8810 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / Notices 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul 

J. Howard, Executive Director, New 

England Fishery Management Council; 

telephone: (978) 465–0492. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These 

hearings are being scheduled in 

accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act. During or after these hearings, 

additional opportunities for comments 

on the Amendment 5 Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 

may be provided in accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act. The 

agenda for the following eight hearings 

is as follows: NEFMC staff will brief the 

public on the herring amendment prior 

to opening the hearing for public 

comments. The schedule is as follows: 

Amendment 5 Public Hearings: 

Locations, Schedules, and Agendas 

1. Friday, March 2, 2012 from 

9 a.m.–1 p.m.; Samoset Hotel, 220 

Warrenton Street, Rockport, ME 04856; 

telephone: (207) 594–2511. 

2. Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 

7 p.m.–9 p.m.; Massachusetts 

Department of Marine Fisheries 

Annisquam River Station, 30 Emerson 

Ave., Gloucester, MA 01930; telephone: 

(978) 282–0308. 

3. Thursday, March 15, 2012 from 

7 p.m.–9 p.m.; Sheraton Harborside 

Hotel, 250 Market Street, Portsmouth, 

NH 03801; telephone: (603) 431–2300. 

4. Monday, March 19, 2012 from 

7 p.m.–9 p.m.; Seaport Inn, 100 Middle 

Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719; telephone: 

(508) 997–1281. 

5. Wednesday, March 21, 2012 from 

7 p.m.–9 p.m.; Holiday Inn by the Bay, 

88 Spring Street, Portland, ME, 04101; 

telephone: (207) 775–2311. 

6. Tuesday, March 27, 2012 from 

7 p.m.–9 p.m.; Radisson Plymouth, 180 

Water St., Plymouth, MA 02360; 

telephone: (508) 747–4900. 

7. Wednesday, March 28, 2012 from 

7 p.m.–9 p.m.; Hilton Garden Inn, One 

Thurber St., Warwick, RI 02886; 

telephone: (401) 734–9600. 

8. Thursday, March 29, 2012 from 

7 p.m.–9 p.m.; Congress Hall, 251 Beach 

Ave., Cape May, NJ 08204; telephone: 

(609) 884–8421. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Paul J. Howard 

(see ADDRESSES), at least 5 working days 

prior to the meeting date. 

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

Dated: February 10, 2012. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3557 Filed 2–14–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XB007 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

convene its Law Enforcement Advisory 

Panel (LEAP) in conjunction with the 

Gulf States Marine Fisheries 

Commission’s Law Enforcement 

Committee (LEC). 

DATES: The meeting will convene at 1 

p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 and 

conclude no later than 5 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Marriott Courtyard Gulfport 

Beachfront Hotel, 1600 East Beach 

Blvd., Gulfport, MS 39501. 

Council address: Gulf of Mexico 

Fishery Management Council, 2203 

North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, 

FL 33607. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Richard Leard, Deputy Executive 

Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council; telephone: (813) 

348–1630. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf 

of Mexico Fishery Management Council 

(Council) will convene the Law 

Enforcement Advisory Panel along with 

the Gulf States Marine Fisheries 

Commission’s Law Enforcement 

Committee to consider the status of 

recently completed amendments and 

other regulatory actions as well as the 

scheduled completion of ongoing 

actions. The two groups will also 

receive a presentation regarding issues 

related to the Gulf Council’s Individual 

Fishing Quota Programs and discuss the 

National Center for Disaster Fraud/Gulf 

Coast. They will review the status of 

Joint Enforcement Agreements and 

enforcement efforts by the states under 

these agreements. The LEAP/LEC will 

also consider having a Summer Work 

Session to develop a 2013–16 Strategic 

Plan and a 2013–14 Operations Plan. 

Finally, the group will discuss Gulf 

seafood trace and trip ticket 

enforcement and receive reports of the 

state and federal members. Other 

activities related to the Gulf States 

Marine Fisheries Commission’s 

Interjurisdictional Fisheries Program 

and Law Enforcement Summary will 

also be discussed. 

The Law Enforcement Advisory Panel 

consists of principal law enforcement 

officers in each of the Gulf States, as 

well as the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

Law Enforcement, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Coast 

Guard, and the NOAA General Counsel 

for Law Enforcement. A copy of the 

agenda and related materials can be 

obtained by calling the Council office at 

(813) 348–1630. 

Although other non-emergency issues 

not on the agendas may come before the 

Law Enforcement Advisory Panel for 

discussion, in accordance with the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), those issues 

may not be the subject of formal action 

during this meeting. Actions of the Law 

Enforcement Advisory Panel will be 

restricted to those issues specifically 

identified in the agendas and any issues 

arising after publication of this notice 

that require emergency action under 

Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, provided the public has been 

notified of the Council’s intent to take 

action to address the emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Kathy Pereira at 

the Council (see ADDRESSES) 5 working 

days prior to the meeting. 

