Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 13, 2012 / Notices 14735 

U.S.C. 1539(a)(2)(A)). To issue a permit, 

NMFS must find that: (1) the taking will 

be incidental; (2) the applicant will 

minimize and mitigate impacts of the 

taking to the maximum extent 

practicable; (3) the applicant will ensure 

adequate funding for the HCP; (4) the 

taking will not appreciably reduce the 

likelihood of the survival and recovery 

of the species in the wild; and (5) the 

applicant will meet other measures 

required by NMFS. Regulations 

governing issuance of NMFS-issued 

permits can be found at 50 CFR 222.301 

through 307. 

The applicant requested an ITP from 

NMFS for the SONCC coho salmon ESU. 

The Final PacifiCorp HCP for the Project 

includes a series of conservation 

measures to minimize and mitigate the 

effects of operation of the Project on 

potential incidental take of SONCC ESU 

coho salmon during the 10-year permit 

term. In general, the Covered Activities 

under the ITP and HCP include the 

following: (1) Operate and maintain the 

spill gates at Link River dam for 

regulation and releases of flows from 

Link River dam for purposes of 

hydroelectric generation, (2) Operate 

and maintain the East Side and West 

Side canals, penstocks, turbines, and 

powerhouse facilities, (3) Operate and 

maintain Keno dam, spill gates, and fish 

ladder, (4) Regulate the water level 

upstream of Keno dam in accordance 

with the agreement with the U.S. 

Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) 

(per PacifiCorp’s existing Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 

license) and for irrigation withdrawal 

activities, (5) Operate and maintain J.C. 

Boyle dam, fish bypass system, water 

conveyance system, (6) Maintain an 

instream flow release from the J.C. Boyle 

dam to the river of not less than 100 cfs 

(per PacifiCorp’s existing FERC license), 

(7) Regulate flows from J.C. Boyle dam 

and powerhouse during normal 

operations such that ramping rates of 

flow in the river do not exceed 9 inches 

per hour (as measured at the United 

States Geological Survey (USGS) gage 

located 0.5 mile downstream of the J.C. 

Boyle powerhouse) per PacifiCorp’s 

existing FERC license, (8) Operate and 

maintain Copco No. 1 and Copco No. 2 

dams, water conveyance systems, 

turbines, and powerhouse facilities, (9) 

Operate and maintain Iron Gate dam 

(and associated appurtenances), 

penstocks, turbines, and powerhouse 

facilities, (10) Regulate releases from 

Iron Gate dam in accordance with 

NMFS’ biological opinion on 

Reclamation’s Klamath Project 

operations which identifies instream 

flow and ramping rate requirements (as 

measured at the USGS gage located 0.5 

mile downstream of Iron Gate dam), and 

(11) Regulate water levels at Keno, J.C. 

Boyle, Copco, and Iron Gate reservoirs. 

The stated biological goals of 

PacifiCorp’s HCP are to: (1) Offset 

biological effects of blocked habitat 

upstream of Iron Gate dam by enhancing 

the viability of the Upper Klamath coho 

salmon population, (2) Enhance coho 

salmon spawning habitat downstream of 

Iron Gate dam, (3) Improve instream 

flow conditions for coho salmon 

downstream of Iron Gate dam, (4) 

Improve water quality for coho salmon 

downstream of Iron Gate dam, (5) 

Reduce disease incidence and mortality 

in juvenile coho salmon downstream of 

Iron Gate dam, (6) Enhance migratory 

and rearing habitat for coho salmon in 

the Klamath River mainstem corridor, 

and (7) Enhance and expand rearing 

habitat for coho salmon in key 

tributaries. 

A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the 

draft environmental assessment, habitat 

conservation plan, implementing 

agreement, receipt of application for the 

ITP, and notice of a public meeting was 

published in the Federal Register on 

May 4, 2011 (76 FR 25307). The public 

review period occurred for 60 days, and 

no oral comments were received at a 

public meeting held in Redding, 

California on June 29, 2011. A total of 

eleven (11) individual comment letters 

were received by the July 5, 2011 public 

comment deadline. Two separate 

individual comment letters were 

received after the public comment 

deadline, and responses to concerns 

raised in these letters have been 

provided separately from the final 

environmental assessment. NMFS 

reviewed the comments received and 

identified 79 separate comments 

regarding either the Draft EA or the 

HCP. A response to each of the 

comments received during the public 

comment period is included in the Final 

EA. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

The proposed permit issuance 

triggered the need for compliance with 

NEPA and accordingly NMFS prepared 

a NEPA document. The Final EA 

analyzes the proposed action and one 

other alternative (No Action). Under the 

proposed action, NMFS would issue the 

ITP and PacifiCorp would implement its 

HCP within the Klamath River basin. 

Under the No Action Alternative, the 

requested ITP would not be issued, and 

PacifiCorp would not implement the 

HCP. NMFS is responsible for 

compliance under NEPA and is 

providing notice of the availability of 

the Final EA and is making available for 

public review the responses to 

comments on the Draft EA. 

Dated: March 6, 2012. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6078 Filed 3–12–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XB078 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery 

Management Council’s (Council) 

Groundfish Oversight Committee will 

meet to consider actions affecting New 

England fisheries in the exclusive 

economic zone (EEZ). 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Providence Biltmore Hotel, 11 

Dorrance Street, Providence, RI 02903; 

telephone: (401) 421–0700. 

