Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 3, 1997 / Notices 46483

Monitoring

During the time that seismic retrofit

construction activities occur on Piers 52

through 57, harbor seal monitoring at

Castro Rocks will be made for an 8-hour

period once a week. Sound levels will

be recorded on those days that seals are

being monitored. Monitoring will be

conducted by a minimum of one trained

biologist approved by NMFS.

Monitoring of harbor seals at Castro

Rocks will continue on a quarterly basis

for one year after the retrofit

construction is completed.

Reporting

CALTRANS will provide weekly

reports to NMFS and a final report will

be provided within 3 months of

completion of construction work on

Piers 52 through 57. These reports will

provide dates, time, tidal height,

maximum number of harbor seals

ashore, number of adults and subadults, number of females/males,

number of redcoats, and any observed

disturbances. A description of retrofit

activities at the time of observation and

any sound pressure levels

measurements made at the haulout.

CALTRANS will provide NMFS with

a follow-up report on the postconstruction monitoring activities

within 18 months of project completion

in order to evaluate whether haul-out

patterns are similar to the pre-retrofit

haul-out patterns at Castro Rocks.

National Environmental Policy Act

In conjunction with this notice,

NMFS has released a draft EA that

addresses the impacts on the human

environment from issuance of the

authorization and the alternatives to the

proposed action. A copy of the draft EA

is available upon request (see

ADDRESSES).

Conclusions

NMFS has preliminarily determined

that the short-term impact of a seismic

retrofit construction of the Bridge will

result, at worst, in a temporary

modification in behavior by harbor seals

and possibly some California sea lions.

While behavioral modifications,

including temporarily vacating the haulout, may be made by these species to

avoid the resultant noise, this action is

expected to have a negligible impact on

the animals. In addition, no take by

injury and/or death is anticipated and

takes will be at the lowest level

practicable due to incorporation of the

mitigation measures mentioned above.

Proposed Authorization

NMFS proposes to issue an incidental

harassment authorization to CALTRANS

for the possible harassment of small

numbers of harbor seals and California

sea lions incidental to seismic retrofit

construction of the Bridge, provided the

above mentioned mitigation, monitoring

and reporting requirements are

incorporated. NMFS has preliminarily

determined that the proposed activities

would result in the harassment of only

small numbers of harbor seals and

possibly California sea lions and will

have no more than a negligible impact

on these marine mammal stocks.

Information Solicited

NMFS requests interested persons to

submit comments, information, and

suggestions concerning this request (see

ADDRESSES).

Dated: August 26, 1997.

Hilda Diaz-Soltero,

Director, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–23251 Filed 9–2–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 081297B]

Longline and Billfish Advisory Panels;

Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The Atlantic Billfish Advisory

Panel (AP) and the AP for the pelagic

longline fishery for Atlantic highly

migratory species (HMS) will hold their

second meetings on Sept. 18 and 19,

1997, respectively, in Miami, FL to

discuss future management options for

the Atlantic billfish and pelagic longline

fisheries. Additionally, a longline

technical workshop will be held on the

evening of Sept. 18, 1997.

DATES: The billfish AP will meet from

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 18, 1997,

followed by the longline technical

workshop from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The

longline AP will meet on Sept. 19, 1997,

from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The AP meetings will be

held at the NMFS Southeast Fisheries

Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive,

Miami, FL 33149. The longline

technical workshop will be held at the

Sheraton Biscayne Bay on Brickell

Point, 495 Brickell Ave., Miami, FL

33131.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill

Stevenson or Liz Lauck, telephone:

(301) 713–2347, Fax: (301) 713–1917, email: jill.stevenson@noaa.gov or

liz.lauck@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

billfish and longline APs are established

under the authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and

Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

The longline AP will assist the Secretary

of Commerce (Secretary) in preparing a

study on the feasibility of implementing

a comprehensive management system

for the pelagic longline fishery for

Atlantic HMS. The billfish AP will

assist the Secretary in collecting

information to develop an amendment

to the Atlantic Billfish Fishery

Management Plan. The AP meetings and

the technical workshop are open to the

public and will be attended by members

of the AP, including appointed

members, representatives of the five

Fishery Management Councils that work

with HMS, the Atlantic and Gulf states,

the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine

Fisheries Commissions, and the Chair,

or his representative, of the U.S.

Advisory Committee to the International

Commission for the Conservation of

Atlantic Tunas. Agenda items for the

billfish AP include:

(1) Enforcement of domestic billfish

regulations.

(2) Discussion of a draft Issues/

Options (scoping) document.

(3) Discussion of scoping meetings

and draft schedule.

(4) Recreational fishery data

collection and analysis.

(5) Seasonal billfish bycatch analysis.

(6) Discussion of two petitions for

rulemaking.

(7) Presentation and discussion of

economic valuation issues by fishery.

Potential issues to be presented at the

technical workshop include limited

access, individual transferable quotas,

quota monitoring, data collection and

analysis, and other technical issues

related to the pelagic longline fishery.

Potential agenda items for the pelagic

longline AP include:

(1) Discussion of the longline survey,

questionnaire, and workshops.

(2) Discussion of a draft problem

statement that highlights issues to be

considered in the study.

(3) Further topics concerning

development of the study.

This meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to Jill

Stevenson or Liz Lauck, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910,

phone (301) 713–2347 at least 7 days

prior to the meeting date.
46484 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 3, 1997 / Notices

Dated: August 29, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–23329 Filed 9–2–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration]

[I.D. 082197A]

Marine Mammals; Photography Permit

(File No. 860–1374)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

Michael deGruy, The Film Crew, 22838

Burbank Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA

91367, has applied in due form for a

permit to take several species of nonthreatened, non-endangered small

cetaceans for purposes of commercial/

educational photography.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before October 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The application and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following office(s):

Permits Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (301/713–2289); and

Regional Administrator, Southwest

Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean

Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA

90802–4213

(310/980–4001).

Written data or views, or requests for

a public hearing on this request, should

be submitted to the Director, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 EastWest Highway, Room 13130, Silver

Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals

requesting a hearing should set forth the

specific reasons why a hearing on this

particular request would be appropriate.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application to the Marine Mammal

Commission and its Committee of

Scientific Advisors.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject permit is requested under the

authority of Section 104(c)(6) of the

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the

Regulations Governing the Taking and

Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR

part 216). Section 104(c)(6) provides for

photography for educational or

commercial purposes involving nonendangered and non-threatened marine

mammals in the wild. NMFS is

currently working on proposed

regulations to implement this provision.

However, in the meantime, NMFS has

received and is processing this request

as a ‘‘pilot’’ application for Level B

Harassment of non-listed and nondepleted marine mammals for

photographic purposes. The applicant

seeks authorization to photograph gray

whales (Eschrichtius robustus) and

Northern elephant seals (Mirounga

angustirostris) in California waters.

Dated: August 21, 1997.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–23252 Filed 9–2–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 2:00 p.m., Tuesday,

September 2, 1997.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Adjudicatory Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 97–23485 Filed 8–29–97; 1:18 pm]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday,

September 9, 1997.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Rule

Enforcement Review.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 97–23486 Filed 8–29–97; 1:18 pm]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 2:00 p.m., Wednesday,

September 24, 1997.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Rule

Enforcement Review.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 97–23487 Filed 8–29–97; 1:18 pm]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 10:00 a.m., Thursday,

September 25, 1997.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Enforcement Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 97–23488 Filed 8–29–97; 1:18 pm]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday,

September 30, 1997.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.