Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 12117 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB840] 

New England 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 New England Fishery 

Management Council (Council) is 

scheduling a public meeting of its 

Monkfish Committee via webinar to 

consider actions affecting New England 

fisheries in the exclusive economic zone 

(EEZ). Recommendations from this 

group will be brought to the full Council 

for formal consideration and action, if 

appropriate. 

DATES: This webinar will be held on 

Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 9 a.m. 

Webinar registration URL information: 

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/ 

register/6464453692204784655. 

ADDRESSES: 

Council address: New England 

Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 

Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda 

The Committee will discuss 

development of Framework Adjustment 

13 to the Monkfish Fishery Management 

Plan. They will also discuss 2023–25 

fishery specifications as well as 

potential management measures 

(requiring 12-inch minimum mesh size 

for monkfish gillnets, requiring use of 

the Vessel Monitoring System across the 

federal fishery, measures to reduce 

discards in the Southern Fishery 

Management Area). They will discuss 

plans for the Plan Development Team 

and Advisory Panel to develop a fishery 

performance report. The Committee will 

also discuss recommendations for any 

updates for the 2022–26 NEFMC 

Research Priorities and Data Needs 

relative to monkfish. Other business 

will be discussed, if necessary. 

Although non-emergency issues not 

contained on the agenda may come 

before this Council for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subject of formal 

action during this meeting. Council 

action 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 the public has 

been notified of the Council’s intent to 

take final action to address the 

emergency. The public also should be 

aware that the meeting will be recorded. 

Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy 

of the recording is available upon 

request. 

Special Accommodations 

This meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, at 

(978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to 

the meeting date. 

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

Dated: February 28, 2022. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–04507 Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB779] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to Ferry Berth 

Improvements in Tongass Narrows, 

Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of incidental 

harassment authorization. 

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request 

from the Alaska Department of 

Transportation and Public Facilities 

(ADOT&PF) for the re-issuance of a 

previously issued incidental harassment 

authorization (IHA) with the only 

change being effective dates. The initial 

IHA authorized take of eight species of 

marine mammals, by Level A and Level 

B harassment, incidental to Ferry Berth 

Improvements at Tongass Narrows, near 

Ketchikan, AK. The project has been 

delayed and none of the work covered 

in the initial IHA has been conducted. 

The initial IHA was effective from 

March 1, 2021 through February 28, 

2022. ADOT&PF has requested reissuance with new effective dates of 

March 1, 2022, through February 28, 

2023. The scope of the activities and 

anticipated effects remain the same, 

authorized take numbers are not 

changed, and the required mitigation, 

monitoring, and reporting remains the 

same as included in the initial IHA. 

NMFS is, therefore, issuing a second 

identical IHA to cover the incidental 

take analyzed and authorized in the 

initial IHA. 

DATES: This authorization is effective 

from March 1, 2022, through February 

28, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: An electronic copy of the 

final 2020 IHA previously issued to 

ADOT&PF, ADOT&PF application, and 

the Federal Register notices proposing 

and issuing the initial IHA may be 

obtained by visiting https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/ 

incidental-take-authorization-alaskadepartment-transportation-ferry-berthimprovements. In case of problems 

accessing these documents, please call 

the contact listed below (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robert Pauline, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA; 

16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct the 

Secretary of Commerce (as delegated to 

NMFS) to allow, upon request, the 

incidental, but not intentional, taking of 

small numbers of marine mammals by 

U.S. citizens who engage in a specified 

activity (other than commercial fishing) 

within a specified geographical region if 

certain findings are made and either 

regulations are issued or, if the taking is 

limited to harassment, a notice of a 

proposed authorization is provided to 

the public for review. 

An authorization for incidental 

takings shall be granted if NMFS finds 

that the taking will have a negligible 

impact on the species or stock(s), will 

not have an unmitigable adverse impact 

on the availability of the species or 

stock(s) for subsistence uses (where 

relevant), and if the permissible 

methods of taking and requirements 

pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring 

and reporting of such takings are set 

forth. 

NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible 

impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as an impact 

resulting from the specified activity that 

cannot be reasonably expected to, and is 

not reasonably likely to, adversely affect 

the species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival. 

The MMPA states that the term ‘‘take’’ 

means to harass, hunt, capture, kill or 


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12118 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 

attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill 

any marine mammal. 

Except with respect to certain 

activities not pertinent here, the MMPA 

defines ‘‘harassment’’ as any act of 

pursuit, torment, or annoyance which (i) 

has the potential to injure a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has 

the potential to disturb a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild by causing disruption of behavioral 

patterns, including, but not limited to, 

migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, 

feeding, or sheltering (Level B 

harassment). 

Summary of Request 

On January 7, 2020, NMFS published 

a final notice of our issuance of two 

consecutive IHAs authorizing take of 

marine mammals incidental to the Ferry 

Berth Improvements in Tongass 

Narrows, Alaska (85 FR 637). The 

effective dates of the first IHA were from 

March 1, 2020 through February 28, 

2021 (Phase 1) while the effective dates 

of the second IHA were from from 

March 1, 2021 through February 28, 

2022 (Phase 2). Due to various project 

delays and two minor changes in the 

activity, ADOT&PF requested a renewal 

of the Phase 1 IHA. NMFS issued 

renewal of the Phase 1 IHA on May 5, 

2021 (86 FR 23938). On November 22, 

2021, ADOT&PF informed NMFS that 

due to project delays none of the work 

identified in the initial Phase 2 IHA 

(e.g., pile installation and removal) had 

occurred. ADOT&PF submitted a 

request that we reissue an identical 

Phase 2 IHA that would be effective 

from March 1, 2022 through February 

28, 2023, in order to conduct the 

construction work that was analyzed 

and authorized through the previously 

issued Phase 2 IHA. Therefore, reissuance of the IHA is appropriate. 

Summary of Specified Activity and 

Anticipated Impacts 

The planned activities (including 

mitigation, monitoring, and reporting), 

authorized incidental take, and 

anticipated impacts on the affected 

stocks are the same as those analyzed 

and authorized through the previously 

issued Phase 2 IHA. 

The purpose of ADOT&PF’s 

construction project is to improve 

facilities that provide reliable access to 

Ketchikan International Airport and 

facilitate growth and development in 

the region. Some of the existing ferry 

facilities are aging and periodically outof-service for repairs or maintenance, 

and this project will provide redundant 

ferry berths to increase reliability. The 

location, timing, and nature of the 

activities, including the types of 

equipment planned for use, are identical 

hose described in the initial Phase 2 

IHA. The mitigation and monitoring are 

also as prescribed in the initial IHA. 

Take of a small number of eight 

species of marine mammals has been 

authorized by NMFS. Three of those 

species, harbor seal (Phoca vitulina 

richardii), harbor porpoise (Phocoena 

phocoena), and Dall’s porpoise 

(Phocoenoides dalli) may be taken by 

Level A or Level B harassment while the 

remaining five species would be taken 

by Level B harassment only. These 

species include humpback whale 

(Megaptera novaeangliae), minke whale 

(Balaenoptera acutorostrata), killer 

whale (Orcinus orca), Pacific whitesided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus 

obliquidens), and Steller sea lion 

(Eschrichtius robustus). A description of 

the methods and inputs used to estimate 

take anticipated to occur and, 

ultimately, the take that was authorized 

is found in the previous documents 

referenced above. The data inputs and 

methods of estimating take are identical 

to those used in the initial Phase 2 IHA. 

NMFS has revieweded recent Stock 

Assessment Reports, information on 

relevant Unusual Mortality Events, and 

recent scientific literature, and 

determined that no new information 

affects our original analysis of impacts 

or take estimate under the initial IHA. 

We refer to the documents related to 

the previously issued IHA, which 

include the Federal Register notice of 

the issuance of the Phase I and Phase 2 

IHAs for ADOT&PF construction work 

(85 FR 673; January 7, 2020), ADOT&PF 

application, the Federal Register notice 

of the proposed IHAs (84 FR 34134; July 

17, 2019), and all associated references 

and documents. 

