Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 208 / Tuesday, October 28, 1997 / Notices 55785

This agreement will define NMFS’

relationship to the Governor’s

Watershed Restoration and Protection

Council (WRPC).

DATES: The meeting date is November

12, 1997, 1:00–4:00 p.m. and 6:00–9:00

p.m. Written comments on the draft

MOU must be received by November 28,

1997, to be considered during

preparation of the final MOU.

ADDRESSES: Both meetings will be held

at the State of California Building, Room

410–B, 50 D Street, Santa Rosa, CA.

Requests for a copy of the draft MOU

should be addressed to Chief, Protected

Resources Division, NMFS, Southwest

Region, 501 West Ocean Boulevard,

Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA, 90802–

4213; or Supervisor, Northern California

Protected Resources Division, NMFS,

777 Sonoma Avenue, Room 325, Santa

Rosa, CA, 95404. Copies of the draft

MOU may also be obtained by phone

(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Written comments regarding the draft

MOU should be directed to the same

addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim

Lecky at (562) 980–4020, or Patrick

Rutten at (707) 575–6059.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The following information is

furnished to provide a synopsis of

NMFS’ salmon and steelhead listing

actions and critical habitat designation

in California. This information frames

the complexity and need for a FederalState cooperative approach to salmonid

management in California.

A. Coho Salmon

1. Central California coho

Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU)

listed as threatened on October 31, 1996

(61 FR 56138).

2. Southern Oregon/Northern

California (SONC) coho listed as

threatened on May 6, 1997 (62 FR

24588).

3. Endangered Species Act (ESA) 4(d)

interim rule that applied the section 9

take prohibitions, with certain

exceptions, to the SONC coho ESU was

published by NMFS on July 18, 1997 (62

FR 38479), and became effective on

August 18, 1997. The 60-day comment

period on the interim final rule ended

on September 16, 1997. NMFS will

review all comments and publish a final

rule in the Federal Register in the next

90 days.

4. NMFS is developing a proposed

rule to designate critical habitat for the

Central California and SONC coho

salmon ESUs. The proposed rule is

expected to publish in the Federal

Register within the next 30 days.

B. Steelhead

1. On August 18, 1997 (62 FR 4393),

NMFS listed the Southern California

steelhead ESU as endangered and the

Central California and South-Central

California steelhead ESUs as threatened.

2. Section 9 take prohibitions were

automatically applied to the endangered

Southern California ESU at the time of

listing.

3. NMFS is developing an ESA 4(d)

interim rule that will apply the section

9 take prohibitions, with certain

exceptions, to the Central California and

South-Central California ESUs. An

interim final rule is expected to publish

in the Federal Register in the next 60

days.

4. At the time of the steelhead listing,

NMFS announced that it was delaying

its proposal for designating critical

habitat. NMFS expects to designate

critical habitat for these ESUs within the

1-year period allowed for in the ESA.

5. On August 18, 1997 (62 FR 43974),

NMFS delayed its decision to list

Central Valley, Northern California, and

Klamath Mountains Province steelhead

ESUs for 6 months. Accordingly, NMFS

expects to publish in the Federal

Register a final listing decision for these

ESUs by February 18, 1998. If any of

these steelhead ESUs are listed as

threatened, NMFS will promulgate

appropriate ESA 4(d) interim rules to

apply the section 9 take prohibitions.

C. Chinook Salmon

1. NMFS is continuing work on its

status review for West Coast chinook

salmon.

2. In early 1997, NMFS provided

copies of a draft status review for West

Coast chinook to peer reviewers and its

co-managers in California (i.e.,

California Department of Fish and

Game, Indian tribes, and U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service) for review and

comment. NMFS is reviewing these

comments and gathering updated

information for the status review.

3. NMFS expects to publish in the

Federal Register a listing proposed rule

for West Coast chinook salmon in early

1998.

Watershed Restoration and Protection

Council

The State, by Executive Order W–

159–97, has established the WRPC to be

responsible and provide oversight of

State activities aimed at watershed

protection and enhancement, including

conservation and restoration of

anadromous salmonids in California.

The WRPC will be composed of State

Secretaries and Chairs of Commissions,

or Boards. The WRPC also establishes a

Working Group whose members are

Directors of State Agencies and

Executive Officer’s of Regional Water

Quality Control Boards. An Executive

Director of the WRPC will also be

appointed and will be responsible for

the coordination of the WRPC and

Working Group.

NMFS in cooperation with the

California Resources Agency is

exploring entering into a MOU that will

develop a process and mechanism,

through the WRPC, that results in a

State plan for the protection of the

State’s salmonid population.

Completion and implementation of this

State plan through the WRPC, in

consultation with NMFS, will be the

basis by which NMFS initiates a

rulemaking action (pursuant to its

authority under section 4(d) of the ESA)

to adopt the State of California’s plan or

plans as equivalent to habitat

conservation plans provided that NMFS

determines that the plans are consistent

with the requirements of the Federal

ESA for issuing incidental take permits

to non-Federal parties (section 10 of the

ESA).

Public Comments Solicited

The meeting will focus on the latest

draft MOU provided to NMFS by the

State of California. Participants are

reminded that this is only a draft and

that NMFS intends that the final MOU

will take advantage of the information

and recommendations from all

interested parties. Therefore, comments

and suggestions are hereby solicited

from the public, other concerned

governmental agencies, the scientific

community, industry, and any other

person concerned with these draft

guidelines.

Dated: October 22, 1997.

Hilda Diaz-Soltero,

Director, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–28441 Filed 10-27-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 102097B]

North Pacific Fishery Management

Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.
55786 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 208 / Tuesday, October 28, 1997 / Notices

ACTION: Notice of advisory group

meetings scheduled in November, 1997.

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery

Management Council’s (Council) Vessel

Bycatch Accountability (VBA)

Committee and Gulf of Alaska and

Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands groundfish

plan teams will hold meetings in

November in Seattle, WA.

DATES: The VBA Committee will meet

Friday, November 14, 1997, beginning at

8:00 a.m.

The groundfish plan teams will meet

November 17–21, 1997, beginning at

1:00 p.m. on Monday, November 17.

ADDRESSES: VBA Committee: Nordby

Conference Center, Suite A, Fishermen’s

Terminal, 1711 W. Nickerson, Seattle,

WA.

Plan teams: Alaska Fisheries Science

Center, 7600 Sand Point Way NE.,

Building 4, Room 2079, Seattle, WA.

Council address: North Pacific

Fishery Management Council, 605 W.

4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK

99501–2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dave Witherell, telephone: 907–271–

2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. The VBA Committee will further

define options of a vessel bycatch

accountability program, with emphasis

on initial and annual allocations.

2. The groundfish plan teams will

review any new stock assessment

information and catch statistics, prepare

final stock assessment documents for

the 1998 groundfish fisheries in the Gulf

of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian

Islands, and prepare recommendations

for acceptable biological catches for

individual species. The teams will also

discuss streamlining the process of

setting annual total allowable catches

and review research needs and

priorities.

Although other issues not contained

in this agenda may come before the

Committee or Plan Teams for

discussion, in accordance with the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act,

those issues may not be the subject of

formal action during the meetings.

Committee or Plan Team action will be

restricted to those issues specifically

identified in the agenda listed in this

notice.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Helen Allen, 907–

271–2809, at least 5 working days prior

to the meeting date.

Dated: October 21, 1997.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–28443 Filed 10-27-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 101597C]

Western Pacific Fishery Management

Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) and its

committees will hold public meetings in

Honolulu, HI. Prior to the Council

meeting, the Council’s Scientific and

Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold its

67th meeting.

DATES: The meetings will be held on

November 10–14, 1997. See

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific

dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The SSC meeting will be

held at the Council office, 1164 Bishop

Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI;

telephone: (808) 522–8220. The 94th

Council meeting will be held at the Ala

Moana Hotel, 410 Atkinson Dr., Garden

Lanai and Hibiscus Ballroom, Honolulu,

HI; telephone: (808) 955–4811.

Council address: Western Pacific

Fishery Management Council, 1164

Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI

96813.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director;

telephone: (808) 522–8220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SSC

meeting will be held on November 10–

11, 1997, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,

each day. The Council’s Standing

Committees will meet on November 12,

1997, as follows:

7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.—Enforcement

8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.—Crustaceans

9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.—Vessel

Monitoring System (VMS)

10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.—Pelagics

and Bottomfish

1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.—Indigenous

Fishing Rights and Ecosystem & Habitat

3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.—Precious

Corals and Executive/Budget &

Programing

The full Council will meet on

November 13–14, 1997, from 9:00 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m., each day.

The SSC and Council will discuss and

take final action on an amendment to

establish a framework process for future

management of precious corals

(including public hearings). This will

also be the first meeting under the

framework procedure for pelagic fishery

management changes for the American

Samoa longline fishery regarding closed

areas and a limited access program.

Other agenda items that the Council

will discuss and may take action on

include:

1. Pelagic fishery issues, including a)

status of longline fisheries in Hawaii

and American Samoa, b) international

meetings addressing the management

arrangements for highly migratory

species, and c) protected species

interaction/incidental take issues

(turtles, sharks, albatross).

2. Bottomfish fishery issues, including

a) status of the State’s management plan

focusing on monitoring and

enforcement components, for overfished

Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) onaga and

ehu, b) consideration of the Federal

management alternatives for the

recovery of overfished MHI onaga and

ehu including a draft plan amendment,

c) draft amendment for the limited

access program for the Mau Zone in the

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI)

including a public hearing, and d)

update on armorhead fishery in the

NWHI;

3. Crustacean fishery issues, including

regulatory adjustments for 1998, such as

allowing VMS carrying vessels to return

directly back to port via the permit

subzone, adding the month of May to

the closed season of the main Hawaiian

Islands lobster fishery within Federal

waters, allowing vessels to temporarily

leave fishing gear on the banks, opening

the season one month earlier on 1 June,

creating separate species and fishing

bank quotas, providing fishermen with

at least 24 hours notice before the close

of the fishery, and announcing the

harvest guideline 90 days after season

closure;

4. Ecosystem and habitat issues,

including a) consider the need for a

coral reef fishery management plan, b)

Essential Fish Habitat amendment and

National Environmental Policy Act

requirements, and c) Commonwealth of

the Northern Mariana Islands Farallon

de Mendinilla bombing issue;

5. Precious coral issues, including a)

status of the fisheries, and b)

consistency between state and Federal

regulations;

6. Native rights and indigenous

fishing issues, including the status of

Demonstration Projects and Community

Development Programs;