55784 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 208 / Tuesday, October 28, 1997 / Notices

tracking systems or Inmarsat

Communication Units for onboard

communications with the National

Marine Fisheries Service. The primary

purpose of such equipment is to

communicate the vessel’s location or, in

the case of Inmarsat Communication

Units, communicate harvest information

collected by observers aboard the vessel.

The installation time of the monitoring

and/or communication equipment is

measured as well as the estimated

transmission times for communication.

II. Method of Collection

Real-time vessel location information

is collected by querying the

transponders and vessel monitoring

system units on board the fishing

vessels and/or at-sea processing vessels.

This method of collection obviates the

need for a more costly and problematic

requirement that vessel operators report

vessel location. Other information on

harvest is electronically communicated

by NMFS observers on-board fishing

vessels. Net-sounder devices are also

used to collect data on certain trawl

gear.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0648–0307.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Owners and

operators of fishing vessels and at-sea

processing vessels.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

861 (150 multispecies vessels, 250

scallop vessels, 190 groundfish at-sea

processing vessels, 100 groundfish

trawlers around Kodiak, 165 pelagics

vessels, and 6 crustaceans vessels)

Estimated Time Per Response: This

varies with type of equipment and

requirement. Upon installation, vessel

monitoring or transponder systems

automatically transmit date, which takes

about 5 seconds. For requirements to

transmit data on Inmarsat

communications units, transmissions

take about 10 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 9,642.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to

Public: $1,408,696. Costs for these

different monitoring and

communication systems vary; some

impose no direct costs on the vessel

owners or operators.

Direct costs (actual or projected) to

vessel owners or operators of VTS in the

Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery and in the

Northeast Multispecies Fishery are, on

average: (1) $7,000 per initial purchase

and installation of transceiver/terminal

and antenna; (2) $120 for basic monthly

communications and messaging costs;

and (3) $2,000 per year for repairs and

maintenance (assuming antenna or other

problems). Out of the 150 multispecies

vessels and 250 scallop vessels

potentially subject to VTS requirements

under existing regulations, an estimated

5 multispecies vessels and 125 scallop

vessels already have VTS installed.

Therefore, annual installation costs

would be $630,000 ($7,000 times 270

vessels annualized over the 3-year

period of this information collection),

annual communications and messaging

costs would be $576,000 ($1,440 times

400 vessels), and annual repair and

maintenance costs could be $160,000

($2,000 times 20 percent of the 400

vessels). These costs total $1,366,000

annually. A requirement for VTS in the

scallop and multispecies fisheries has

been proposed, but is not mandatory at

present. Direct costs to industry for

communication equipment for

electronic reporting by observers in the

Alaska Groundfish Fisheries are: (1)

$30,000 per initial purchase and

installation of INMARSAT Standard A

units; and (2) $5,000 per initial

purchase and installation of INMARSAT

Standard C units. All but 12 of the

approximately 190 at-sea processing

vessels, affected by the requirement for

electronic communication equipment to

facilitate reporting of fisheries data by

observers, are believed to have installed

the required equipment. Annual

installation costs would be $36,666

($30,000 times 2 vessels installing

Standard A units and $5,000 times 10

vessels installing Standard C units

annualized over the 3-year period of this

information collection). Costs of netsounder devices on 100 groundfish

trawlers around Kodiak Island are not

included here because NMFS does not

actually require their use although still

in the regulations. There are no direct costs to owners or

operators of the 165 vessels in the

Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific

because NMFS owns, installs, repairs,

and maintains the VMS units. NMFS

operation also includes the messaging

costs.

Of the 15 permitted vessels in the

limited entry Crustacean Fisheries of the

Western Pacific Region, 9 also fish in

the pelagic fishery and already carry

VMS units. The owners or operators of

the additional possible 6 lobster vessels

would incur a direct cost of about

$2,500 each for initial purchase of VMS

units. Installation cost for each unit

would be about $200. Therefore, annual

purchase and installation costs would

be $5,400 ($2,700 times 6 vessels

annualized over the 3-year period of this

information collection). Annual

messaging costs would be about $270

for the fleet of 15 vessels (15 vessels

times 30 days times 4 messages per day

times $0.15 per message—assumes a 30-

day season). Annual repair and

maintenance costs for the 6 vessels is

estimated at $360 ($60 times 6 vessels).

These costs total $6,030 annually.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval of this information collection;

they also will become a matter of public

record.

Dated: October 23, 1997.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 97–28494 Filed 10–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 101497E]

Protection of California Salmonids;

Public Meeting and Availability of Draft

Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU)

Between the National Marine Fisheries

Service and the State of California for

Review and Comment

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and

request for comments on draft MOU.

SUMMARY: NMFS, Southwest Region, in

cooperation with the California

Resources Agency, intends to hold a

public meeting for the purpose of

soliciting public input on development

of a MOU between NMFS and the State

of California (State). The purpose of the

MOU is to seek an agreement with the

State on a process that addresses the

conservation of California’s salmonids.
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.