63084 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2023 / Notices 

NMFS has determined that there will 

not be an unmitigable adverse impact on 

subsistence uses from ADOT&PF’s 

planned activities. 

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 plan to authorize take for 

endangered or threatened species, in 

this case with NMFS’ Alaska Regional 

Office (AKRO). 

NMFS is authorizing take of the 

Mexico—North Pacific stock of 

humpback whale, and fin whale, which 

are listed as threatened or endangered 

under the ESA. The NMFS AKRO 

issued a Biological Opinion under 

section 7 of the ESA on the issuance of 

an IHA to ADOT&PF under section 

101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA by NMFS 

OPR. The biological opinion concluded 

that the action is not likely to jeopardize 

the continued existence of the listed 

species. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

To comply with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 

216–6A, NMFS must review proposed 

actions (i.e., the issuance of an IHA) 

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 qualifies to be categorically 

excluded from further NEPA review. 

Authorization 

NMFS has issued an IHA to 

ADOT&PF for the potential harassment 

of small numbers of 11 marine mammal 

species incidental to ferry berth 

construction in Tongass Narrows in 

Ketchikan, Alaska, that includes the 

previously explained mitigation, 

monitoring, and reporting requirements. 

Dated: September 11, 2023. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19903 Filed 9–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD340] 

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 one-day meeting of its Reef Fish 

Advisory Panel (AP). 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Monday, October 2, 2023, from 8:30 

a.m. to 5 p.m., EDT. 

ADDRESSES: The in-person meeting will 

take place at the Gulf Council office. 

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: 

Monday, October 2, 2023; 8:30 a.m.– 

5:30 p.m., EST 

The meeting will begin with 

Introductions of Members and Adoption 

of Agenda, Approval of Minutes from 

the October 11, 2022, meeting, election 

of the Chair and Vice Chair, review the 

Scope of Work, and Reef Fish and 

Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program 

Landings. 

The AP will then receive an update 

on the Marine Recreational Information 

Program—Fishing Effort Survey (MRIP– 

FES) Pilot Study and Proposed Next 

Steps, followed by a summary of the 

Gag Research Review from September 

2023 Gulf Scientific and Statistical 

Committee (SSC) Meeting. The AP will 

then review the Gag Interim Analysis 

Health Check, followed by discussions 

on the Reef Fish Framework Action: 

Modifications to Gag and Black Grouper 

Recreational Retention Limits and 

Commercial Spawning Season Closure. 

The AP will receive a brief update on 

Draft Amendment 58: Modifications to 

Shallow-water Grouper Complex 

Management Measures; and will then 

review interim analyses for Vermilion 

Snapper and Lane Snapper. 

Next, the AP will review Draft 

Snapper Grouper Amendment 44/Reef 

Fish Amendment 55: Catch Level 

Adjustments and Allocations for 

Southeastern U.S. Yellowtail Snapper, 

and then discuss the Draft Generic 

Amendment for Regulatory 

Streamlining; the AP will then receive 

Public Comment. 

Lastly, the AP will discuss any Other 

Business items. 

—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 Advisory Panel 

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 

Advisory Panel 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 Advisory Panel 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 

The meeting is 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 11, 2023. 

Diane M. DeJames-Daly, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19930 Filed 9–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1