63518 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 230 / Monday, December 1, 1997 / Notices

any comments that are received by that

date available at the meeting. All

comments received will be made

available at the Central Reference and

Records Inspection Facility, Herbert C.

Hoover Building, Room 6020, 14th

Street between Pennsylvania and

Constitution Avenues, NW, Washington,

DC 20230.

NIST and the Board extend their

appreciation to all those providing

public comment.

Dated: November 24, 1997.

Elaine Bunten-Mines,

Director Program Office

[FR Doc. 97–31367 Filed 11–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–CN–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 101497D]

Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental

to Commercial Fishing Operations;

Atlantic Offshore Cetacean Take

Reduction Plan Environmental

Assessment

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Extension of public comment

period.

SUMMARY: On November 4, 1997, NMFS

published a notice of availability of a

draft Environmental Assessment (EA)

on the alternatives being considered for

implementation of the Atlantic Offshore

Cetacean Take Reduction Plan. NMFS is

hereby extending the public comment

period for an additional 30 days.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before January 4, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft EA or the

draft Atlantic Offshore Cetacean Take

Reduction Plan may be obtained from

Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office

of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315

East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD

20910, or by calling (301) 713-2322.

Written comments should be

submitted to Chief, Marine Mammal

Division, Office of Protected Resources,

1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,

MD 20910, fax: 301/713–2322.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Victoria Cornish, Office of Protected

Resources, (301) 713-2322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

November 4, 1997, NMFS published a

notice of availability of a draft EA on the

alternatives being considered for

implementation of the Atlantic Offshore

Cetacean Take Reduction Plan. The

notice indicated that comments must be

received on or before December 4, 1997.

NMFS has since received a request to

extend the public comment period for

an additional 30 days. This request is

made because at least 2 members of the

Atlantic Offshore Cetacean Take

Reduction Team will be out of the

country for a large portion of the public

comment period and would be unable to

sufficiently review and comment on the

EA. NMFS agrees that the current public

comment period is not long enough to

allow for sufficient public comment in

lieu of other previous commitments by

members of the team.

NMFS hereby extends the public

comment period for an additional 30

days, until January 4, 1998.

Dated: November 24, 1997.

Patricia A. Montanio,

Deputy Director, Office of Protected

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–31315 Filed 11-28-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 31315–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 112497H]

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management

Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

convene a public meeting of the

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Technical

Review Panel (TRP).

DATES: The meeting is scheduled to

begin at 1:00 p.m. on Monday,

December 15, 1997, and adjourn at 3:00

p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel,

701 Convention Center Boulevard, New

Orleans, Louisiana 70130; telephone:

504–524–8200.

Council address: Gulf of Mexico

Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S.

Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa,

FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Wayne Swingle, Executive Director,

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management

Council; telephone: 813–228–2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At this

meeting, the TRP will review the

technical accuracy and adequacy of

preliminary drafts of Sections 4, 5, 6

and 7 of the Generic Amendment

addressing EFH requirements in the

fishery management plans of the Gulf of

Mexico. EFH amendments are mandated

by the recent passage of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and

Management Act.

The TRP will review each section and

provide updated information to the

extent possible. Based on the review,

the TRP will develop comments and

recommendation for consideration by

the Council.

A copy of the agenda can be obtained

by calling 813–228–2815.

Although other issues not on the

agenda may come before the Panel for

discussion, in accordance with the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act,

those issues may not be the subject of

formal Panel action during this meeting.

Panel action will be restricted to those

issues specifically identified in the

agenda listed as available by this notice.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to

Anne Alford at the Council (see

ADDRESSES) by December 8, 1997.

Dated: November 25, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–31445 Filed 11–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 112497A]

Longline Advisory Panel; Public

Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Longline Advisory Panel

(AP) for the pelagic longline fishery for

Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS)

will hold its third meeting on Dec. 9,

1997, in Alexandria, VA to discuss the

draft report on the future management

options for the pelagic longline fishery.

DATES: The longline AP will meet on

Dec. 9, 1997, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The AP meeting will be

held at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in

Alexandria, VA, 901 North Fairfax

Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.