Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 227 / Tuesday, November 28, 2023 / Notices 83099 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD558] 

Identifying Aquaculture Opportunity 

Areas in Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; request for information. 

SUMMARY: NOAA is adding a third 

webinar-based listening session as part 

of the process to identify Aquaculture 

Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in Alaska 

State waters to help sustainably advance 

invertebrate (e.g., shellfish, sea 

cucumber) and seaweed (e.g., 

macroalgae, kelp) aquaculture, in 

partnership with the State of Alaska. 

NOAA requests data, comments, views, 

information, analysis, or suggestions 

from the public to support the 

identification of AOAs in Alaska state 

waters, including siting parameters that 

can be used to select potential study 

areas for further analysis. Please 

respond to the questions listed in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section, as 

appropriate. The addition of this 

listening session does not extend the 

comment period, which ends on 

December 18, 2023. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before December 18, 

2023. An additional webinar-based 

listening session is scheduled for 

Alaska: December 11, 2023, 2 p.m. to 4 

p.m. (AKST) Alaska. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by NOAA– 

NMFS–2023–0113, by any of the 

following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and type 

NOAA–NMFS–2023–0113 in the Search 

box (note: copying and pasting the 

FDMS Docket Number directly from this 

document may not yield search results). 

Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete 

the required fields, and enter or attach 

your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written information to 

Jon Kurland, Regional Administrator for 

Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: Records 

Office. Mail comments to P.O. Box 

21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. 

• Webinar Links: Register for the 

webinar at: https://noaanmfsmeets.webex.com/weblink/register/ 

rf39656052aa6aaae84996d71508b0846. 

Additional information can be found at: 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/ 

request-information-identifyingaquaculture-opportunity-areas-alaska. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by NMFS. Responses to this 

request are voluntary. Respondents need 

not reply to all questions. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on https://www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter 

‘‘N/A’’ in the required fields if you wish 

to remain anonymous). 

Please note that the U.S. Government 

will not pay for any costs that you may 

incur in responding to this Request for 

Information (RFI), or for the use of any 

information contained in the response. 

The documents and information 

submitted in response to this RFI 

become the property of the U.S. 

Government and will not be returned. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Alicia Bishop, 907–586–7724, 

nmfs.akr.aoainfo@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An AOA 

is a defined geographic area that NOAA 

has evaluated through both spatial 

analysis and a programmatic National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

process and determined to be 

environmentally, socially, and 

economically appropriate to support 

multiple commercial aquaculture 

operations. On June 1, 2023, NOAA 

announced the beginning of the process 

to identify AOAs in partnership with 

the State of Alaska in Alaska State 

waters. This is the beginning of a multiyear process in which NOAA and the 

State of Alaska will work to analyze 

locations and identify AOAs in Alaska 

State waters to help sustainably advance 

invertebrate (e.g., shellfish, sea 

cucumber) and seaweed (e.g., 

macroalgae, kelp) aquaculture. NOAA 

will not consider finfish aquaculture 

during identification of AOAs in Alaska 

because it is prohibited by state law. 

NOAA has directives to preserve 

ocean sustainability and facilitate 

domestic aquaculture in the U.S., 

including through the National 

Aquaculture Act of 1980, the NOAA 

Marine Aquaculture Policy, and the 

Executive Order 1321, Promoting 

American Seafood Competitiveness and 

Economic Growth (May 7, 2020). NOAA 

has a variety of proven science-based 

tools and strategies that can support 

these directives and help communities 

thoughtfully consider how and where to 

sustainably develop aquaculture that 

will complement wild-capture fisheries, 

working waterfronts, and our Nation’s 

seafood processing and distribution 

infrastructure. 

The areas identified as AOAs will 

have characteristics that are expected to 

be able to support multiple aquaculture 

farm sites of varying types; however, all 

portions of the AOA may not be 

appropriate for aquaculture or for all 

types of aquaculture. Identifying AOAs 

is an opportunity to use the best 

available science, which includes 

Indigenous Knowledge, and supports 

the ‘‘triple bottom line’’ of 

environmental, economic, and social 

sustainability. This approach has been 

refined and utilized widely within 

states and by other countries with 

robust, sustainable aquaculture sectors. 

