Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 10, 2024 / Notices 1555 

during rehabilitation; and other 

authorized persons. Parts from U.S. 

stranded animals received under 

separate authorization may be exported 

for analysis. The parts would be used to 

understand persistent organic 

pollutants, heavy metals, and trace 

elements in marine mammals. The 

permit would be valid for 5 years from 

the date of issuance. 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial 

determination has been made that the 

activity proposed is categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement. 

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register, 

NMFS is forwarding copies of the 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors. 

Dated: January 5, 2024. 

Julia M. Harrison, 

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00349 Filed 1–9–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD607] 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of hybrid meeting open 

to the public offering both in-person and 

virtual options for participation. 

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

hold a 4-day hybrid meeting to consider 

actions affecting the Gulf of Mexico 

fisheries in the exclusive economic zone 

(EEZ). 

DATES: The meeting will convene 

Monday, January 29 through Thursday, 

February 1, 2024, 8:30 a.m.—5 p.m., 

CST daily. 

ADDRESSES: 

Meeting address: The meeting will 

take place at Hyatt Centric French 

Quarter, located at 800 Iberville Street, 

New Orleans, LA 70112. 

Council address: Gulf of Mexico 

Fishery Management Council, 4107 W. 

Spruce Street, Suite 200, Tampa, FL 

33607; telephone: (813) 348–1630. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Carrie Simmons, Executive Director, 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council; telephone: (813) 348–1630. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Monday, January 29, 2024; 8:30 a.m.– 

5 p.m., CST 

The meeting will begin with the 

Administrative/Budget Committee 

reviewing and discussing the Proposed 

Standing and Special Scientific and 

Statistical Committee (SSC) 

Reorganization for June 2024 

Appointments, Ad Hoc and Standing 

Advisory Panels, Proposed 2024 

Activities and Budget, and the 2020– 

2023 Administrative Award Anticipated 

Funding and Proposed Carryover 

Projects. The committee will review and 

approve Proposal Activities for Phase II 

Inflation Reduction Act Funding for the 

Regional Management Councils and 

finalize the Steering Committee makeup 

for the Recreational Initiative. 

The Law Enforcement Committee will 

review summaries from the Law 

Enforcement Technical Committee 

discussion on Red Snapper Individual 

Fishing Quota (IFQ) Advanced Landings 

Notifications and additional topics. 

The Data Collection Committee will 

receive a summary report from the Ad 

Hoc Charter For-hire Data Collection 

Advisory Panel meeting including 

recommendations and next steps for 

For-hire Electronic Reporting. Hold a 

discussion on Marine Recreational 

Information Program-Fishing Effort 

Survey (MRIP–FES) Inventory and 

Action Plan for the Gulf of Mexico and 

receive an update on the Status of the 

Timeline on the Implementation of the 

Commercial Logbooks. 

The Shrimp Committee will receive 

an update on Early Adopter Program for 

Shrimp Cellular Vessel Monitoring 

Systems (cVMS) and discuss Shrimp 

Future Project: Workshops to Address 

Current Challenges and Future Scenario 

Planning. 

Tuesday, January 30, 2024; 8:30 a.m.– 

5 p.m., CST 

The Reef Fish Committee will review 

and discuss draft options for 

Modification of Mid-Water Snapper 

Complex Composition and Catch Limits, 

Gag Grouper Management Measures and 

Final Action: Draft Abbreviated 

Framework Action: Modifications to 

Catch Limits for Gulf of Mexico Lane 

Snapper. The committee will also 

review Permit Requirements for 

Participation in Individual Fishing 

Quota (IFQ) Programs and review the 

2023 Gulf Red Grouper Recreational 

Landings and Quota Closure. 

The Sustainable Fisheries Committee 

will discuss Allocations and Allocation 

Review Policy and Summary of SSC 

Discussion on Incorporation Social 

Science Theory and methods in 

Ecosystem Assessments. 

Immediately following the 

Sustainable Fisheries Committee, 

National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS) will Host a General Question 

and Answer Session. 

Wednesday, January 31, 2024; 8:30 

a.m.–5 p.m., CST 

The Outreach and Education 

Committee will review the 2023 

Communications Improvement Plan 

Progress and 2023 Analytics, 2023 InPerson Event Outreach Progress and 

2024 Plan, and Communications 

Guidelines Book Review. The 

committee will discuss Fishery 

Ecosystem Plan Outreach, Coastal 

Migratory Pelagics Stakeholder 

Engagement and Management Timeline 

Tool. The committee will receive an 

update on Return ‘Em Right Best 

Practices Manual and review other 

items from the O&E Technical 

Committee Summary. 

At approximately 10:45 a.m., CST, the 

Council will reconvene with a Call to 

Order, Announcements and 

Introductions, Adoption of Agenda and 

Approval of Minutes. The Council will 

receive updates on NMFS National 

Seafood Strategy Regional 

Implementation Plan, update from 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

(BOEM) on Wind Energy Development 

in the Gulf of Mexico and Opportunities 

to Advance Equity and Environmental 

Justice (EEJ) in Gulf of Mexico Fisheries 

through the Southeast EEJ 

Implementation Plan; and, discuss 

Exempted Fishing Permit Application. 

Following lunch, the Council will 

hold public comment testimony from 

1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., CST for Final 

Action Item: Draft Abbreviated 

Framework Action: Modifications to 

Catch Limits for Gulf of Mexico Lane 

Snapper, receive comments on the 

Southeast EEJ Implementation Plan and 

Exempted Fishing Permit Application; 

including, open testimony on other 

fishery issues or concerns. Public 

comment may begin earlier than 1:30 

p.m. CST but will not conclude before 

that time. Persons wishing to give 

public testimony in-person must register 

at the registration kiosk in the meeting 

room. Persons wishing to give public 

testimony virtually must sign up via the 

link on the Council website. 

Registration for virtual testimony is 

open at the start of the meeting, 

Monday, January 29, at 8:30 a.m., CST 

and closes 1 hour before public 


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1556 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 10, 2024 / Notices 

testimony begins on Wednesday, 

January 31, at 12:30 p.m. CST. Public 

testimony may end before the published 

agenda time if all registered in-person 

and virtual participants have completed 

their testimony. 

Thursday, February 1, 2024; 8:30 a.m.– 

5 p.m., CST 

The Council will receive Committee 

reports from Administrative/Budget, 

Law Enforcement, Data Collection, 

Shrimp, Reef Fish, Sustainable 

Fisheries, Education and Outreach, and 

recommendations on Exempted Fishing 

Permit Application. The Council will 

receive updates from the following 

supporting agencies: Louisiana Law 

Enforcement Efforts; South Atlantic 

Fishery Management Council; NOAA 

Office of Law Enforcement (OLE); Gulf 

States Marine Fisheries Commission; 

U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service; and Department of State. 

The Council will discuss Council 

Planning and Primary Activities and 

Other Business items, Litigation Update. 

Meeting Adjourns 

The meeting will be a hybrid meeting; 

both in-person and virtual participation 

available. You may register for the 

webinar to listen-in only by visiting 

https://www.gulfcouncil.org and click 

on the Council meeting on the calendar. 

The timing and order in which agenda 

items are addressed may change as 

required to effectively address the issue, 

and the latest version along with other 

meeting materials will be posted on the 

website as they become available. 

Although other non-emergency issues 

not contained in this agenda may come 

before this group 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 these meeting. Actions 

will be restricted to those issues 

specifically listed in this notice and any 

issues arising after publication of this 

notice that require emergency action 

under Section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens 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. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aid or 

accommodations should be directed to 

Kathy Pereira, (813) 348–1630, at least 

15 days prior to the meeting date. 

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

Dated: January 5, 2024. 

