Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 198 / Friday, October 11, 2024 / Notices 82575 

Due to uncertainty about the exact 

proportion of each DPS in the inshore 

waters of North Carolina, the above 

breakdown may not perfectly represent 

the actual proportion of each DPS. This 

expected variation is influenced by 

natural seasonal and annual fluctuations 

in the proportions of each DPS. 

Therefore, the take estimates provided 

for each DPS do not aim to precisely 

estimate the proportion of each DPS to 

be taken. 

Conservation Plan 

NCDMF’s conservation plan includes 

measures to minimize, monitor, and 

mitigate the incidental take of ESAlisted sea turtles and sturgeon. The 

conservation plan addresses gill net 

fisheries operating in estuarine waters 

and deploying anchored gill nets as 

regulated through fisheries rules 

adopted by the North Carolina Marine 

Fisheries Commission and 

proclamations issued by the NCDMF 

director. Regulations include mandatory 

attendance, yardage limits, mesh size 

restrictions, a minimum distance 

between fishing operations, gear 

marking requirements, soak-time 

restrictions, net shot limits, net height 

tie-down requirements, closed areas, 

and monitoring and reporting 

requirements. The conservation plan 

includes an adaptive management and 

monitoring program, fisheries reduction, 

outreach, and timely response to 

‘‘hotspots’’ where sturgeon and/or sea 

turtle interactions are unusually high. 

Additionally, NCDMF will commit 

funds of up to $2,000 per year to 

purchase Passive Integrated 

Transponder (PIT) tags, which equates 

to approximately 100 PIT tags per year. 

As part of their Observer Program 

sampling protocol, fin clips are taken 

from live and dead sturgeon. These 

samples are stored until they can be 

submitted for genetic analysis and 

included in the Atlantic Coast Sturgeon 

Tissue Research Repository (ACSTRR) 

housed at the United States Geological 

Survey, Leetown Science Center. The 

NCDMF will commit up to $3,000 per 

year to fund genetic analysis; at 

approximately $100 per sample, this 

funding provides for the analysis of 

approximately 30 fin clips per year. The 

NCDMF will consult with NMFS to 

ensure samples collected during the 

current ITP and future samples 

collected under the requested ITP are 

appropriately selected based on criteria 

such as sturgeon length, location, and 

season. Should fewer than 30 fin clips 

be collected for a given year, any funds 

not expended from this allocation could 

be used for analysis of historical 

samples provided by NCDMF. 

NCDMF’s monitoring program is 

funded by the North Carolina 

Commercial Research is also a valuable 

tool to address data gaps and inform 

management decisions. The assistance 

and cooperation of commercial fishery 

stakeholders in the research can greatly 

benefit scientific understanding of the 

species. The NCDMF will continue to 

support and assist research efforts and 

facilitate the establishment of 

relationships with the commercial 

fishing industry. Also, the NCDMF will 

help, to the extent possible, respond to 

sea turtle cold-stun events, which occur 

in NC with some regularity (Niemuth et 

al. 2020). During future cold-stun 

events, the NCDMF will help provide 

transportation of staff, supplies, and 

turtles using Observer Program 

resources The NCDMF will 

communicate with the North Carolina 

Wilflife Resources Commission 

(NCWRC) about this commitment to 

ensure they reach out for assistance 

when needed. 

Fishing Resource Fund (G.S. 113– 

173.1) state appropriations and is 

supplemented through other sources 

such as the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative 

Statistics Program and the National Fish 

and Wildlife Foundation. 

Criteria for Issuing an Incidental Take 

Permit 

Issuance criteria are described in ESA 

section 10(a)(2)(B) and associated 

implementing regulations (50 CFR 

222.307(c)(2)). Under section 10(a)(2)(B) 

of the ESA, NMFS shall issue the 

requested incidental take permit, if 

NMFS finds that the following criteria 

are met: 

(i) The taking will be incidental; 

(ii) The applicant will, to the 

maximum extent practicable, monitor, 

minimize, and mitigate the impacts of 

such taking; 

(iii) The taking will not appreciably 

reduce the likelihood of the survival 

and recovery of the species in the wild; 

(iv) The applicant has amended the 

conservation plan to include any 

measures (not originally proposed by 

the applicant) that the Assistant 

Administrator determines are necessary 

or appropriate; and 

(v) There are adequate assurances that 

the conservation plan will be funded 

and implemented, including any 

measures required by the Assistant 

Administrator. 

