[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 26640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12165]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

RIN 0648-XE456


Pacific Fisheries Management Council; Notice of Intent To 
Withdraw an Environmental Impact Statement for Gear Rule Changes for 
the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Trawl Catch Share Program

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Withdrawal of notice of intent to prepare an environmental 
impact statement.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is issuing this notice to advise Federal, state, and 
local government agencies and the public that it is withdrawing its 
Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the proposed action to revise regulations regarding 
the use and configuration of groundfish bottom trawl and midwater trawl 
gear in the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery's Trawl Catch Share 
Program, also called the Trawl Rationalization Program. After 
completion of the analysis, NMFS determined the impacts associated with 
this action would not reach a level necessitating an EIS, and is 
instead preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA).

DATES: The environmental impact statement for the proposed regulations 
is withdrawn as of June 8, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colin Sayre, NMFS West Coast Regional 
Office, telephone: (206) 526-4656, or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#81e2eeede8efaff2e0f8f3e4c1efeee0e0afe6eef7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3b585457525515485a42495e7b55545a5a155c544d">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS Published a NOI in the Federal Register 
on March 3, 2016 (81 FR 11189) to prepare an EIS in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to analyze the impacts on the 
human environment resulting from changes to gear requirements for 
groundfish bottom trawl and midwater trawl gear in the Trawl 
Rationalization Program. Additional details about the range of 
alternatives considered in this action are included in the March 3, 
2016, NOI, and are not repeated here. NMFS solicited public input on 
the scope of the analysis through a public comment on the NOI from 
March 3, 2016, to April 4, 2016.
    Upon completion of the analysis for the proposed action, NMFS 
determined that the impacts associated with the implementation of the 
proposed action would not be significant and, therefore, there is no 
need to complete the EIS. Instead, NMFS is completing an EA, in 
compliance with NEPA, for the proposed action. Therefore, NMFS is 
withdrawing the NOI to prepare an EIS. NMFS plans to circulate the 
draft EA for public review and comment concurrent with publication of 
the proposed rule for this action.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 40 CFR 1500-1508; and 
Companion Manual for NOAA Administrative Order 216-6A, 82 FR 4306

    Dated: June 1, 2018.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-12165 Filed 6-7-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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