Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 66 / Friday, April 6, 2007 / Notices 17133 

small numbers of Cook Inlet beluga 

whales, Pacific harbor seals and harbor 

porpoises incidental to conducting 

seismic operations in the northwestern 

Cook Inlet in Alaska, provided the 

previously mentioned mitigation, 

monitoring, and reporting requirements 

are incorporated. Likewise, NMFS has 

issued IHAs for potential harassment of 

Steller sea lions and killer whales 

incidental to conducting of seismic 

operations in the northwestern Cook 

Inlet in Alaska, provided that previously 

mentioned mitigation, monitoring, and 

reporting requirements are incorporated. 

Dated: March 30, 2007. 

Angela Somma, 

Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–6488 Filed 4–5–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 040307A] 

Mid-Atlantic 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 Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council’s Surfclam/Ocean 

Quahog and Tilefish Committee and 

Tilefish Advisory Panel will hold a 

public meeting. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Thursday, April 26, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 

4:30 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2 Harmon 

Plaza, Secaucus, NJ; telephone: (201) 

348–6900. 

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council; 300 S. New 

Street, Room 2115, Dover, DE 19904, 

telephone: (302) 674–2331. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director, 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council; 300 S. New Street, Room 2115, 

Dover, DE 19904; telephone: (302) 674–

2331, extension 19. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

purpose of this meeting is to review 

progress regarding Amendment 1 to the 

Tilefish Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP). It is expected that preferred 

management measures will be discussed 

and identified when possible. 

Amendment 1 to the Tilefish FMP 

addresses: (1) Possible implementation 

of an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) 

management system for tilefish [initial 

IFQ allocation, IFQ transferability of 

ownership, IFQ share accumulation, 

fees and cost recovery, establish 

flexibility to revise/adjust IFQ program, 

establish IFQ reporting requirements, 

other]; (2) Possible implementation of 

recreational bag-size limit; (3) Possible 

implementation of recreational permits 

and reporting requirements; (4) 

Potential improvements for monitoring 

of tilefish commercial landings; (5) 

Potential revisions to current tilefish 

reporting requirements (Interactive 

Voice Response); (6) Possible expansion 

of and revision to the list of 

management measures that can be 

adjusted via the framework adjustment 

process; (7) Potential revisions to 

essential fish habitat (EFH) designation; 

(8) Potential revisions to habitat areas of 

particular concern (HAPC) designation; 

(9) Consideration of possible measures 

to reduce gear impacts on EFH; and, (10) 

other issues to be considered in 

Amendment 1. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before this group for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during this meeting. Action will 

be restricted to those issues specifically 

identified in this notice 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 Committee’s intent to 

take final action to address the 

emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

The meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to M. 

Jan Bryan at the Mid-Atlantic Council 

Office, (302) 674–2331 extension 18, at 

least 5 days prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: April 3, 2007. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–6428 Filed 4–5–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. /707A] 

Annual National Marine Fisheries 

Service/State Marine Fisheries 

Directors Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of open public meetings. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of an 

annual meeting of the National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the State 

Marine Fisheries Directors. This annual 

meeting provides the opportunity for 

State and Federal fishery managers to 

discuss fishery management areas 

ofconcern. The meeting will be hosted 

by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries 

Commission(PSMFC). All sessions will 

be open to the public. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on May 

1 – May 3, 2007. See SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION for dates, times, and 

agenda. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Hotel Del Coronado, 1500 Orange 

Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118, (800) 

HOTELDEL. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chris Moore, Chief, Partnerships and 

Communications Division, Office of 

Sustainable Fisheries, NMFS; telephone: 

(301) 713–2379x165. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

required by section 10(a) (2) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. App. 2, notice is hereby given of 

this meeting. This annual meeting 

provides the opportunity for State 

Marine Fisheries Directors and Federal 

fishery managers to discuss fishery 

management areas of concern. 

Tuesday, May 1, 2007 

8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. – Opening remarks 

and introductions will be presented by 

Dr. William T. Hogarth, Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, and by Mr. 

Randy Fisher, Executive Director of 

PSMFC. 

8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Presentations 

by the three Interstate Marine Fisheries 

Commissions; overview of state 

activities, and Gulf States experience 

with natural disasters. 

10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. –

Implementation of Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Management and Conservation 

Act (MSA) will be presented; 

recreational fisheries registry and 

recreational fisheries data Marine 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
17134 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 66 / Friday, April 6, 2007 / Notices 

Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey 

(MRFSS) and National Research Council 

(NRC). 

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Discussion on 

recreational data issues (continued). 

3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Implementation 

of MSA will be presented; annual catch 

limits/accountability measures. 

4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Science concerns 

and stock assessments will be 

discussed. 

4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. – NOAA Fisheries 

Budget will be discussed. 

Wednesday, May 2, 2007 

8 a.m. to 9 a.m. – Implementation of 

MSA will be presented; National 

Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). 

9 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Enforcement 

updates and vessel monitoring system 

(VMS) will be presented. 

10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Specific 

management issues will be discussed; 

circle hooks, etc. 

11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – National 

Outreach Plan will be presented. 

1 p.m. to 2 p.m. – National Fish 

Habitat Plan will be presented. 

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Aquaculture 

Legislation update will be presented. 

3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – State 

Directors will discuss areas of concern: 

grants, etc. 

Thursday, May 3, 2007 

8 a.m. to 10 a.m. – State Directors 

discussion of areas of concern 

(continue). 

10 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Wrap-up meeting. 

The above agenda items may not be 

taken in the order in which they appear 

and are subject to change as necessary 

to allow for full discussion. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Chris Moore, 

Chief, Partnerships and 

Communications Division, Office of 

Sustainable Fisheries, NMFS; telephone: 

(301) 713–2379 ext: 165, at least 5 days 

prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: April 2, 2007. 

James P. Burgess, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–6399 Filed 4–5–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. /607C] 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Take of Anadromous Fish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: Limit 10(i) of the June 28, 

2005, Endangered Species Act (ESA) 

provides that road maintenance 

programs that comply with a program 

substantially similar to that contained in 

the Oregon Department of 

Transportation (ODOT) Guide that is 

determined to meet or exceed the 

protections provided by the ODOT 

Guide can be excepted from the 

prohibitions provided in earlier sections 

of that rule. The Five Counties Salmon 

Conservation Program’s (5 C) ‘‘A Water 

Quality and Stream Habitat Protection 

Manual for County Road Maintenance 

in Northwestern California Watersheds’’

(Manual), is a comprehensive road 

maintenance program for Humboldt, Del 

Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity, and Mendocino 

Counties (5 C area). If the Manual is 

qualified under Limit 10(i), each of the 

five counties would adopt the Manual 

as its road maintenance program. To 

facilitate NMFS review of the Manual 

under Limit 10(i), 5 C prepared a 

submittal package that addresses each of 

the approval criterion in the 4(d) rule. 

The Manual would affect two 

Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) 

of threatened salmon and two Distinct 

Population Segments (DPSs) of 

threatened steelhead identified in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below. The 

Manual specifies the future management 

practices for routine road maintenance 

activities within the 5 C area. This 

notice serves to inform the public of the 

availability of the Manual and submittal 

package for review and comment. 

DATES: Written comments on the 

Manual and submittal package must be 

received at the appropriate address or 

fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later 

than 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Savings 

Time on May 7, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be addressed to Garwin Yip, Protected 

Resources Division, National Marine 

Fisheries Service, 1655 Heindon Road, 

Arcata, CA 95521. Comments may also 

be sent via fax to (707) 825–4840 or email at 5C4DRule.SWR@noaa.gov. 

Comments will not be accepted if 

submitted via the Internet. Copies of the 

Manual and submittal package are 

available on the Internet at http:// 

www.5counties.org. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Garwin Yip at phone number: (707) 

825–5166, or e-mail: 

garwin.yip@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice is relevant to the salmonid ESUs 

and DPSs listed as threatened in the 5 

C area and covered by the June 2005 

4(d) Rule. These ESUs and DPSs include 

the Southern Oregon/Northern 

California Coast coho salmon ESU, 

California Coastal Chinook salmon ESU, 

Northern California steelhead DPS, and 

Central California Coast steelhead DPS. 

Background 

On June 28, 2005, NMFS adopted a 

rule under section 4(d) of the ESA of 

1973, as amended prohibiting the ‘‘take’’

of 20 groups of salmon and steelhead 

listed as threatened under the ESA the 

4(d) Rule. That rule also describes limits 

on the extension of the definition of take 

to certain state and local programs in 13 

specific categories, including Routine 

Road Maintenance (Limit 10). Limit 

10(i) provides that routine road 

maintenance activities conducted by 

employees or agents of a state, county, 

city, or port that complies with a 

program substantially similar to that 

contained in the ODOT Guide that is 

determined to meet or exceed the 

protections provided by the ODOT 

Guide are eligible for the limitation on 

the definition of ‘‘take’’ of threatened 

species as to those road maintenance 

activities. 

Each of the 5 counties of Humboldt, 

Del Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity, and 

Mendocino will adopt the Manual to 

obtain coverage under Limit 10(i) of the 

4(d) Rule, should NMFS find the 

Manual is consistent with Limit 10(i). 

For NMFS to approve the Manual under 

Limit 10(i), it must find that the Manual 

meets or exceeds the protections 

provided by the ODOT Guide. To 

facilitate the approval of the Manual, 

the 5 C prepared the submittal package 

that includes a comparison, where 

applicable, of each category of 

maintenance practices and how they are 

equal to or exceeds the protections 

provided by the ODOT Guide. 

In March 2007, the 5 C submitted the 

submittal package and Manual to NMFS 

for approval under the 4(d) rule. Within 

the Manual, Chapter 1 explains 

watershed basics, stream habitat needs, 

and road treatment principles. Chapter 

2 explains the regulatory process in 

establishing the necessary permits in 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES