) North Coast watersheds 

(Liddell, Laguna, and Majors); (2) San 

Lorenzo River watershed; and (3) City 

Urban Center. The ASHCP provides an 

assessment of impacts; measures to 

monitor, minimize, and mitigate for 

those impacts; and procedures to 

account for unforeseen or extraordinary 

circumstances. 

Preliminary Proposed Action and 

Alternatives 

NMFS has prepared a draft EA, in 

accordance with the requirements of 

NEPA, to analyze the potential impacts 

on the human (biological, physical, 

social, and economic) environment 

caused by the City of Santa Cruz ASHCP 

(proposed action). Under the proposed 

action, NMFS would approve the 

ASHCP and issue an ITP with a 30-year 

permit term to the City of Santa Cruz for 

incidental take of covered species from 

covered activities in the plan area. 

Under the no action alternative, NMFS 

would not issue an ITP to the City, and 

the ASHCP would not be implemented. 

Under the no action alternative, the City 

would need to evaluate individual 

operations and maintenance activities to 

determine whether incidental take of 

listed salmonid species could be 

avoided through seasonal restrictions 

and other modifications to the activity, 

or whether an activity-specific 

incidental take authorization would 

instead be required. 

Summary of Expected Impacts 

Incidental take is expected to result 

from covered activities described in the 

ASHCP. Expected impacts are less than 

what occurs under the City of Santa 

Cruz’s current practices. The City of 

Santa Cruz is proposing a conservation 

strategy as part of their ASHCP that is 

intended to fully offset the impacts of 

the take. 

Under the no action alternative, the 

City would conduct project-by-project 

reviews. It is anticipated that activities, 

if permitted, would occur at a slower 

pace and avoidance, minimization, and 

mitigation measures may be less 

comprehensive and more site-specific, 

compared to the proposed action. This 

type of mitigation can also be more 

expensive and time-consuming and 

provide less conservation benefit than a 

regional or watershed-level approach, as 

provided by the proposed action. 

Authority 

Section 9 of the ESA and Federal 

regulations prohibit the taking of a 

species listed as endangered or 

threatened. The ESA defines ‘‘take’’ to 

mean harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, 

wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or 

to attempt to engage in any such 

conduct. NMFS may issue permits, 

under limited circumstances to take 

listed species incidental to, and not the 

purpose of, otherwise lawful activities. 

Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA and 

implementing regulations (50 CFR 

222.307) provide for authorizing 

incidental take of listed species. The 

final permit decision will not be made 

until after the end of the 30-day 

comment period. NMFS will publish 

notice of its final action in the Federal 

Register. 

NEPA requires Federal agencies to 

conduct an environmental analysis of 

their proposed actions to determine if 

the actions may affect the human 

environment (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 40 

CFR parts 1500 through 1508; and 

Companion Manual for NOAA 

Administrative Order 216–6A, 82 FR 

4306, January 13, 2017). Therefore, 

NMFS is seeking public input on the 

scope of the required NEPA analysis in 

the EA, including the range of 

reasonable alternatives and associated 

impacts of any alternatives. 

Dated: September 5, 2023. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19425 Filed 9–8–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD299] 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

hold a two-day in-person meeting of its 

Standing, Reef Fish, Socioeconomic, 

and Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical 

Committees (SSC). 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Wednesday, September 27 and 

Thursday, September 28, 2023; 8:30 

a.m.–5 p.m., EDT both days. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place 

at the Gulf Council office. Registration 

information will be available on the 

Council’s website by visiting 

www.gulfcouncil.org and clicking on the 

‘‘meeting tab’’. 

Council address: Gulf of Mexico 

Fishery Management Council, 4107 W 

Spruce Street, Suite 200, Tampa, FL 

33607; telephone: (813) 348–1630. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Ryan Rindone, Lead Fishery Biologist, 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council; ryan.rindone@gulfcouncil.org, 

telephone: (813) 348–1630. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Wednesday, September 27, 2023; 8:30 

a.m.–5 p.m., EDT 

The meeting will begin with 

Introductions and Adoption of Agenda, 

Approval of Verbatim Minutes and 

Meeting Summary from the July 19–20, 

2023, meeting, and a review of the 

Scope of Work. The Committees will 

select an SSC Representative for the 

October 23–26, 2023, Gulf Council 

meeting in Panama City Beach, FL. 

Following, the Committees will 

review Gag Grouper Abundance, 

Movement, Spawning Behavior, Discard 

Mortality, and Environment Influences; 

presentations, background 

documentation and references will be 

provided to support SSC discussion. 

The Committees will review Possible 

Management Modifications for Gag and 

Black Grouper, with presentations, 

background documentation and 

references for SSC recommendations 

and discussion. The Committees will 

also discuss the SEDAR 94 Florida 

Hogfish Scope of Work. Public comment 

will be heard at the end of the day. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 174 / Monday, September 11, 2023 / Notices 62343 

Thursday, September 28, 2023; 8:30 

a.m.–5 p.m., EDT 

The Committees will review and 

discuss the Gulf of Mexico Gag Health 

Check, Vermilion Snapper Interim 

Analysis, Southeast Region Best 

Scientific Information Available 

Framework, Incorporating Social 

Science Theory and Methods into 

Ecosystem Assessments, and the Lane 

Snapper Updated Catch Analysis, 

including presentations and background 

materials for SSC discussions. 

