Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 63 / Tuesday, April 3, 2007 / Notices 15865 

the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 

1995. Collection activities for NVLAP 

are currently approved by OMB under 

control number 0693–0003. 

Notwithstanding any other provision of 

the law, no person is required to 

respond to, nor shall any person be 

subject to a penalty for failure to comply 

with a collection of information unless 

it displays a currently valid OMB 

Control Number. 

Dated: March 27, 2007. 

James E. Hill, 

Acting Deputy Director. 

[FR Doc. E7–6177 Filed 4–2–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[I.D. 032207D] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Notice of Availability of the 

Status Review Report for Atlantic 

Sturgeon in the United States 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the 

Status Review Report for Atlantic 

Sturgeon in the United States. 

SUMMARY: We, NMFS, convened a Status 

Review Team (SRT) consisting of 

Federal biologists from NMFS, U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS), and U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The 

SRT has completed a Status Review 

Report of Atlantic sturgeon in the 

United States. This notice makes this 

report available to the public in the 

Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: Requests for a copy of the 

Status Review Report should be 

addressed to Marcia Hobbs, NMFS, 

Northeast Regional Office, Protected 

Resources Division, One Blackburn 

Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. A copy of 

the Status Review Report can also be 

downloaded from the following web 

address: http://www.nero.noaa.gov/ 

prot_res/CandidateSpeciesProgram/ 

csr.htm 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim 

Damon-Randall, NMFS Northeast 

Region, 978–281–9300 ext. 6535, or Dr. 

Stephania Bolden, NMFS Southeast 

Region,727–824–5312. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On June 2, 1997, we and FWS (jointly, 

the Services) received a petition from 

the Biodiversity Legal Foundation 

requesting us to list Atlantic sturgeon 

(Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), in 

the United States where it continues to 

exist, as threatened or endangered under 

the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and 

to designate critical habitat within a 

reasonable period of time following the 

listing. A notice was published in the 

Federal Register on October 17, 1997, 

stating the Services had determined 

substantial information existed 

indicating the petitioned action may be 

warranted (62 FR 54018). The ESA 

requires the Services to make listing 

determinations based on the best 

scientific and commercial information 

available after conducting a review of 

the status of species and after taking 

into account efforts to protect the 

species. 

On September 21, 1998, after 

completing a comprehensive status 

review, the Services published a 12–

month determination in the Federal 

Register announcing that listing was not 

warranted at that time (63 FR 50187). 

On the same date, Atlantic sturgeon 

were retained on the NMFS candidate 

species list (63 FR 50211; subsequently 

changed to the Species of Concern List 

(69 FR 19975; April 15, 2004)). 

Concurrently, the Atlantic States Marine 

Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) 

completed Amendment 1 to the 1990 

Atlantic Sturgeon Fishery Management 

Plan that imposed a 20–40 year 

moratorium on all U.S. Atlantic 

sturgeon fisheries until the Atlantic 

Coast spawning stocks could be restored 

to a level where 20 subsequent year 

classes of adult females were protected 

(ASMFC, 1998). In 1999, pursuant to 

section 804(b) of the Atlantic Coastal 

Fisheries Cooperative Management Act 

(16 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.), we followed 

this action by closing the Exclusive 

Economic Zone to Atlantic sturgeon 

retention. 

In 2003, we sponsored a workshop 

with ASMFC and FWS on the ‘‘Status 

and Management of Atlantic Sturgeon’’

in Raleigh, North Carolina, to discuss 

the current status of sturgeon along the 

Atlantic Coast and determine what 

obstacles, if any, were impeding the 

recovery of Atlantic sturgeon (Kahnle et 

al., 2005). The results of the workshop 

reported ‘‘mixed’’ reviews where some 

populations seemed to be recovering 

while others were declining. Bycatch 

and habitat degradation were noted as 

possible causes for some population 

declines.Based on the information 

gathered by the participants during the 

2003 workshop on Atlantic sturgeon, we 

decided that a second review of Atlantic 

sturgeon status was needed to determine 

if listing as threatened or endangered 

under the ESA was warranted. In 2006, 

we convened a SRT to conduct a 

thorough review of the status of the 

species. 

The 2007 Status Review Report 

On February 23, 2007, the SRT 

finalized its report on the status of 

Atlantic sturgeon (Status Review for 

Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser 

oxyrinchus oxyrinchus)). The status 

review report was also reviewed and 

supplemented by eight state and 

regional experts who provided 

individual expert opinions on the 

information contained in the status 

review report and provided additional 

information to ensure the report 

provided the best available data. Lastly, 

the report was peer reviewed by six 

experts from academia and received 

favorable reviews. The final report 

incorporates edits and information in 

light of this peer review and the expert 

reviews. Consistent with the February 7, 

1996, joint FWS and NMFS Distinct 

Vertebrate Population Segment Policy 

(61 FR 4722), the SRT concluded that 

Atlantic sturgeon populations should be 

divided into five distinct population 

segments (DPSs). The five DPSs were 

named: (1) Gulf of Maine, (2) New York 

Bight, (3) Chesapeake Bay, (4) Carolina, 

and (5) South Atlantic. These Atlantic 

sturgeon DPSs were discrete because 

they were markedly separated from each 

other based on physical, genetic, and 

physiological factors. They were also 

significant to the species because they: 

(1) were located in a unique ecological 

setting; (2) had unique genetic 

characteristics; and (3) would represent 

a significant gap in the range of the 

taxon if any one of them were to become 

extirpated. Canadian populations were 

considered to be discrete from the Gulf 

of Maine DPS because there were 

significant differences in control of 

exploitation and regulatory mechanism 

for the populations (i.e., still support a 

commercial fishery). Further support for 

discreteness between Canadian 

populations and the Gulf of Maine DPS 

was the marked separation between 

them based on genetic, physiological, 

and habitat features. Therefore, 

Canadian populations were not 

included in the Gulf of Maine DPS, and 

they were not considered further in the 

status review report. 

The SRT evaluated the status of 

Atlantic sturgeon DPSs by analyzing the 

impacts of the factors listed in section 

4(a)(1) of the ESA on each 

subpopulation within each DPS and 

considering whether the subpopulations 

constituted significant portions of the 

range of each DPS. The SRT identified 

15 stressors within these factors and 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
15866 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 63 / Tuesday, April 3, 2007 / Notices 

summarized their impacts on Atlantic 

sturgeon using a semi-quantitative 

extinction risk analysis (ERA), similar to 

that used by other status review reports. 

Of the stressors evaluated, bycatch 

mortality, water quality, lack of 

adequate state and/or Federal regulatory 

mechanisms, and dredging activities 

were most often identified as the most 

significant threats to the viability of 

Atlantic sturgeon subpopulations. 

Additionally, some subpopulations 

were impacted by unique stressors, such 

as habitat impediments (e.g., Cape Fear 

and Santee-Cooper rivers) and apparent 

ship strikes (e.g., Delaware and James 

rivers). 

The SRT used the ERA to conclude 

that three of the five DPSs (New York 

Bight, Chesapeake Bay, and Carolina) 

were likely (>50 percent chance) to 

become endangered in the foreseeable 

future, which was defined as 20 years. 

The remaining DPSs (Gulf of Maine and 

South Atlantic) were found to have a 

moderate risk (<50 percent chance) of 

becoming endangered in the next 20 

years. The ERA of these two remaining 

DPSs suggested that the DPSs do not 

warrant listing, though the available 

science may not be sufficient to allow a 

full assessment of these DPSs. 

Currently, we are considering the 

information presented in the final status 

review report, the comments from the 

peer reviewers, and the response of the 

SRT to the peer reviewers to determine 

if action under the ESA is warranted. A 

decision regarding our listing 

determination will be published in the 

Federal Register. 

Authority 

The authority for this action is the 

ESA, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

seq.). 

Dated: March 27, 2007. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–6173 Filed 4–2–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

DoD Education Benefits Board of 

Actuaries 

AGENCY: Department of Defense. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: A meeting of the Board has 

been scheduled to execute the 

provisions of the Chapter 101, Title 10, 

United States Code (10 U.S.C. 2006). 

The Board shall review DoD actuarial 

methods and assumptions to be used in 

the valuation of the Department of 

Defense Education Benefits Fund. 

Persons desiring to attend the DoD 

Education Benefits Board of Actuaries 

meeting, or make an oral presentation or 

submit a written statement for 

consideration at the meeting, must 

notify Inger Pettygrove at (703) 696–

7413 by August 13, 2007. 

Notice of this meeting is required 

under the Federal Advisory Committee 

Act. 

DATES: August 30, 2007, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 

270, Arlington, VA 22203. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Inger Pettygrove, DoD Office of the 

Actuary, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 

308, Arlington, VA 22203, (703) 696–

7413. 

March 28, 2007. 

L.M. Bynum, 

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison 

Officer, DoD. 

[FR Doc. 07–1623 Filed 4–2–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 5001–06–M 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

DoD Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health 

Care Board of Actuaries 

AGENCY: Department of Defense. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: A meeting of the Board has 

been scheduled to execute the 

provisions of Chapter 56 Title 10, 

United States Code (10 U.S.C. 1114 et 

seq.). The Board shall review DoD 

actuarial methods and assumptions to 

be used in the valuation of benefits 

under DoD retiree health care programs 

for Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. 

Persons desiring to attend the DoD 

Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care 

Board of Actuaries meeting, or make an 

oral presentation or submit a written 

statement for consideration at the 

meeting, must notify Margot Kaplan at 

703–696–7404 by June 25, 2007. Notice 

of this meeting is required under the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act. 

DATES: July 12, 2007, 1:30 p.m.–5 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: 4040 N Fairfax Drive, Suite 

270, Arlington, VA 22203. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Margot Kaplan, DoD Office of the 

Actuary, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 

308, Arlington, VA 22203, (703) 696–

7404. 

Dated: March 28, 2007. 

L.M. Bynum, 

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison 

Officer, DoD. 

[FR Doc. 07–1622 Filed 4–2–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 5001–06–M 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

DoD Retirement Board of Actuaries 

AGENCY: Department of Defense. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: A meeting of the Board has 

been scheduled to execute the 

provisions of Chapter 74, Title 10, 

United States Code (10 U.S.C. 1464 et 

seq.) The Board shall review DoD 

actuarial methods and assumptions to 

be used in the valuation of the Military 

Retirement System. Persons desiring to 

attend the DoD Retirement Board of 

Actuaries meeting, or make an oral 

presentation or submit a written 

statement for consideration at the 

meeting, must notify Inger Pettygrove at 

(703) 696–7413 by August 13, 2007. 

Notice of this meeting is required 

under the Federal Advisory Committee 

Act. 

DATES: August 31, 2007 10 a.m. to 1 

p.m. 

ADDRESSES: 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 

270, Arlington, VA 22203. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Inger Pettygrove, DoD Office of the 

Actuary, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 

308, Arlington, VA 22203 (703) 696–

7413. 

Dated: March 28, 2007. 

L.M. Bynum, 

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison 

Officer, DoD. 

[FR Doc. 07–1624 Filed 4–2–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 5001–06–M 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Air Force 

Record of Decision—Barry M. 

Goldwater Range Integrated Natural 

Resource Management Plan 

Environmental Impact Statement 

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA). 

SUMMARY: The United States Air Force 

and the United States Marine Corps 

completed Barry M. Goldwater Range 

Integrated Natural Resource 

Management Plan Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) by signing a 

Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD is 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES