40458 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 158 / Wednesday, August 15, 2018 / Rules and Regulations 

program within the universal service 

fund to focus support on networks 

capable of providing voice and 

broadband services. The Commission 

created the Connect America Fund and 

concluded that support in price cap 

areas would be provided through a 

combination of ‘‘a new forward-looking 

model of the cost of constructing 

modern multi-purpose networks’’ and a 

competitive bidding process (the 

Connect America Fund Phase II auction 

or Phase II auction). The Commission 

also sought comment on proposed rules 

governing the Connect America Fund 

Phase II auction, including basic auction 

design and the application process. 

In the Connect America Fund Phase II 

auction, service providers will compete 

to receive support of up to $1.98 billion 

over 10 years to offer voice and 

broadband service in unserved high-cost 

areas. The Commission adopted new 

rules to implement the reforms, conduct 

the Phase II auction, and determine 

whether Phase II auction winning 

bidders are eligible to receive Phase II 

support. In its April 2014 Connect 

America Order, FCC 14–54, the 

Commission adopted various rules 

regarding participation in the Phase II 

auction, the term of support, and the 

eligible telecommunications carrier 

(ETC) designation process. In its Phase 

II Auction Order, FCC 16–64, the 

Commission adopted rules to govern the 

Phase II auction, including a two-stage 

application process that includes a preauction short-form application to be 

submitted by parties interested in 

bidding in the Phase II auction and a 

post-auction long-form application that 

must be submitted by winning bidders 

seeking to become authorized to receive 

Phase II auction support. In its Phase II 

Auction Procedures Public Notice, FCC 

18–6, 83 FR 13590, March 29, 2018, the 

Commission adopted the final 

procedures for the Phase II auction, 

including the long-form application 

disclosure and certification 

requirements for winning bidders 

seeking to become authorized to receive 

Phase II auction support. In its Phase II 

Auction Order on Reconsideration, FCC 

18–5, the Commission modified its 

previously-adopted letter of credit rules 

to provide some additional relief for 

Phase II auction support recipients by 

reducing the costs of maintaining a 

letter of credit. Based on the 

Commission’s experience with auctions 

and consistent with the record, this twostage application process balances the 

need to collect information essential to 

conducting a successful auction and 

authorizing Phase II support with 

administrative efficiency. 

Under this information collection, the 

Commission will collect information 

from Connect America Fund Phase II 

auction winning bidders to determine 

the recipients of Phase II auction 

support. To aid in collecting this 

information, the Commission has 

created FCC Form 683, which the public 

will use to provide the disclosures and 

certifications that must be made by 

Phase II auction winning bidders in the 

Connect America Fund Phase II auction 

seeking to become authorized for Phase 

II support. Commission staff will review 

the information collected in FCC Form 

683 as part of the post-selection review 

process to determine whether a longform applicant is eligible to receive 

Phase II support. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

Marlene Dortch, 

Secretary, Office of the Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17479 Filed 8–14–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 622 

[Docket No. 121004518–3398–01] 

RIN 0648–XG421 

Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of 

Mexico; 2018 Recreational 

Accountability Measure and Closure 

for Gulf of Mexico Gray Triggerfish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS implements an 

accountability measure (AM) for the 

gray triggerfish recreational sector in the 

exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the 

Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) for the 2018 

fishing year through this temporary rule. 

NMFS has projected that the 2018 

recreational annual catch target (ACT) 

for Gulf gray triggerfish has been met. 

Therefore, NMFS closes the recreational 

sector for Gulf gray triggerfish on 

August 17, 2018, and it will remain 

closed through the end of the fishing 

year on December 31, 2018. This closure 

is necessary to protect the Gulf gray 

triggerfish resource. 

DATES: This temporary rule is effective 

at 12:01 a.m., local time, on August 17, 

2018, until 12:01 a.m., local time, on 

January 1, 2019. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lauren Waters, NMFS Southeast 

Regional Office, telephone: 727–824– 

5305, email: lauren.waters@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the Gulf reef fish fishery, 

which includes gray triggerfish, under 

the Fishery Management Plan for the 

Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of 

Mexico (FMP). The Gulf of Mexico 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

prepared the FMP and NMFS 

implements the FMP under the 

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) by 

regulations at 50 CFR part 622. All gray 

triggerfish weights discussed in this 

temporary rule are in round weight. 

The 2018 recreational annual catch 

limit (ACL) for Gulf gray triggerfish 

specified in 50 CFR 622.41(b)(2)(iii) is 

241,200 lb (109,406 kg) and the 

recreational ACT is 217,100 lb (98,475 

kg). 

As specified by 50 CFR 

622.41(b)(2)(i), NMFS is required to 

close the recreational sector for gray 

triggerfish when the recreational ACT is 

reached, or is projected to be reached, 

by filing a notification to that effect with 

the Office of the Federal Register. NMFS 

has determined the 2018 recreational 

ACT for Gulf gray triggerfish was 

reached. Accordingly, this temporary 

rule closes the recreational sector for 

Gulf gray triggerfish effective at 12:01 

a.m., local time, August 17, 2018, and it 

will remain closed through the end of 

the fishing year on December 31, 2018. 

During the recreational closure, the 

bag and possession limits for gray 

triggerfish in or from the Gulf EEZ are 

zero. The prohibition on possession of 

Gulf gray triggerfish also applies in Gulf 

state waters for a vessel issued a valid 

Federal charter vessel/headboat permit 

for Gulf reef fish. 

As specified in 50 CFR 622.34(f), 

there is a seasonal closure for Gulf gray 

triggerfish at the beginning of each 

fishing year from January 1 through the 

end of February; therefore, after the 

closure implemented by this temporary 

rule is effective on August 17, 2018, the 

recreational harvest or possession of 

Gulf gray triggerfish will not again be 

permitted until March 1, 2019. 

Classification 

The Regional Administrator for the 

NMFS Southeast Region has determined 

this temporary rule is necessary for the 

conservation and management of Gulf 

gray triggerfish and is consistent with 

the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other 

applicable laws. 

This action is taken under 50 CFR 

622.41(b)(2)(i) and is exempt from 

review under Executive Order 12866. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 158 / Wednesday, August 15, 2018 / Rules and Regulations 40459 

These measures are exempt from the 

procedures of the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act because the temporary rule is issued 

without opportunity for prior notice and 

comment. 

This action responds to the best 

scientific information available. The 

Assistant Administrator for NOAA 

Fisheries (AA) finds that the need to 

immediately implement this action to 

close the recreational sector for gray 

triggerfish constitutes good cause to 

waive the requirements to provide prior 

notice and opportunity for public 

comment on this temporary rule 

pursuant to the authority set forth in 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B), because such 

procedures are unnecessary and 

contrary to the public interest. Such 

procedures are unnecessary because the 

rule establishing the closure provisions 

was subject to notice and comment, and 

all that remains is to notify the public 

of the closure. Such procedures are 

contrary to the public interest because 

of the need to immediately implement 

this action to protect gray triggerfish. 

Prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment would require time and would 

potentially allow the recreational sector 

to exceed the recreational ACL. 

For the aforementioned reasons, the 

AA also finds good cause to waive the 

30-day delay in the effectiveness of this 

action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). 

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

Dated: August 10, 2018. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17586 Filed 8–10–18; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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