The Secretary of Commerce will 

identify AOAs in consultation with the 

Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 

the Interior, the Secretary of 

Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland 

Security, the Administrator of the 

Environmental Protection Agency, other 

appropriate Federal officials, and 

appropriate Regional Fishery 

Management Councils, and in 

coordination with appropriate State and 

Tribal governments. 

NOAA held a 60-day public comment 

period in 2020 (85 FR 67519, October 

23, 2020) to collect input on where in 

the country to focus the science-based, 

inclusive process to identify AOAs. 

During that comment period, NOAA 

received letters of support from 

individuals, industry, Alaska Native 

organizations, state agencies, and the 

state legislature to begin the process in 

Alaska State waters. 

NOAA cannot conduct spatial 

modeling on the scale of the entire coast 

of Alaska, and will narrow down to 

study areas that will be the focus 

moving forward. This will be done 

using a combination of spatial mapping, 

scientific review, public input gathered 

through this RFI, and other relevant 

information. NOAA’s National Centers 

for Coastal Ocean Science will use 

public input and the best available data, 

which includes Indigenous Knowledge, 

to account for key environmental, 

economic, social, and cultural 

considerations to identify areas that may 

support sustainable aquaculture 

development. NOAA will then combine 

those data with input from other State 

and Federal agencies, Fishery 

Management Councils, Marine Fisheries 

Commissions, Alaska Native Tribes and 

organizations, and the general public to 


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83100 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 227 / Tuesday, November 28, 2023 / Notices 

identify areas that will be considered in 

more depth through the NEPA process. 

Through this notice, NOAA is 

requesting data, comments, views, 

information, analysis, or suggestions 

from the public to support the 

identification of AOAs in Alaska State 

waters, including siting parameters that 

can be used to select potential study 

areas for further analysis. The public 

input provided in response to this 

request for information will inform 

NOAA as it works with Federal, State, 

and local agencies, appropriate Regional 

Fishery Management Councils, and in 

coordination with appropriate Alaska 

Native Tribes and organizations to 

identify AOAs. Additional 

opportunities for public input will be 

provided during the NEPA process. 

NOAA may use the information 

received through this notice in the 

NEPA process. The information could 

inform the development of potential 

NEPA alternatives, such as different 

locations, different aquaculture types in 

each location (e.g., seaweed in one 

location, shellfish in another location), 

and different configurations of farm 

locations or farming gear. NOAA 

expects to publish a notice of intent 

(NOI) to prepare a programmatic NEPA 

document. Public notices announcing 

the NOI and announcing the availability 

of a draft NEPA document will provide 

future opportunities for public comment 

on the identification of AOAs in Alaska 

State waters. 

AOA identification is a planning 

process, and does not result in areas 

permitted for aquaculture. Future 

aquaculture operations proposed within 

an AOA would be subject to the same 

Federal and State permitting and 

authorization requirements as an 

aquaculture operation proposed 

anywhere else and would be required to 

comply with all applicable Federal and 

State laws and regulations. Site-specific 

environmental surveys may be required 

for the permitting process. Additional 

NEPA analysis beyond that completed 

for identification of AOA(s) may be 

necessary as a part of permitting and 

authorization processes for individual 

operations. 

Additional information on identifying 

AOAs in Alaska, including frequently 

asked questions, is available on NOAA’s 

website at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

aquaculture/identifying-aquacultureopportunity-areas-alaska. 

Request for Information 

NOAA requests data, comments, 

views, information, analysis, or 

suggestions from the public to support 

the identification of AOAs in Alaska 

state waters, including siting parameters 

that can be used to select potential 

study areas for further analysis. 

NOAA proposes using the following 

parameters to select study areas in 

Alaska State waters: 

a. State waters within a 25-mile (40- 

kilometer) radius of coastal community 

population centers (based on 2010 

census data) as a proxy for needed 

infrastructure to support aquaculture 

development in Alaska. 

b. State waters that do not regularly 

experience significant sea ice cover 

(based on the 10 year aggregate 

maximum sea ice cover reported by the 

U.S. National Ice Center). 

Figures showing the potential AOA 

study areas that would result from use 

of these parameters can be found on the 

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal 

Ocean Science Alaska AOA study area 

website: https://

coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/alaskaaquaculture-opportunity-areas/. 

These parameters are proposed 

starting points, from which NOAA will 

select study areas using a combination 

of spatial mapping approaches, 

scientific review, public input, 

Indigenous Knowledge, and any other 

relevant information. 

Specifically, NOAA is soliciting 

information and feedback on: 

1. Are the preliminary parameters 

(noted above) useful? Are there other 

parameters NOAA should consider in 

identifying initial study areas for the 

aquaculture siting analysis? Are there 

other distances from population centers/ 

local infrastructure that should be 

considered, and why? 

2. Are there size limitations NOAA 

should consider for AOAs in Alaska? 

How many farms should fit within an 

AOA? Should the size of AOAs be 

aligned with state economic 

development goals for shellfish and 

seaweed aquaculture? 

3. Are there specific locations within 

Alaska State waters that should be 

considered or avoided for AOAs? Please 

be as specific as possible and include 

latitude and longitude or defining 

landmarks. Please indicate why such 

areas should be considered or avoided, 

for example, favorable biological 

parameters, water quality (e.g., nutrients 

or other constituents that might make an 

area favorable), proximity to 

infrastructure (e.g., ports, testing or 

processing facilities, or hatcheries that 

could supply seed for grow-out), 

relationship to other planned initiatives, 

etc. 

4. Are there subsistence harvest 

locations, fishing areas, and other 

traditionally and culturally important 

locations or sacred sites that should be 

avoided? Is there available spatial data 

or geographic information system (GIS) 

layers, or a point of contact for these 

data or information? 

5. Are there specific locations within 

Alaska State waters where the presence 

of aquaculture gear may overlap with 

sensitive habitats or biologically 

important areas for protected species 

(e.g., whales, sea otters, sea lions, etc.)? 

6. Are there specific locations within 

Alaska State waters that should be 

avoided because of concerns about 

harmful algal blooms (HABs) or 

impaired water quality? 

7. Is there ongoing environmental, 

economic, or social science research 

that would assist in the identification of 

AOAs in Alaska State waters? If so, 

please describe in as much detail as is 

available. 

8. Is there information that may not be 

readily available or accessible online 

that would be useful for AOA planning 

processes in Alaska State waters? This 

includes spatial data or GIS layers 

representing subsistence, 

environmental, and socioeconomic 

considerations, or a point of contact for 

these data, for the following categories: 

a. Biophysical/oceanographic (ice 

cover, temperature, ocean acidification 

indices, wave climate, currents, 

bathymetry), 

b. Natural resources (minerals, energy 

resources, fishes and other aquatic 

organisms, protected species and 

habitats, marine mammals, kelp beds, 

eelgrass beds, biodiversity), 

c. Social, historical, and cultural 

resources (cultural and subsistence 

harvest, community subsistence 

hunting, subsistence fishing, culturally 

important sites to encourage or avoid, 

shipwrecks), 

d. Government boundaries, 

e. Industry (fishing, energy 

production, transportation, 

communication cables), 

f. Military, 

g. Navigation, and 

h. Recreational resources (fishing, 

hunting, etc.). 

9. Are there aquaculture species or 

gear considerations that may result in 

optimized growth in Alaska State 

waters? This might include (but is not 

limited to): species or aquaculture gear 

depth thresholds, water current 

thresholds, temperature thresholds, 

salinity thresholds, etc. Are there any 

species or gear not currently being used 

in Alaska State waters that you would 

like to see in the future? Do they extend 

any of these (or other) thresholds? 

Please be as specific as possible. 

10. Is there any additional 

information NOAA should consider? 

When providing input, please specify: 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 227 / Tuesday, November 28, 2023 / Notices 83101 

• The question number(s) you are 

responding to; and 

• Whether your comments are related 

to specific type(s) of aquaculture 

(macroalgae, invertebrates, or a 

combination of species). 

Responses to this request are 

voluntary. Respondents need not reply 

to all questions. 

Authority: E.O. 13921. 

Dated: November 21, 2023. 

Kristine Cherry, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of 

Aquaculture, National Marine Fisheries 

Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26128 Filed 11–27–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control 

Program: ProposaL To Find That 

Indiana Has Satisfied Conditions on 

Earlier Approval 

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, and U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed finding; 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

and the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) (the Federal agencies) 

invite public comment on the Federal 

agencies’ proposed finding that Indiana 

has satisfied all conditions the agencies 

established as part of their 2008 

approval of the state’s coastal nonpoint 

pollution control program (coastal 

nonpoint program). The Coastal Zone 

Act Reauthorization Amendments 

(CZARA) directs states and territories 

with coastal zone management programs 

previously approved under section 306 

of the Coastal Zone Management Act to 

develop and implement coastal 

nonpoint programs, which must be 

submitted to the Federal agencies for 

approval. Prior to making such a 

finding, NOAA and the EPA invite 

public input on the two agencies’ 

rationale for this proposed finding. 

DATES: Comments are due by December 

28, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed 

findings document may be found on 

www.regulations.gov (search for NOAA– 

NOS–2022–0018) and NOAA’s Coastal 

Nonpoint Pollution Control Program 

website at Comments may be submitted 

by: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to 

www.regulations.gov and Enter NOAA– 

NOS–2022–0018 in the Search box, then 

click the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete the 

required fields, and enter or attach your 

comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Joelle Gore, Chief, Stewardship Division 

(N/OCM6), Office for Coastal 

Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland, 

20910; phone 202–468–7270; ATTN: 

Indiana Coastal Nonpoint Program. 

Instructions: All comments received 

are a part of the public record and will 

generally be posted for public viewing 

on www.regulations.gov without change. 

All personally identifiable information 

(for example, name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the commenter 

will be publicly accessible. The Federal 

agencies will accept anonymous 

comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in the required 

fields you wish to remain anonymous). 

Multimedia submissions (audio, video, 

etc.) must be accompanied by a written 

comment. The written comment is 

considered the official comment and 

should include discussion of all points 

you wish to make. The Federal agencies 

will generally not consider comments or 

comment contents located outside of the 

primary submission (i.e., on the web, 

cloud, or other file sharing system). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Allison Castellan, Office for Coastal 

Management, NOS, NOAA, 202–596– 

5039, allison.castellan@noaa.gov; or 

Stephen Feely, U.S. EPA Region 5, 

Watershed and Wetlands Branch, 312– 

886–5867, feely.stephen@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

6217(a) of the Coastal Zone Act 

Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA), 

12 U.S.C. 1455b(a), requires that each 

state or territory with a coastal zone 

management program previously 

approved under section 306 of the 

Coastal Zone Management Act must 

prepare and submit to the Federal 

agencies a coastal nonpoint pollution 

control program for approval. Indiana 

submitted its program to the Federal 

agencies for approval in 2008 after 

gaining Federal approval of its coastal 

zone management plan in 2002. The 

Federal agencies provided public notice 

of and invited public comment on their 

proposal to approve, with conditions, 

the Indiana program (72 FR 62444). The 

Federal agencies approved the program 

dated January 15, 2008, subject to the 

conditions specified therein. The 

Federal agencies now propose to find, 

and invite public comment on the 

proposed findings, that Indiana has 

satisfied the conditions associated with 

the earlier approval of its coastal 

nonpoint program. 

The proposed findings document for 

Indiana’s program is available at 

www.regulations.gov (search for NOAA– 

NOS–2022–0018) and information on 

the Coastal Nonpoint Program in general 

is available on the NOAA website at 

coast.noaa.gov/czm/pollutioncontrol/. 

Radhika Fox, 

Assistant Administrator Office of Water, 

Environmental Protection Agency. 

Nicole R. LeBoeuf, 

Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services 

and Coastal Zone Management, National 

Ocean Service, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25841 Filed 11–27–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–08–P 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket No. CPSC–2010–0046] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Proposed Extension and 

Revision of Collection; Comment 

Request; Consumer Focus Groups and 

Other Qualitative Studies 

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the Consumer 

Product Safety Commission (CPSC or 

Commission) requests comments on a 

proposed extension of approval of a 

collection of information from persons 

who may voluntarily participate in 

consumer focus groups, and revision of 

that collection. The Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

previously approved the collection of 

information under control number 

3041–0136. OMB’s most recent 

extension of approval will expire on 

January 31, 2024. The Commission will 

consider all comments received in 

response to this notice before requesting 

an extension and revision of this 

collection of information from OMB. 

DATES: Submit comments on the 

collection of information by January 29, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by Docket No. CPSC–2010– 

0046, by any of the following methods: 


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