8428 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 37 / Tuesday, February 25, 1997 / Notices

Dated: February 5, 1997.

Nancy Linn Patton,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the

Pacific.

[FR Doc. 97–4504 Filed 2–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DA–P

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

Notice of Prospective Grant of

Exclusive Patent License

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards

and Technology, Commerce.

SUMMARY: This is a notice in accordance

with 35 USC 209(c)(1) and 37 CFR

404.7(a)(1)(i) that the National Institute

of Standards and Technology (‘‘NIST’’),

U.S. Department of Commerce, is

contemplating the grant of an exclusive

license in the United States to practice

the invention embodied in U.S. Patent

Application Number 08/487,557, titled,

‘‘Pre-Ceramic Polymers in Fabrication of

Ceramic Composites,’’ in the field of use

of dental and costmetic products, to

Vident, having a place of business in

Brea, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bruce E. Mattson, National Institute of

Standards and Technology, Industrial

Partnerships Program, Building 820,

Room 213, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

prosective exclusive license will be

royalty-bearing and will comply with

the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C.

209 and 37 CFR 404.7. The prospective

exclusive license may be granted unless,

within sixty days from the date of this

published Notice, NIST receives written

evidence and argument which establish

that the grant of the license would not

be consistent with the requirements of

35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7.

U.S. Patent Application Number 08/

487,557 provides composites in the

form of a three-dimensional framework

or skeleton of ceramic particles which

are formed by a low cost, low

temperature sintering process which

decomposes a pre-ceramic inorganic or

organic precursor.

NIST may enter into a Cooperative

Research and Development Agreement

(‘‘CRADA’’) with the licensee to perform

further research on the invention for

purposes of commercialization. NIST

may grant the licensee an option to

negotiate for exclusive licenses to any

jointly owned inventions which arise

from the CRADA as well as an option to

negotiate for exclusive royalty-bearing

licenses for NIST employee inventions

which arise from the CRADA.

The availability of the invention for

licensing was published in the Federal

Register, Vol. 61, No. 107 (June 2, 1996).

A copy of the patent application may be

obtained from NIST at the Foregoing

Address.

Dated: February 6, 1997.

Elaine Bunten-Mines,

Director, Program Office.

[FR Doc. 97–4615 Filed 2–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–13–M

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 021897A]

Mid-Atlantic Take Reduction Team

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of establishment of team

and public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Take Reduction Team to

address bycatch of harbor porpoise in

U.S. mid-Atlantic gillnet fisheries is

established February 25, 1997 and will

hold its first meeting to develop a Take

Reduction Plan as described in the

Marine Mammal Protection Act

(MMPA) focusing on reducing bycatch

in these fisheries.

DATES: The team is established as of

February 25, 1997. The first meeting of

the team will be held on March 4–5,

1997, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Future

meetings are tentatively scheduled for

April 23–24, 1997, and June 3–4, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The first meeting will be

held at the Holiday Inn SunSpree

Resort, 3900 Atlantic Avenue, Virginia

Beach, VA 23451. Future meetings are

tentatively scheduled for Salisbury, MD,

(April) and Washington, D.C. (June).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Victoria Cornish, (301) 713-2322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April

30, 1994, the 1994 Amendments to the

MMPA were signed into law. Section

117 of the MMPA requires that NMFS

complete stock assessment reports for

all marine mammal stocks within U.S.

waters. Each stock assessment report is

required to categorize the status of the

stock as one that either has a level of

human-caused mortality and serious

injury that is not likely to cause the

stock to be reduced below its optimum

sustainable population; or is a strategic

stock, with a description of the reasons

therefore; and estimate the potential

biological removal (PBR) level for the

stock, describing the information used

to calculate it, including the recovery

factor. Stock Assessment Reports and

the calculated PBR were published by

NMFS in July 1995.

The MMPA defines a ‘‘strategic stock’’

as a marine mammal stock for which the

level of direct human-caused mortality

exceeds the PBR level; which, based on

the best available scientific information,

is declining and is likely to be listed as

a threatened species under the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA)

within the foreseeable future; which is

listed as a threatened species or

endangered species under the ESA, or is

designated as depleted under the

MMPA. The MMPA further defines the

term ‘‘potential biological removal,’’ or

PBR, as ‘‘the maximum number of

animals, not including natural

mortalities, that may be removed from a

marine mammal stock while allowing

that stock to reach or maintain its

optimum sustainable population.’’

Mid-Atlantic gillnet fisheries interact

with the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy

stock of harbor porpoise (supporting

documentation at 60 FR 67063,

December 28, 1995). This stock is

considered strategic under the MMPA

because the level of human-caused

mortality is greater than its PBR levels.

Section 118(f) of the MMPA requires

NMFS to establish a Take Reduction

Team to prepare a draft Take Reduction

Plan designed to assist in the recovery

or prevent the depletion of each

strategic marine mammal stock that

interacts with certain fisheries. Section

118(f)(6)(C) requires that members of

Take Reduction Teams have expertise

regarding the conservation or biology of

the marine mammal species that the

plan will address, or the fishing

practices that result in the incidental

mortality and serious injury of such

species. The MMPA further specifies

that members of the team shall include

representatives of Federal agencies, each

coastal state with fisheries that interact

with the species or stock, appropriate

Regional Fishery Management Councils,

interstate fisheries commissions,

academic and scientific organizations,

environmental groups, all commercial

and recreational fisheries groups and

gear types which incidentally take the

species or stock, Alaska Native

organizations, or Indian tribal

organizations, and others as deemed

appropriate.