NMFS found that NCDMF met the 

criteria for the issuance of an incidental 

take permit, and as such, NMFS issued 

an incidental take permit to NCDMF for 

the incidental take of ESA-Listed sea 

turtles and sturgeon associated with the 

otherwise lawful commercial inshore 

gillnet fishery in North Carolina. 

Dated: October 4, 2024. 

Lisa Manning, 

Acting Chief, Endangered Species 

Conservation Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23559 Filed 10–10–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Notice of Request for Public Comment 

on the Draft National Coral Reef 

Resilience Strategy 

AGENCY: The Coral Reef Conservation 

Program, Office for Coastal 

Management, National Ocean Service, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Request for written comments. 

SUMMARY: NOAA announces the request 

for written public comments on the 

draft National Coral Reef Resilience 

Strategy (National Strategy) in 

accordance with the Coral Reef 

Conservation Act of 2000 (CRCA), as 

reauthorized and amended by the James 

M. Inhofe National Defense 

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. 

NOAA administers the Coral Reef 

Conservation Program (CRCP), which is 

implemented in the coastal areas and 

marine waters of Florida, Puerto Rico, 

the U.S. Virgin Islands, Gulf of Mexico, 

Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands, American 

Samoa, the U.S. Pacific Remote Island 

Area, and targeted international regions, 

including the wider Caribbean, the 

Coral Triangle, the South Pacific, and 

Micronesia. The reauthorized CRCA 

directs NOAA to develop the National 

Strategy within two years of enactment. 

The National Strategy will replace the 

existing CRCP Strategic Plan (2018). The 

intended effect of this notice is to 

initiate a period of public review and 

comment on the National Strategy. 

DATES: NOAA will consider all relevant 

written comments by November 25, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft National 

Strategy may be found on 

www.regulations.gov (search for NOAA– 

NOS–2024–0121). Comments may be 

submitted by the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/NOAANOS-2024-0121 Click the ‘‘Comment 

Now!’’ icon, complete the required 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
82576 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 198 / Friday, October 11, 2024 / Notices 

fields, and enter or attach your 

comments. 

• Email: Please direct written 

comments via email to uscrtf.crca@

noaa.gov. In the subject heading of your 

email, please include ‘‘Written 

comments draft National Coral Reef 

Resilience Strategy’’. 

Instructions: All comments received 

are a part of the public record and 

generally will be posted for public 

viewing on www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personally 

identifiable information (name, address, 

etc.), confidential business information, 

or otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the commenter 

will be publicly accessible. NOAA 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. NOAA 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). Comments 

that are not responsive or contain 

profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other 

inappropriate language will not be 

considered. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Caroline Donovan, NOAA Coral Reef 

Conservation Program, by email at 

caroline.donovan@noaa.gov or phone at 

(240) 410–3416. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

NOAA announces the request for 

written public comments on the draft 

National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy 

(National Strategy) in accordance with 

the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 

(CRCA), as reauthorized and amended 

by the James M. Inhofe National Defense 

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 

(Pub. L. 117–263, December 23, 2022, 

136 Stat 2395). NOAA administers the 

Coral Reef Conservation Program 

(CRCP), which is implemented in the 

coastal areas and marine waters of 

Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin 

Islands, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, Guam, 

the Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the 

U.S. Pacific Remote Island Area, and 

targeted international regions, including 

the wider Caribbean, the Coral Triangle, 

the South Pacific, and Micronesia. The 

reauthorized CRCA directs NOAA to 

develop the National Coral Reef 

Resilience Strategy (National Strategy) 

within two years of enactment. The 

National Strategy will replace the 

existing CRCP Strategic Plan (2018). 

