12566 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 46 / Tuesday, March 10, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

or tribal governments or communities; 

(2) Create a serious inconsistency or 

otherwise interfere with an action taken 

or planned by another agency; (3) 

Materially alter the budgetary impact of 

entitlements, grants, user fees, or loan 

programs or the rights and obligations of 

recipients thereof; or (4) Raise novel 

legal or policy issues arising out of legal 

mandates, the President’s priorities, or 

the principles set forth in this Executive 

Order.’’ 

The economic, interagency, 

budgetary, legal, and policy 

implications of this regulatory action 

have been examined, and it has been 

determined not to be a significant 

regulatory action under Executive Order 

12866. VA’s impact analysis can be 

found as a supporting document at 

http://www.regulations.gov, usually 

within 48 hours after the rulemaking 

document is published. Additionally, a 

copy of the rulemaking and its impact 

analysis are available on VA’s Web site 

at http://www.va.gov/orpm/, by 

following the link for VA Regulations 

Published from FY 2004 to FYTD. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

There is no Catalog of Federal 

Domestic Assistance number or title for 

this program. 

Signing Authority 

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or 

designee, approved this document and 

authorized the undersigned to sign and 

submit the document to the Office of the 

Federal Register for publication 

electronically as an official document of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jose 

D. Riojas, Chief of Staff, Department of 

Veterans Affairs, approved this 

document on March 2, 2015, for 

publication. 

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 819 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Government procurement, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Small businesses, 

Veterans. 

Dated: March 5, 2015. 

Michael P. Shores, 

Chief, Impact Analyst, Office of Regulation 

Policy & Management, Office of the General 

Counsel, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Accordingly, VA adopts the interim 

final rule amending 48 CFR part 819, 

which was published in the Federal 

Register at 78 FR 59861 on September 

30, 2013, as a final rule without change. 

[FR Doc. 2015–05505 Filed 3–9–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

50 CFR Part 17 

[Docket No. FWS–HQ–ES–2015–0007; 

4500030113] 

RIN 1018–BA73 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Taxonomy of the Hawaiian 

Monk Seal 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), are amending 

the List of Endangered and Threatened 

Wildlife to reflect the scientifically 

accepted taxonomy and nomenclature of 

the Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus 

schauinslandi (=Monachus 

schauinslandi)). This amendment is 

based on a previously published 

determination by the National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, Department of 

Commerce, which has jurisdiction for 

this species. 

DATES: This rule is effective March 10, 

2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean 

Higgins, NMFS, Pacific Islands Regional 

Office, (808) 725–5151; or Marta 

Nammack, NMFS, Office of Protected 

Resources, (301) 427–8469. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and Reorganization 

Plan No. 4 of 1970 (35 FR 15627; 

October 6, 1970), NMFS has jurisdiction 

over the Hawaiian monk seal. 

On November 17, 2014, NMFS 

published a direct final rule (79 FR 

68371) to announce the revised 

taxonomy of the Hawaiian monk seal. 

Because NMFS did not receive any 

adverse comments during the first 30 

days of the direct final rule’s comment 

period, that direct final rule’s effective 

date is January 16, 2015. Please refer to 

that rule for information on the 

taxonomy of the Hawaiian monk seal. 

While NMFS has jurisdiction over the 

Hawaiian monk seal, we are responsible 

for updating the List of Endangered and 

Threatened Wildlife (List) in title 50 of 

the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 

50 CFR 17.11(h). This final rule is an 

administrative action to adopt the 

change already published by NMFS. 

This action ensures that the List shows 

the Hawaiian monk seal’s most recently 

accepted scientific name in accordance 

with 50 CFR 17.11(b). 

Administrative Procedure Act 

Because NMFS provided a public 

comment period on the direct final rule 

to update the taxonomy and 

nomenclature of the Hawaiian monk 

seal, and because this action of the 

Service to amend the List in accordance 

with the determination by NMFS is 

nondiscretionary, the Service finds good 

cause that the notice and public 

comment procedures of 5 U.S.C. 553(b) 

are unnecessary for this action. We also 

find good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) 

to make this rule effective immediately. 

This rule is an administrative action to 

reflect the scientifically accepted 

taxonomy and nomenclature of the 

Hawaiian monk seal in the List of 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife at 

50 CFR 17.11(h). The public would not 

be served by delaying the effective date 

of this rulemaking action. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17 

Endangered and threatened species, 

Exports, Imports, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, 

Transportation. 

Regulation Promulgation 

Accordingly, we amend part 17, 

subchapter B of chapter I, title 50 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations, as set forth 

below: 

PART 17—[AMENDED] 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 17 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361–1407; 1531– 

1544; 4201–4245, unless otherwise noted. 

■ 2. Amend § 17.11(h) by revising the 

entry for ‘‘Seal, Hawaiian monk’’ under 

MAMMALS in the List of Endangered 

and Threatened Wildlife to read as 

follows: 

§ 17.11 Endangered and threatened 

wildlife. 

* * * * * 

(h) * * * 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 46 / Tuesday, March 10, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 12567 

Species 

Historic range 

Vertebrate population where endangered or threatened 

Status When listed Critical 

habitat 

Special 

rules Common name Scientific name 

MAMMALS

* * * * * * * 

Seal, Hawaiian monk Neomonachus 

schauinslandi 

(=Monachus 

schauinslandi).

U.S.A. (HI) .............. Entire ...................... E 18 226.201 NA 

* * * * * * * 

* * * * * 

Dated: February 25, 2015. 

Stephen Guertin, 

Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–05330 Filed 3–9–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 660 

[Docket No. 140904754–5188–02] 

RIN 0648–BE27 

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; 

Fisheries Off West Coast States; 

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 

2015–2016 Biennial Specifications and 

Management Measures; Amendment 

24 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This final rule would 

establish the 2015–2016 harvest 

specifications and management 

measures for groundfish taken in the 

U.S. exclusive economic zone off the 

coasts of Washington, Oregon, and 

California, consistent with the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(MSA) and the Pacific Coast Groundfish 

Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP), 

and approve Amendment 24 to the 

PCGFMP. This final rule would also 

revise the management measures that 

are intended to keep the total catch of 

each groundfish species or species 

complex within the harvest 

specifications. This action also includes 

regulations to implement Amendment 

24 to the PCGFMP, which establishes 

default harvest control rules for setting 

harvest specifications after 2015–2016. 

DATES: This final rule is effective March 

10, 2015, except for the modifications to 

sorting requirements at 

§§ 660.130(d)(1)(i), 660.230(c)(2)(i), and 

660.330(c)(2)(i), which are effective 

April 1, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Information relevant to this 

final rule and Amendment 24, which 

includes a final environmental impact 

statement (EIS), the Record of Decision 

(ROD), a regulatory impact review (RIR), 

final regulatory flexibility analysis 

(FRFA), and amended PCGFMP, are 

available from William Stelle, Regional 

Administrator, West Coast Region, 

NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., 

Seattle, WA 98115–0070. Electronic 

copies of this final rule are also 

available at the NMFS West Coast 

Region Web site: http://

www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sarah Williams, phone: 206–526–4646, 

fax: 206–526–6736, or email: 

sarah.williams@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access 

This rule is accessible via the Internet 

at the Office of the Federal Register Web 

site at https://www.federalregister.gov. 

Background information and documents 

are available at the NMFS West Coast 

Region Web site at http://

www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/

fisheries/groundfish/index.html and at 

the Council’s Web site at http://

www.pcouncil.org. 

Executive Summary 

Purpose of the Regulatory Action 

This final rule implements the 2015– 

2016 harvest specifications and 

management measures for groundfish 

species taken in the U.S. exclusive 

economic zone off the coasts of 

Washington, Oregon, and California. 

The purpose of this action is to conserve 

and manage Pacific Coast groundfish 

fishery resources to prevent overfishing, 

to rebuild overfished stocks, to ensure 

conservation, to facilitate long-term 

protection of essential fish habitats 

(EFH), and to realize the full potential 

of the Nation’s fishery resources. The 

need for this action is to set catch limit 

specifications for 2015–2016 consistent 

with existing or revised harvest control 

rules for all stocks, and establish 

management measures designed to keep 

catch within the appropriate limits. 

These harvest specifications are set 

consistent with the optimum yield (OY) 

harvest management framework 

described in Chapter 4 of the PCGFMP. 

This final rule also implements 

Amendment 24 to PCGFMP. 

Amendment 24 establishes the default 

harvest control rules used to determine 

harvest specifications after 2015–2016. 

This rule is authorized by 16 U.S.C. 

1854–55 and by the PCGFMP. 

Major Provisions 

This final rule contains two types of 

major provisions. The first are the 

harvest specifications (overfishing limits 

(OFLs), acceptable biological catches 

(ABCs), and annual catch limits (ACLs)), 

and the second are management 

measures designed to keep fishing 

mortality within the ACLs. The harvest 

specifications (OFLs, ABCs, and ACLs) 

in this rule have been developed 

through a rigorous scientific review and 

decision-making process, which is 

described in detail in the proposed rule 

for this action (80 FR 687, January 6, 

2015) and is not repeated here. 

In summary, the OFL is the maximum 

sustainable yield (MSY) harvest level 

and is an estimate of the catch level 

above which overfishing is occurring. 

OFLs are based on recommendations by 

the Council’s Scientific and Statistical 

Committee (SSC) as the best scientific 

information available. The ABC is an 

annual catch specification that is the 

stock or stock complex’s OFL reduced 

by an amount associated with scientific 

uncertainty. The SSC-recommended 

method for incorporating scientific 

uncertainty is referred to as the P starsigma approach and is discussed in 

detail in the proposed and final rules for 

the 2011–2012 (75 FR 67810, November 

3, 2010 and 76 FR 27508, May 11, 2011) 

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