As a result of an extended interview

process conducted by a NMFScontracted facilitator, NMFS has asked

the following individuals to be a

member of the team, which will focus

on reducing bycatch of harbor porpoise

taken as bycatch in U.S. mid-Atlantic

gillnet fisheries: Erik Anderson,

independent fisher, New Hampshire,

and member of the New England

Fishery Management Council; Herb

Austin, fishery scientist, Virginia
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 37 / Tuesday, February 25, 1997 / Notices 8429

Institute of Marine Science; Susan

Barco, marine mammal scientist,

Virginia Science Museum; Charles

Bergman, independent fisher, New

Jersey, and member of the Mid-Atlantic

Fishery Management Council; Ernie

Bowden, independent fisher, Virginia,

and member of the Eastern Shore

Watermen’s Association; David Bower,

fishery manager, Virginia Marine

Resources Commission; Kevin Chu,

fishery biologist, National Marine

Fisheries Service; Victoria Cornish,

fishery biologist, National Marine

Fisheries Service; Gordon Elliott,

independent fisher, North Carolina;

Bruce Halgren, fishery manager, New

Jersey Division of Fish, Game and

Wildlife; Thomas Hoff, fishery scientist,

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Council; George LaPointe, fishery

scientist, Atlantic States Marine

Fisheries Commission; Matt Linnell,

independent fisher, Massachusetts;

Richard Luedtke, independent fisher,

New Jersey; Bridget Mansfield, fishery

biologist, National Marine Fisheries

Service, Rick Marks, fishery scientist,

North Carolina Fisherman’s Association;

Dave Martin, independent fisher, Martin

Fish Company; William McLellan,

marine mammal scientist, University of

North Carolina; Robert Munson,

independent fisher, New Jersey; Jeff

Oden, independent fisher, North

Carolina; Bill Outten, fishery manager,

Maryland Department of Natural

Resources; Andrew Read, marine

mammal scientist, Duke University;

Tom Smith, independent fisher,

Maryland; Michael Street, fishery

manager, North Carolina Division of

Marine Fisheries; Leonard Voss, Jr.,

independent fisher, Delaware; Rob

West, independent fisher, North

Carolina; Nina Young, conservationist,

Center for Marine Conservation; Sharon

Young, conservationist, Humane Society

of the United States. Other individuals

from NMFS, state and Federal agencies

may be present as observers or for their

scientific expertise. The team will be

facilitated by RESOLVE Center for

Environmental Dispute Resolution,

Washington, DC.

The team is officially established

upon publication of the first meeting

notice in the Federal Register. NMFS

fully intends to convene the Take

Reduction Team process in a way that

provides for national consistency yet

accommodates the unique regional

needs and characteristics of the team.

Take Reduction Teams are not subject to

the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5

App. U.S.C.). Meetings are open to the

public.

Dated: February 19, 1997.

Patricia A. Montanio

Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–4591 Filed 2–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 020697A]

Formation of Advisory Panels for

National Academy of Sciences Study

on Individual Fishing Quotas

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

NMFS is accepting nominations for two

advisory panels for an Individual

Fishing Quota (IFQ) study to be

conducted by the National Academy of

Sciences’ National Research Council

(NRC). This action is taken to comply

with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act as

amended by the Sustainable Fisheries

Act of 1996.

DATES: Interested parties should submit

a statement of interest by March 24,

1997. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

for specific details about the statement.

ADDRESS: Send statements of interest to

the Director of the Office of Science and

Technology, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Amy Gautam, NMFS, Office of Science

and Technology. Telephone: (301)713–

2328.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act, 16

U.S.C. 1801 et seq., as amended by the

Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996,

mandates that ‘‘The Secretary of

Commerce shall, in consultation with

the National Academy of Sciences, the

Councils, the fishing industry, affected

States, conservation organizations and

other interested persons, establish two

individual fishing quota review groups

to assist in the preparation of the report,

which shall represent: (A) Alaska,

Hawaii, and the other Pacific coastal

States; and (B) Atlantic coastal States

and the Gulf of Mexico coastal States.

The Secretary shall, to the extent

practicable, achieve a balanced

representation of viewpoints among the

individuals on each review group * * *’’

Therefore, NMFS is establishing two

advisory panels, one serving the East

coast and one serving the West coast.

The East and Wast coast panels will

be comprised of no more than fifteen

members each. Members of the panels

will serve as technical advisors to the

NRC committee with respect to any

issues relating to IFQ implementation.

Members may give expert testimony at

the public hearings on IFQs. Members

may also be asked to assist in the

facilitation of NOAA’s public hearings

in terms of developing questions to be

asked at the hearings and in guiding the

discussions. Members will be expected

to attend one public hearing or one

public NRC meeting on IFQs but will

not be asked to attend NRC committee

meetings. No other meetings are

anticipated for the advisory panels.

There is no compensation for

membership on an advisory panel.

NMFS will pay for the travel of each

advisory panel member to one public

hearing or one NRC public meeting on

IFQs. Finally, the advisory panels will

serve as an ‘‘information

clearinghouse.’’

Interested parties should submit a

statement of interest. The statement

should include a description of the

nominee’s background and experience,

particularly with respect to IFQs;

current occupation and position;

reasons for wishing to participate on an

advisory panel; and a statement

identifying why the nominee should be

considered for membership on an

advisory panel. Interested parties need

not include additional letters of support

or sponsorship other than their own

self-nominating statements. NMFS will

announce the selection of advisory

panel members no later than April 14,

1997.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: February 19, 1997.

Rolland A. Schmitten,

Assistant Administrator, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–4592 Filed 2–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY: U.S. Consumer Product Safety

Commission, Washington, DC 20207.

TIME AND DATE: Tuesday, March 4, 1997,

10:00 a.m.

LOCATION: Room 410, East West Towers,

4330 East West Highway, Bethesda,

Maryland.

STATUS: Closed to the Public.