Council Address: New England 

Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 

Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul 

J. Howard, Executive Director, New 

England Fishery Management Council; 

telephone: (978) 465–0492. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda 

The Groundfish Committee will meet 

to continue development of two 

management actions. The Committee 

will continue development of an action 

to modify measures that apply to 

sectors. This discussion is expected to 

focus primarily on monitoring issues, 

including goals and objectives and 

possible funding mechanisms. The 

Committee may also discuss full 

retention of allocate groundfish species 

and other sector framework issues. The 

Committee will discuss an action to 

establish acceptable biological catches 

(ABCs) and annual catch limits (ACLs) 

for fishing years 2013 and 2014. As part 

of this discussion the Committee will 

receive a preliminary report on recently 

updated assessments and may discuss 

further the Council’s response to the 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

14736 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 13, 2012 / Notices 

recent Gulf of Maine cod assessment. 

Setting ABCs/ACLs may also require 

modification of recreational fishing 

measures and the Committee may begin 

this discussion. The Committee may 

also discuss adopting additional subACLs for the scallop fishery and 

pursuing the Mixed Stock Exception for 

SNE/MA windowpane flounder. The 

Committee will receive an update on 

Plan Development Team work related to 

possible modifications to groundfish 

closed areas. They will receive a report 

on the recent Endangered Species Act 

listing of Atlantic Sturgeon and will 

discuss ways to reduce sturgeon takes. 

The Committee will also discuss the 

rockhopper/roller gear restriction in the 

western Gulf of Maine and develop a 

recommended response to a request for 

clarification from the National Marine 

Fisheries Service. Other business may 

be discussed. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before this group for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during this meeting. Action will 

be restricted to those issues specifically 

identified in this notice and any issues 

arising after publication of this notice 

that require emergency action under 

section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act, provided the public has been 

notified of the Council’s intent to take 

final action to address the emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

This meeting is 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 

days prior to the meeting date. 

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

Dated: March 7, 2012. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5949 Filed 3–12–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XB079 

Caribbean Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council (Council) and its 

Administrative Committee will hold 

meetings. 

DATES: The meetings will be held on 

April 10–11, 2012. The Council will 

convene on Tuesday, April 10th, 2012 

from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the 

Administrative Committee will meet 

from 5:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Council 

will reconvene on Wednesday, April 

11th, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Buccaneer Hotel, 5007 Estate Shoys, 

Lot 7, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S.V.I. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 

268 Mun ̃oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, 

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918–1920, 

telephone (787) 766–5926. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Council will hold its 142nd regular 

Council Meeting to discuss the items 

contained in the following agenda: 

April 10, 2012—9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

• Call to Order 

• Adoption of Agenda 

• Consideration of the 141st Council 

Meeting Verbatim Transcriptions 

• Executive Director’s Report 

• Litigation over CFMC Amendment 

and the Associated Biological Opinion 

• ACLs AMs Seagrasses 

• White Paper FMPs by Areas 

• Regulatory Amendment on 

Parrotfish Trips, Size Limits, and Trap 

Escape Vents—Options Paper 

• SSC Meeting Report 

• Fishing Industry Advisory Panel 

Report 

Public Comment Period—(5) Fiveminutes Presentations 

April 10, 2012—5:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

• Administrative Committee 

Meeting—SSC/AP Membership 

April 11, 2012—9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

• Highly Migratory Species 

Presentation 

• Trap Reduction Project Update 

• Queen Conch—ESA Petition 

• Outreach and Education Advisory 

Panel Report 

• Catch Share Project Update 

• Enforcement Reports 

—Puerto Rico—DNER 

—U.S. Virgin Islands—DPNR 

—NOAA/NMFS 

—U.S. Coast Guard 

• Administrative Committee 

Recommendations 

• Meetings Attended by Council 

Members and Staff 

• Public Comment Period (5–Minutes 

Presentations) 

• Other Business 

• Next Council Meeting 

The established times for addressing 

items on the agenda may be adjusted as 

necessary to accommodate the timely 

completion of discussion relevant to the 

agenda items. To further accommodate 

discussion and completion of all items 

on the agenda, the meeting may be 

extended from, or completed prior to 

the date established in this notice. 

The meetings are open to the public, 

and will be conducted in English. 

Simultaneous Interpretation (English/ 

Spanish) will be provided. Fishers and 

other interested persons are invited to 

attend and participate with oral or 

written statements regarding agenda 

issues. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained in this agenda may come 

before this group for discussion, those 

issues may not be subjects for formal 

action during these meetings. Actions 

will be restricted to those issues 

specifically identified in this notice, and 

any issues arising after publication of 

this notice that require emergency 

action under section 305(c) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, 

provided that the public has been 

notified of the Council’s intent to take 

final action to address the emergency. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

For more information or request for sign 

language interpretation and/other 

auxiliary aids, please contact Mr. 

Miguel A. Rolo ́n, Executive Director, 

Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 

268 Mun ̃ oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, 

San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00918–1920, 

telephone (787) 766–5926, at least 5 

days prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: March 8, 2012. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5981 Filed 3–12–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XB034 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Pile Placement for 

Fishermen’s Offshore Wind Farm 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES