Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 47 / Tuesday, March 11, 1997 / Notices 11157

residents of the territory totalled

$3,623,965.

There are no producers in Guam,

American Samoa or the Northern

Mariana Islands.

The calendar year 1997 Virgin Islands

annual allocations set forth below are

based on the data verified by the

Departments in the Virgin Islands. The

allocations reflect adjustments made in

data supplied on the producers’ annual

application forms (ITA–334P) as a result

of the Departments’ verification.

The duty-exemption allocations for

calendar year 1997 in the Virgin Islands

are as follows:

Name of firm Annual allocation

Belair Quartz, Inc. ................. 500,000

Hampden Watch Co., Inc. .... 200,000

Progress Watch Co., Inc. ..... 500,000

Unitime Industries, Inc. ......... 500,000

Tropex, Inc. ........................... 400,000

Robert S. LaRussa,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Import

Administration, Department of Commerce.

Danny Aranza,

Acting Director, Office of Insular Affairs,

Department of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 97–5894 Filed 3–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P, 4310–93–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Docket No. 960322092–7041–05; I.D.

122696A]

RIN 0648–ZA19

Gulf of Mexico Sustainable Fisheries

Program

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Final notice of availability of

Federal assistance.

SUMMARY: NMFS establishes a Gulf of

Mexico Sustainable Fisheries Program

that provides $10 million in fishery

disaster assistance to the Gulf of Mexico

(Gulf). NMFS will allocate the $10

million to the five Gulf states’ fisheries

resource agencies for projects or other

measures designed to alleviate the longterm effects of the fishery resource

disasters on the Gulf’s fishery resources

and associated habitat.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Buck Sutter, at (813) 570–5324.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background.

Pursuant to his authority under

section 308(d) of the Interjurisdictional

Fisheries Act (16 U.S.C. 4107(d)) (IFA),

the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary)

declared fishery resource disasters on

August 2, 1995, in the Pacific

Northwest, New England, and the Gulf.

With respect to the Gulf, the Secretary’s

disaster declaration (Declaration) cited

multiple impacts. Nonpoint source

nutrients and debris entering the Gulf as

a result of the Mississippi River floods

in 1993 and 1994 caused severe

hypoxia, a condition where the excess

nutrients react to deplete the water of

necessary oxygen, which spread to

massive areas in the Gulf and threatened

marine life and coastal resources. The

flood debris created underwater hazards

for commercial fishermen who suffered

damaged or lost gear and vessels. In

addition, the Secretary cited hurricanes

that harmed fisheries habitat and

engendered substantial economic

damage and social disruption. Because

of these impacts, the Secretary made

$15 million available for the Gulf of

Mexico for disaster relief.

On June 10, 1996, NMFS published a

final notice (61 FR 29350) describing the

Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Disaster

Program (FDP), which committed up to

$5 million of the available $15 million

for direct grants to commercial

fishermen who suffered uninsured

fishing vessel or gear damage or loss

caused by the hurricanes, floods, or

their aftereffects. Subsequently, on

October 24, 1996, a notice was

published (61 FR 55132) to expand

eligibility under the FDP.

Section 308(d) of the IFA allows the

Secretary to help persons engaged in

commercial fisheries by providing

assistance indirectly through state and

local government agencies. Therefore,

the remaining $10 million in Gulf

disaster assistance will go toward

projects or other measures to alleviate

the long-term impacts on Gulf fishery

resources and associated habitat from

conditions cited in the August 2, 1995,

Declaration. Because the impacts varied

from state to state, this assistance is

provided through the five Gulf state

fisheries resource agencies, as they are

in the best position to determine how

the funds can be used.

This notice establishes the criteria

that will be used by NOAA to evaluate

and fund state disaster assistance

proposals. NOAA has been in

consultation with the eligible state

fishery resource agencies, and plans to

invite proposals via letter. At that time,

applicants will be provided additional

details on applicable Federal assistance

requirements. Once NMFS determines

that a state’s proposal(s) complies with

all applicable terms, limitations, and

conditions, NMFS will enter into a

financial assistance agreement with that

state for the administration of each

project.