Dated: February 10, 2012. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3558 Filed 2–14–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Availability of Seats for the Gray’s Reef 

National Marine Sanctuary Advisory 

Council 

AGENCY: Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean 

Service (NOS), National Oceanic and 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / Notices 8811 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce (DOC). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

applications. 

SUMMARY: The ONMS is seeking 

applications for the following vacant 

seats on the Gray’s Reef National Marine 

Sanctuary Advisory Council: Sport 

diving and charter/commercial fishing. 

Applicants are chosen based upon their 

particular expertise and experience in 

relation to the seat for which they are 

applying; community and professional 

affiliations; philosophy regarding the 

protection and management of marine 

resources; and possibly the length of 

residence in the area affected by the 

sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen 

as members should expect to serve 3- 

year terms, pursuant to the council’s 

Charter. 

DATES: Applications are due by March 

30, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Application kits may be 

obtained from Becky Shortland, Council 

Coordinator (becky.shortland@noaa.gov, 

10 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah, GA 

31411; 912–598–2381). Completed 

applications should be sent to the same 

address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Becky Shortland, Council Coordinator 

(becky.shortland@noaa.gov, 10 Ocean 

Science Circle, Savannah, GA 31411; 

912–598–2381. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

sanctuary advisory council was 

established in August 1999 to provide 

advice and recommendations on 

management and protection of the 

sanctuary. The advisory council, 

through its members, also serves as 

liaison to the community regarding 

sanctuary issues and represents 

community interests, concerns, and 

management needs to the sanctuary and 

NOAA. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. Sections 1431, et seq. 

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 

Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary Program) 

Daniel J. Basta, 

Director, Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3465 Filed 2–14–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–NK–M 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA941 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; St. George Reef 

Light Station Restoration and 

Maintenance at Northwest Seal Rock, 

Del Norte County, CA 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of an incidental 

take authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

regulations implementing the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as 

amended, notification is hereby given 

that NMFS has issued an Incidental 

Harassment Authorization (IHA) to the 

St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation 

Society (SGRLPS) to take marine 

mammals, by Level B harassment only, 

incidental to conducting aircraft 

operations, and lighthouse renovation 

and light maintenance activities on the 

St. George Reef Light Station on 

Northwest Seal Rock (NWSR) in the 

northeast Pacific Ocean, from the period 

of February 10, 2012, through April 30, 

2012, or during the period of November 

1, 2012, through December 31, 2012. 

DATES: This authorization is effective 

from February 10, 2012, through April 

30, 2012, and during the period of 

November 1, 2012, through December 

31, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: A copy of the IHA and 

application are available by writing to P. 

Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910. An electronic copy of the 

application containing a list of the 

references used in this document may 

be obtained by writing to the above 

address, telephoning the contact listed 

here (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT) or visiting the internet at: 

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ 

incidental.htm#applications. The 

following associated documents are also 

available at the same internet address: 

Environmental Assessment (EA) 

prepared by NMFS; and the finding of 

no significant impact (FONSI). 

Documents cited in this notice may be 

viewed, by appointment, during regular 

business hours, at the aforementioned 

address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeannine Cody, NMFS, Office of 

Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427– 

8401 or Monica DeAngelis, NMFS 

Southwest Regional Office, (562) 980– 

3232. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the Marine 

Mammal Protection of 1972, as 

amended (MMPA;16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) 

directs the Secretary of Commerce to 

authorize, upon request, the incidental, 

but not intentional, taking by 

harassment of small numbers of marine 

mammals of a species or population 

stock, by United States citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and, a notice of a proposed 

authorization is provided to the public 

for review. 

Authorization for incidental taking of 

small numbers of marine mammals shall 

be granted if NMFS finds that the taking 

will have a negligible impact on the 

species or stock(s), and will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the species or stock(s) for 

subsistence uses (where relevant). The 

authorization must set forth the 

permissible methods of taking, other 

means of effecting the least practicable 

adverse impact on the species or stock 

and its habitat, and requirements 

pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring 

and reporting of such takings. NMFS 

has defined ‘‘negligible impact’’ in 50 

CFR 216.103 as ‘‘ * * * an impact 

resulting from the specified activity that 

cannot be reasonably expected to, and is 

not reasonably likely to, adversely affect 

the species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival.’’ 

Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA 

establishes an expedited process by 

which citizens of the United States can 

apply for an authorization to 

incidentally take small numbers of 

marine mammals by harassment. 

Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA 

establishes a 45-day time limit for 

NMFS’ review of an application 

followed by a 30-day public notice and 

comment period on any proposed 

authorizations for the incidental 

harassment of small numbers of marine 

mammals. Within 45 days of the close 

of the public comment period, NMFS 

must either issue or deny the 

authorization. NMFS must publish a 

notice in the Federal Register within 30 

days of its determination to issue or 

deny the authorization. 

Except with respect to certain 

activities not pertinent here, the MMPA 


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