The draft National Strategy articulates 

the vision, purpose, and goals that will 

drive the work of the U.S. coral reef 

conservation community now and into 

the future. Strategies, objectives, and 

actions that will help achieve these 

goals are described in detail. To support 

development of the National Strategy, 

NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation 

Program consulted with the Secretary of 

the Interior, the Secretary of Defense, 

covered States, and covered Native 

entities through the United States Coral 

Reef Task Force and its working groups 

and other stakeholders; and the CRCP 

solicited public review and comment on 

scoping and the draft strategy. The 

National Strategy is based upon sound 

science, innovative management 

approaches, effective enforcement, 

meaningful partnerships, and inclusive 

public participation. The National 

Strategy uses an adaptive management 

framework and incorporates a 

resilience-based management approach 

into five conservation goals. If 

adequately resourced, the conservation 

outcomes supported by this plan will 

result in healthy, resilient coral reef 

ecosystems in the United States that 

will provide a variety of valuable 

services to current and future 

generations. 

Pursuant to section 204(b) of the 

reauthorized CRCA, the required 

elements of the National Strategy are: 

• A discussion addressing: 

Æ continuing and emerging threats to 

the resilience of U.S. coral reef 

ecosystems; 

Æ remaining gaps in coral reef 

ecosystem research, monitoring, and 

assessment; 

Æ the status of management 

cooperation and integration among 

Federal reef managers and covered reef 

managers; 

Æ the status of efforts to manage and 

disseminate critical information and 

enhance interjurisdictional data sharing 

related to research, reports, datasets, 

and maps; 

Æ areas of special focus, which may 

include: 

■ improving natural coral 

recruitment, 

■ preventing avoidable losses of 

corals and their habitat, 

■ enhancing the resilience of coral 

populations, 

■ supporting a resilience-based 

management approach, 

■ developing, coordinating, and 

implementing watershed management 

plans, 

■ building and sustaining watershed 

management capacity at the local level, 

■ providing data essential for coral 

reef fisheries management, 

■ building capacity for coral reef 

fisheries management, 

■ increasing understanding of coral 

reef ecosystem services, 

■ educating the public on the 

importance of coral reefs, threats, and 

solutions, and 

■ evaluating intervention efficiency; 

Æ the status of conservation efforts, 

including the use of marine protected 

areas to serve as replenishment zones 

developed consistent with local 

practices and traditions and in 

cooperation with, and with respect for 

the scientific, technical, and 

management expertise and 

responsibilities of, covered reef 

managers; 

Æ science-based adaptive 

management and restoration efforts; and 

Æ management of coral reef 

emergencies and disasters. 

• A statement of national goals and 

objectives designed to guide: 

Æ future Federal coral reef 

management and restoration activities 

authorized under Section 203 of the 

reauthorized CRCA; 

Æ conservation and restoration 

priorities for grants awarded under 

section 211 of the reauthorized CRCA; 

and 

Æ research priorities for the reef 

research coordination institutes 

designated under section 213(b)(1)(B). 

• A designation of priority areas for 

conservation and priority areas for 

restoration to support the review and 

approval of grants under Section 211(e) 

of the reauthorized CRCA. 

• Technical assistance in the form of 

general templates for use by covered 

reef managers and Federal reef managers 

to guide the development of coral reef 

action plans under Section 205 of the 

reauthorized CRCA, including guidance 

on the best science-based practices to 

respond to coral reef emergencies that 

can be included in coral reef action 

plans. 

Public Comment 

The official public comment period 

lasts until November 25, 2024. Please 

visit the CRCP web page for additional 

information on the program: https://

coralreef.noaa.gov/. 

Authority: Coral Reef Conservation 

Act of 2000. 

Nicole R. LeBoeuf, 

Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services 

and Coastal Zone Management, National 

Ocean Service, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23560 Filed 10–10–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–08–P 


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