After consultations with appropriate

state officials and review of available

information regarding the impacts of

disasters that occurred from August 23,

1992, through December 31, 1995,

NMFS has decided upon the following

apportionment of funds: Alabama—$1

million; Florida—$2.25 million;

Louisiana—$4.5 million; Mississippi—

$1 million; and Texas—$1.25 million.

On behalf of the Secretary, NMFS

published a Notice of Proposed Program

on January 2, 1997 (62 FR 94), to solicit

public comments. One written comment

was received, from a Gulf state fishery

resource agency. The comment

expressed support for the proposed

program, stating that the criteria

established in the notice will allow

states to design and implement projects

that will benefit fishery resources and

habitats in the long term. NMFS agrees

and has therefore made no changes to

the program.

Criteria

In order to be considered for funding,

a state proposal must adhere to the

following criteria:

1. The proposed project(s) must be

consistent with the original intent of the

Secretary’s disaster declaration and the

IFA (i.e., each project must address

conditions resulting from nutrients and

debris entering the Gulf as a result of

floods, and/or hurricanes or hurricanestrength storms, from August 23, 1992

through December 31, 1995); and

2. Projects must address the long-term

benefit of the fishery resource and

associated habitat and must seek to

create healthy, sustainable fisheries in

the Gulf of Mexico; and

3. Projects must not duplicate existing

Federal, state, or local projects.

However, they may augment or allow

the maintenance of effort of existing

projects, provided that those projects are

consistent with all other criteria. In

other words, separate projects may not

be created if such projects already exist,

but funds may be used to maintain

existing projects; and

4. Projects that primarily involve new

data collection must show a clear

relationship between that project and

long-term benefits to the fishery

resource that are attainable without

additional funding. A new data

collection project would not qualify

under this program if the project would

not provide sufficient useful

information without future funding.

Projects that would qualify under

these criteria might include restoration/

development of hurricane or flood-
11158 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 47 / Tuesday, March 11, 1997 / Notices

damaged habitat, enhancement of stocks

that declined due to hypoxia or habitat

loss, or fishing capacity reduction

projects to alleviate the excess capacity

targeting the depleted stocks and to

mitigate the financial harm suffered by

fishermen who targeted these stocks.

Determinations and Administration

All state grant proposals will be

reviewed by the Department of

Commerce, NOAA, and NMFS. Final

project selections will be made by

NMFS ensuring that there is no

duplication with other projects funded

by NOAA or other Federal

organizations. If a proposal is accepted,

NOAA will enter into a financial

assistance agreement with the

submitting state.

NMFS may require states to submit

semiannual project status reports on the

use of funds and progress of the project

to NMFS within 30 days after the end

of each 6-month period. These reports

would be submitted to the individual

specified as the NMFS Program Officer

in the funding agreement. NMFS may

also require states to submit a final

report within 90 days after completion

of each project to the NMFS Program

Officer. The final report would describe

the project and include an evaluation of

the work performed and the results and

benefits in sufficient detail to enable

NMFS to assess the success of the

completed project.

NMFS is committed to using available

technology to achieve the timely and

wide distribution of final reports to

those who would benefit from this

information. Therefore, recipients may

be required to submit final reports in

electronic format, in accordance with

the award terms and conditions, for

publication on the NMFS Home Page.

Catalogue of Federal Domestic

Assistance

The Program is listed in the

‘‘Catalogue of Federal Domestic

Assistance’’ under No. 11.452, Unallied

Industry Projects.