The Committees will receive public 

comment, if any, before addressing any 

items under Other Business. 

—Meeting Adjourns 

The meeting will also be broadcast via 

webinar. You may register for the 

webinar by visiting www.gulfcouncil.org 

and clicking on the SSC meeting on the 

calendar. 

The agenda is subject to change, and 

the latest version along with other 

meeting materials will be posted on 

www.gulfcouncil.org as they become 

available. 

Although other non-emergency issues 

not on the agenda may come before the 

Scientific and Statistical Committees for 

discussion, in accordance with the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, 

those issues may not be the subject of 

formal action during this meeting. 

Actions of the Scientific and Statistical 

Committee will be restricted to those 

issues specifically identified in the 

agenda and any issues arising after 

publication of this notice that require 

emergency action under section 305(c) 

of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, 

provided the public has been notified of 

the Council’s intent to take-action to 

address the emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aid 

should be directed to Kathy Pereira, 

(813) 348–1630, at least 5 days prior to 

the meeting date. 

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

Dated: September 6, 2023. 

Rey Israel Marquez, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19512 Filed 9–8–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Review of Nomination for Mariana 

Trench National Marine Sanctuary 

AGENCY: Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean 

Service (NOS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce (DOC). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: On January 21, 2022, NOAA 

requested written comments to facilitate 

the Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries’ (ONMS) five-year review of 

the nomination for a proposed Mariana 

Trench National Marine Sanctuary 

(NMS). On March 10, 2022, NOAA 

reopened the public comment period for 

an additional 45 days, ending on April 

25, 2022. In those notices, NOAA 

requested relevant information as it 

pertains to its 11 evaluation criteria for 

inclusion in the inventory of sites 

eligible to be considered for designation 

as national marine sanctuaries. NOAA 

has synthesized the information 

gathered through the public process, 

completed an internal analysis, and the 

ONMS Director has made the 

determination that the Mariana Trench 

NMS nomination will be removed from 

the inventory. 

DATES: This determination took effect on 

September 7, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Kristina Kekuewa, Pacific 

Islands Regional Director, NOAA Office 

of National Marine Sanctuaries, 1845 

Wasp Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii 96818, or 

at kristina.kekuewa@noaa.gov, or at 

808–725–5252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kristina Kekuewa, Pacific Islands 

Regional Director, NOAA Office of 

National Marine Sanctuaries, 1845 

Wasp Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii 96818, or 

at kristina.kekuewa@noaa.gov, or at 

808–725–5252. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background Information 

In 2014, NOAA issued a final rule reestablishing the sanctuary nomination 

process (SNP), which details how 

communities may submit nominations 

of areas of the marine and Great Lakes 

environment for NOAA to consider for 

designation as national marine 

sanctuaries (79 FR 33851). NOAA 

moves successful nominations to an 

inventory of areas that could be 

considered for national marine 

sanctuary designation. The final rule reestablishing the SNP included a fiveyear limit on any nomination added to 

the inventory that NOAA does not 

advance for designation. The 

nomination for Mariana Trench NMS 

was accepted to the national inventory 

on March 13, 2017, and was therefore 

scheduled to expire in March 2022. 

In November 2019, NOAA issued a 

notice (84 FR 61546) to clarify 

procedures for evaluating and updating 

a nomination as it approaches the fiveyear mark on the inventory of areas that 

could be considered for national marine 

sanctuary designation. This notice 

explained that if a nomination remains 

responsive to the 11 evaluation criteria 

for inclusion on the inventory, it may be 

appropriate to allow the nomination to 

remain on the inventory for another five 

years. The notice also established a 

process for NOAA to consider the 

continuing viability of nominations 

nearing the five-year expiration mark. 

The 11 evaluation criteria can be found 

at https://nominate.noaa.gov. 

On January 21, 2022, NOAA 

published a notice in the Federal 

Register to request written comments to 

facilitate ONMS’ five-year review of the 

nomination of the Mariana Trench NMS 

(87 FR 3284). On March 10, 2022, 

following requests from the public for 

additional time to comment on the fiveyear review, NOAA reopened the public 

comment period for an additional 45 

days, ending on April 25, 2022 (87 FR 

13709). NOAA requested relevant 

information pertaining to the 11 

evaluation criteria that NOAA applied 

to evaluate the Mariana Trench NMS 

nomination for inclusion in the national 

inventory of areas that NOAA may 

consider for future designation as a 

national marine sanctuary. During the 

two comment periods, 62 online 

comments were received, and the 

nominator provided additional 

information, which NOAA has 

considered in evaluating the nomination 

against the criteria. Submitted 

comments can be found at 

www.regulations.gov (search for Docket 

Number NOAA–NOS–2022–0005). 

Additionally, the nominating 

organization subsequently submitted a 

letter to NOAA requesting that the 

nomination be withdrawn and removed 

from the inventory. 

In analyzing this material, particular 

attention was given to new scientific 

information about the national 

significance of natural and cultural 

resources, increases or decreases in the 

threats to resources proposed for 

protection, and changes to the 

management framework of the area. 

NOAA also assessed the level of 

community-based support for the 

nomination from a broad range of 

interests. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1