Rey Israel Marquez, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00363 Filed 1–9–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

[Docket No.: PTO–P–2024–0055] 

USPTO Public Engagement 

Partnership: Public Meeting Series To 

Enhance Outreach to the Public on 

Patent Policies and Procedures 

AGENCY: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office, U.S. Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of meetings. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO) is 

announcing the Public Engagement 

Partnership meeting series to facilitate 

increased engagement with the public 

about the patent system. The USPTO 

will host the first meeting of the Public 

Engagement Partnership series virtually 

and in person at the USPTO 

headquarters on March 1, 2024. The 

purpose of this meeting is to provide 

education about the patent system and 

to share ideas, experiences, and insights 

related to the administration of the 

system. 

DATES: The first public meeting will take 

place on March 1, 2024, from 1–5 p.m. 

ET. Persons seeking to attend, either 

virtually or in person, must register by 

February 29, 2024, at the web page in 

the ADDRESSES section below. 

ADDRESSES: Register at www.uspto.gov/ 

patents/initiatives/ 

PublicEngagementPartnership. The first 

public meeting will take place virtually 

and in person at the USPTO 

headquarters, Clara Barton Auditorium, 

600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA 22314. 

Registration is required for both virtual 

and in-person attendance. All major 

entrances to the building are accessible 

to people with disabilities. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Linda Horner, Acting Senior Lead 

Administrative Patent Judge, at 571– 

272–4596 or Linda.Horner@uspto.gov. 

You can also send inquiries to 

PublicEngagementPartnership@

uspto.gov. Please direct all media 

inquiries to the Office of the Chief 

Communications Officer at 571–272– 

8400. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

USPTO’s mission is to drive U.S. 

innovation, inclusive capitalism, and 

global competitiveness with the 

ultimate goal of increasing innovation, 

entrepreneurship, and creativity for the 

benefit of all Americans and people 

around the world. In fulfilling this 

mission, the USPTO appreciates that its 

work impacts our country’s economic 

prosperity and, in turn, the public. In 

January of 2023, the USPTO engaged 

with the public at a listening session 

regarding USPTO collaboration with 

other government agencies to ensure 

that the patent system is not being used 

to unjustifiably delay competition 

beyond that reasonably contemplated by 

applicable law. At this listening session, 

members of the public expressed a 

desire to increase engagement with the 

USPTO about the patent system. 

To expand outreach efforts, the 

USPTO seeks to form a partnership with 

members of the public, including, for 

example, advocacy groups, public 

interest-focused nonprofits, academics, 

and civil society. The Public 

Engagement Partnership will provide an 

opportunity to bring the public and the 

USPTO together through a series of 

engagements to offer education about 

the patent system and to share ideas, 

experiences, and insights related to the 

administration of the system. 

The USPTO will hold the inaugural 

meeting of the Public Engagement 

Partnership meeting series virtually and 

in person at the USPTO headquarters in 

Alexandria, Virginia, on March 1, 2024. 

Presentations at this first meeting will 

provide foundational education about 

the patent system and the USPTO’s 

practices and policies. The meeting will 

also include a panel discussion with 

representatives of the public interest 

community and advocacy groups on 

areas of particular interest. Subsequent 

meetings in the series will build on this 

foundational information. For example, 

future meetings will include 

presentations on tools for understanding 

a patent and existing mechanisms for 

participation in the patent procurement 

process, such as third-party 

submissions. Meetings will also cover 

participation in the enforcement of 

patents before the USPTO via ex parte 

reexamination requests, and petitions 

for inter partes review and post-grant 

review before the Patent Trial and 

Appeal Board. These mechanisms are 

available to the public at large. 

Instructions for and Information on the 

Public Meeting 

The public meeting will take place 

virtually and in person at the USPTO 

headquarters, Clara Barton Auditorium, 

600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA 22314, 

on March 1, 2024, from 1–5 p.m. ET. 

The agenda is available on the USPTO 


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