Classification

This program has been determined to

be not significant for the purposes of

E.O. 12866. The Assistant General

Counsel for Legislation and Regulation

of the Department of Commerce

certified to the Chief Counsel for

Advocacy of the Small Business

Administration that this notice would

not have a significant economic impact

on a substantial number of small

entities. No comments were received

regarding this certification. As a result,

no regulatory flexibility analysis was

prepared. Because there are less than 10

applicants, the Paperwork Reduction

Act does not apply.

Authority: Public Law 99–659 (16 U.S.C.

4101 et seq.); Public Law 102–396; Public

Law 104–134.

Dated: March 5, 1997.

Nancy Foster, Ph.D.,

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–5951 Filed 3–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–M

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 030597A]

Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of applications for two

scientific research permits (P45X, P45Y)

and modification 2 to scientific research

permit 956 (P45S).

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Columbia River Research Laboratory

of the U.S. Geological Service in Cook,

WA (USGS), formerly the National

Biological Service, has applied in due

form for two permits and a modification

to a permit authorizing takes of

endangered and threatened species for

scientific research purposes.

DATES: Written comments or requests for

a public hearing on any of these

applications must be received on or

before April 10, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The applications and

related documents are available for

review in the following offices, by

appointment:

Office of Protected Resources, F/PR3,

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver

Spring, MD 20910–3226 (301–713–

1401); and

Environmental and Technical

Services Division, 525 NE Oregon

Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232–

4169 (503–230–5400).

Written comments or requests for a

public hearing should be submitted to

the Chief, Environmental and Technical

Services Division, Portland.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: USGS

requests two permits and a modification

to a permit under the authority of

section 10 of the Endangered Species

Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531–

1543) and the NMFS regulations

governing ESA-listed fish and wildlife

permits (50 CFR parts 217–227).

USGS (P45X) requests a five-year

permit for annual takes of adult and

juvenile, threatened, Snake River fall

chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus

tshawytscha) and adult and juvenile,

threatened, Snake River spring/summer

chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus

tshawytscha) associated with a study

designed to determine the post-release

attributes and survival of hatchery and

natural fall chinook salmon in the Snake

River. The study consists of eight

assessment tasks for which ESA-listed

fish are proposed to be taken: 1) Life

cycle, 2) redd counts, 3) food and

growth, 4) habitat use, 5) predation, 6)

temperature response, 7) migratory

behavior, and 8) race and residualism.

ESA-listed fish will be observed;

captured, handled, and released;

captured, anesthetized, tagged with

passive integrated transponders or radio

transmitters, allowed to recover from

the anesthetic, and released; or taken

lethally. Indirect mortalities associated

with the research activities are also

requested.

USGS (P45Y) requests a three-year

permit for an annual take of juvenile,

threatened, artificially-propagated,

Snake River spring/summer chinook

salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

associated with a study designed to

determine the vertical and horizontal

distribution of juvenile salmonids

exposed to high levels of total dissolved

gas during their seaward migration in

the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The

vertical and horizontal distribution of

juvenile salmonids exposed to high

levels of total dissolved gas must be

further defined to assess the risk of

mortality from gas bubble disease. ESAlisted fish will be acquired from the

Smolt Monitoring Program under the

authority of permit 822 at Lower

Monumental, Ice Harbor, or McNary

Dams; transported as necessary to Ice

Harbor Dam; anesthetized; surgically

implanted with radio transmitters;

allowed to recover from the anesthetic

and the surgical procedure; released at

Ice Harbor Dam; and tracked

electronically between Ice Harbor and

McNary Dams. Indirect mortalities of

ESA-listed fish associated with the

research activities are also requested.

USGS (P45S) requests modification 2

to scientific research permit 956 for

authorization to take juvenile,

threatened, Snake River fall chinook

salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

associated with annual research

activities. Permit 956 currently

authorizes USGS an annual take of

juvenile, threatened, naturally-produced

and artificially-propagated, Snake River

spring/summer chinook salmon

(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated

with a study designed to obtain data on

the distribution, abundance, movement,

and habitat preferences of the