5614 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2000 / Notices

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before April 4, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5027, 14th and

Constitution Avenue NW, Washington

DC 20230 (or via Internet at

LEngelme@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to Richard A. Pearson, One

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930,

978–281–9279.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The New England Fishery

Management Council (NEFMC) is

currently considering management

alternatives for the Gulf of Maine (GOM)

multispecies fishery for inclusion in

Framework Adjustment 33 to the

Northeast Multispecies Fishery

Management Plan (FMP). Two of the

potential management measures have

collection-of-information requirements

associated with them.

These are the Western Gulf of Maine

(WGOM) Restricted Fishery Program

and the Multispecies Party/Charter

Closed Area Exemption Certificate.

These are described here.

Western GOM Restricted Fishery

Program.

One of the management measures

proposes to establish a new declaration

that would allow vessel owners to

annually enroll into a program entitled

the Western Gulf of Maine (WGOM)

Restricted Fishery Program. Vessels

enrolled in this program would be

allowed access to the area referred to as

the WGOM Restricted Fishery Area, but

would be limited to 25 Days-At-Sea or

25 trips, whichever is less, during the

months of February, March, April and

May in any fishing year. Vessels not

enrolled in the WGOM Restricted

Fishery Program category would be

prohibited from fishing in the WGOM

restricted fishery area during these

months.

The WGOM restricted fishery area has

preliminarily been described as an area

extending from 43°50’ N. Lat. and the

Maine coast to 43°50’ N. Lat., 70°00’ W.

Long. to 43°00’ N. Lat., 70°15’ W. Long.

to 42°00’ N. Lat., 70°15’ W. Long. to

42°00’ and the Massachusetts coast.

Multispecies Party/Charter GOM Closed

Area Exemption Certificate

This proposed management measure

would require vessel owners possessing

a multispecies party/charter Federal

permit, or operating a vessel as a party/

charter vessel and fishing for

multispecies, to obtain an exemption

certificate to be allowed access to fish in

GOM closed areas. This exemption

certificate would allow access to GOM

closed areas but would prohibit the

vessel owner from utilizing multispecies

days-at-sea while carrying passengers

for hire on-board the vessel for the

duration of the exemption certificate.

Three potential duration periods have

been proposed for the certificate, three

months, six months and 12 months.

II. Method of Collection

Vessel owners electing to enroll into

the WGOM Restricted Fishery Program

would be required to complete an

application form. Vessel owners would

apply for the Multispecies Party/Charter

GOM Closed Area Exemption Certificate

by making a phone call.

III. Data

OMB Number: None.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

1,003.

Estimated Time Per Response: 5

minutes for the Western GOM Restricted

Fishery Program and 2 minutes for the

Multispecies Party/Charter GOM Closed

Area Exemption Certificate.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 57.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to

Public: $438.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and /or

included in the request for OMB

approval of this information collection;

they also will become a matter of public

record.

Dated: January 28, 2000.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Chief Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–2575 Filed 2–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 020100A]

Marine Mammal Stranding Report;

Proposed Information Collection;

Comment Request

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: The Department of

Commerce, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and

respondent burden, invites the general

public and other Federal agencies to

take this opportunity to comment on

proposed and/or continuing information

collections, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before April 4, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5027, 14th and

Constitution Avenue NW, Washington

DC 20230 (or via Internet at

LEngelme@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to Nicole R. Le Boeuf, Office

of Protected Resources, F/PR2, National

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

20910.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

Section 402(b) of the Marine Mammal

Protection Act (MMPA) requires that

information on marine mammal

strandings be collected. The Marine

Mammal Stranding Reports provide

baseline information on marine

mammal mortalities, human

interactions with marine mammals, and

marine mammal population dynamics.

NMFS uses the information to fulfill

management responsibilities under the

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2000 / Notices 5615

MMPA. The Marine Mammal Stranding

Reports are submitted by members of

the marine mammal stranding

network—the vast majority of whom are

volunteers who have been authorized by

NMFS to respond to strandings.

There are three marine mammal

stranding data forms proposed for use.

All the forms are intended to accurately

characterize marine mammal strandings

data. The new Marine Mammal Human

Interaction and Marine Mammal

Disposition Reports are designed to

supplement the existing main form, the

Marine Mammal Stranding Report.

The Marine Mammal Stranding

Report was designed to provide a basic

record of a marine mammal stranding

event. The proposed Marine Mammal

Stranding Report contains minor

modifications of the form currently in

use by the stranding networks. The

modifications were made to increase

consistency with data collected and

currently used databases, to clarify

meanings of data fields, and to improve

the overall readability and appearance

of the form.

The Marine Mammal Human

Interaction Report is designed to

provide stranding responders with a

tool to objectively examine and collect

data on marine mammal strandings

specific to signs of human interaction.

The Report is intended to prompt the

examiner to collect data that will lead

to a human interaction determination of

‘‘yes’’, ‘‘no’’, or ‘‘could not be

determined’’. The determination is

recorded on the Marine Mammal

Stranding Report, but the detailed

information supporting this

determination is provided on the

Marine Mammal Human Interaction

Report. The data collected on this form

will help managers determine the

frequency and type of human

interactions that occur with marine

mammals.

The Marine Mammal Disposition

Report is designed to provide

information regarding the treatment and

disposition of a live marine mammal

after initial examination and/or

rehabilitation. Stranding network

participants submit the Marine Mammal

Stranding Report on a timely basis, but

a live stranded animal may require

longer care and/or may be deemed nonreleasable and may be permanently

retained in a captive display facility.

The Marine Mammal Disposition Report

allows the stranding network to provide

follow-up information on the care,

release, tagging, and specimen

collection of live stranded marine

mammals. This information will help

managers track the final disposition of

marine mammals that strand alive.

II. Method of Collection

Stranding Network members submit

basic biological data contained on the

reporting forms to NMFS Regional

Offices for compilation and analysis.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0648–0178.

Form Number: NOAA Forms 89–864,

89–870, and 89–869.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Individuals, not-forprofit institutions, business or other forprofit, Federal government, and state

and local government

Estimated Number of Respondents:

400

Estimated Time Per Response: 20

minutes

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 2,240

Estimated Total Annual Cost to

Public: $2,200

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and /or

included in the request for OMB

approval of this information collection;

they also will become a matter of public

record.

Dated: January 28, 2000.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Chief Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–2576 Filed 2–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 012800I]

Pacific Fishery Management Council;

Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

hold a meeting to discuss stock

assessment plans for 2000. The meeting

will be open to the public.

DATES: The meeting will be held

February 28–February 29, 2000. The

meeting will begin on Monday,

February 28, 2000 at 10:00 a.m., and

reconvene February 29, 2000 at 8:00

a.m.; the meeting will run as late as

necessary each day to complete

scheduled business.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Pacific States Marine Fisheries

Commission, 45 SE 82nd Drive, Suite

100, Gladstone, OR 97027–2522.

Council address: Pacific Fishery

Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth

Avenue, Suite 224, Portland, OR 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan

Waldeck, Fishery Management Analyst;

telephone: (503) 326–6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the meeting is to plan the

stock assessment process for groundfish

species in 2000. The meeting will

consider revisions to the terms of

reference used for 1999 stock

assessments, revise the goals and

objectives for the annual stock

assessment cycle, develop a calendar for

2000 stock assessment activities,

confirm the list of species to be assessed

in 2000, designate the resources and

personnel for the assessments and the

reviews, and discuss ways of improving

coordination of the process. The

meeting will also consider developing

draft terms of reference for the process

to rebuild overfished stocks.

Although non-emergency issues not

contained in this notice may be

discussed at the meeting, those issues

will not be the subject of formal action

during this meeting. 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 the public has been

notified of the intent to take final action

to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

The meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr.

John Rhoton at (503) 326–6352 at least

5 days prior to the meeting date.