Determinations 

ADOT&PF will conduct activities as 

analyzed in the initial Phase 2 2021– 

2022 IHA. As described above, the 

number of authorized takes of the same 

species and stocks of marine mammals 

are identical to the numbers that were 

found to meet the negligible impact and 

small numbers standards and 

authorized under the initial IHA and no 

new information has emerged that 

would change those findings. The reissued 2022 IHA includes identical 

required mitigation, monitoring, and 

reporting measures as the initial Phase 

2 IHA, and there is no new information 

suggesting that our analysis or findings 

should change. 

Based on the information contained 

here and in the referenced documents, 

NMFS has determined the following: (1) 

The required mitigation measures will 

effect the least practicable impact on 

marine mammal species or stocks and 

their habitat; (2) the authorized takes 

will have a negligible impact on the 

affected marine mammal species or 

stocks; (3) the authorized takes 

represent small numbers of marine 

mammals relative to the affected stock 

abundances; and (4) ADOT&PF’s 

activities will not have an unmitigable 

adverse impact on taking for subsistence 

purposes as no relevant subsistence uses 

of marine mammals are implicated by 

this action. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

To comply with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 

216–6A, NMFS must review our 

proposed action with respect to 

environmental consequences on the 

human environment. 

Accordingly, NMFS has determined 

that the issuance of the IHA qualifies to 

be categorically excluded from further 

NEPA review. This action is consistent 

with categories of activities identified in 

CE B4 of the Companion Manual for 

NOAA Administrative Order 216–6A, 

which do not individually or 

cumulatively have the potential for 

significant impacts on the quality of the 

human environment and for which we 

have not identified any extraordinary 

circumstances that would preclude this 

categorical exclusion. 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 

Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973 (ESA: 16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.) requires that each Federal 

agency insure that any action it 

authorizes, funds, or carries out is not 

likely to jeopardize the continued 

existence of any endangered or 

threatened species or result in the 

destruction or adverse modification of 

designated critical habitat. To ensure 

ESA compliance for the issuance of 

IHAs, NMFS consults internally, in this 

case with NMFS’ Alaska Regional 

Office, whenever we propose to 

authorize take for endangered or 

threatened species. 

NMFS is authorizing take of the 

Central North Pacific stock of humpback 

whales, of which a portion belong to the 

Mexico DPS of humpback whales, 

which are listed under the ESA. 

The action agencies are the Federal 

Highway Administration (FHA) and the 

NMFS Office of Protected Resources 

Permits and Conservation Division. On 

February 6, 2019, NMFS completed 

consultation with ADOT&PF for 

Tongass Narrows Project and issued a 

Biological Opinion with the FHA as an 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 12119 

action agency. Reinitiation of formal 

consultation was required to add NMFS 

Permits and Conservation Division as an 

action agency and to analyze changes to 

the action that were not considered in 

the February 2019 opinion (PCTS# 

AKR–2018–9806/ECO# AKRO–2018– 

01287). The original opinion considered 

the effects of only one project 

component being constructed at a time 

and did not analyze potential effects of 

concurrent pile driving which may 

cause effects to the listed species that 

were not considered in the original 

opinion; therefore, reinitiation of formal 

consultation was required. 

NMFS’ Alaska Region issued a revised 

Biological Opinion to NMFS’ Office of 

Protected Resources on December 19, 

2019 which concluded that issuance of 

the Phase 1 and Phase 2 IHAs to 

ADOT&PF is not likely to jeopardize the 

continued existence of Mexico DPS 

humpback whales. 

Authorization 

NMFS has issued an IHA to 

ADOT&PF for in-water construction 

activities associated with the specified 

activity from March 1, 2022, through 

February 28, 2023. All previously 

described mitigation, monitoring, and 

reporting requirements from the initial 

Phase 2 IHA are incorporated. 

Dated: February 25, 2022. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–04450 Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB862] 

Caribbean Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council’s (Council) 

District Advisory Panels (DAPs) will 

hold public virtual meetings to address 

the items contained in the tentative 

agenda included in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

DATES: The DAPs public virtual 

meetings will be held as follows: St. 

Thomas/St. John DAP, March 22, 2022; 

St. Croix DAP, March 23, 2022; and 

Puerto Rico DAP, March 24, 2022. All 

meetings will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 

Atlantic Standard Time (AST). 

ADDRESSES: You may join the DAPs 

public virtual meetings (via Zoom) from 

a computer, tablet or smartphone by 

entering the following addresses: 

DAP–STT/STJ 

Join Zoom Meeting: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86262

657165?pwd=aGQ4U25r

ME92d1p1TWo4d3Y3RGFrdz09 

Meeting ID: 862 6265 7165 

Passcode: 901759 

One tap mobile: 

+17879451488,,86262657165#,,,,

*901759# Puerto Rico 

+17879667727,,86262657165#,,,,

*901759# Puerto Rico 

Dial by your location: 

+1 787 945 1488 Puerto Rico 

+1 787 966 7727 Puerto Rico 

+1 939 945 0244 Puerto Rico 

Meeting ID: 862 6265 7165 

Passcode: 901759 

DAP–STX 

Join Zoom Meeting: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/845239

18830?pwd=ZWdleXVrN

2VzRW5MdVdJOStBZVRNQT09 

Meeting ID: 845 2391 8830 

Passcode: 507957 

One tap mobile: 

+17879451488,,84523918830#,,,,

*507957# Puerto Rico 

+17879667727,,84523918830#,,,,

*507957# Puerto Rico 

Dial by your location: 

+1 787 945 1488 Puerto Rico 

+1 787 966 7727 Puerto Rico 

+1 939 945 0244 Puerto Rico 

Meeting ID: 845 2391 8830 

Passcode: 507957 

DAP–PR 

Join Zoom Meeting: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86222659918

?pwd=UitRcnBJRXQyMUpWaE

tISEZ6elVvQT09 

Meeting ID: 862 2265 9918 

Passcode: 623876 

One tap mobile: 

+19399450244,,86222659918

#,,,,*623876# Puerto Rico 

+17879451488,,86222659918

#,,,,*623876# Puerto Rico 

Dial by your location: 

+1 939 945 0244 Puerto Rico 

+1 787 945 1488 Puerto Rico 

+1 787 966 7727 Puerto Rico 

Meeting ID: 862 2265 9918 

Passcode: 623876 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Miguel Rolo ́n, Executive Director, 

Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 

270 Mun ̃oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, 

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918–1903; 

telephone: (787) 398–3717. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The items 

included in the tentative agenda are: 

—Call to Order 

—Roll Call 

—Adoption of Agenda 

—Marine Protected Areas 

—Other Business 

All meetings will be discussing the 

same agenda items. 

Other than the starting date and time, 

the order of business may be adjusted as 

necessary to accommodate the 

completion of agenda items, at the 

discretion of the Chair. The meetings 

will begin on March 22, 2022 at 9 a.m. 

AST, and will end on March 24, 2022, 

at 4 p.m. AST. 

Special Accommodations 

Simultaneous interpretation will be 

provided for the DAP–PR, on March 24, 

2022. For simultaneous interpretation 

English-Spanish-English follow your 

Zoom screen instructions. You will be 

asked which language you prefer when 

you join the meeting. For any additional 

information on this public virtual 

meeting, please contact Diana Martino, 

Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 

270 Mun ̃ oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, 

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918–1903; 

telephone: (787) 226–8849. 

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

Dated: February 28, 2022. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–04488 Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB856] 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of webconference. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) Bering 

Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan (BS FEP) 

Team will be held on March 18, 2022, 

and on March 21, 2022. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Friday, March 18, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 

12 p.m. and on Monday, March 21, 

2022, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Alaska 

Time. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be a 

webconference. Join online through the 


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