17784 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 1997 / Notices

isotope ratios, these ratios are used for

quantification of the important

processes. In addition, the instrument

will be used for educational purposes in

the courses GLY 5298 ‘‘Advanced

Topics in Geochemistry’’ and GLY 5261

‘‘Advanced Topics in Geochronology.’’

Application accepted by Commissioner

of Customs: March 25, 1997.

Frank W. Creel,

Director, Statutory Import Programs Staff.

[FR Doc. 97–9429 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

Woods Hole Oceanographic

Institution; Notice of Decision on

Application for Duty-Free Entry of

Scientific Instrument

This decision is made pursuant to

Section 6(c) of the Educational,

Scientific, and Cultural Materials

Importation Act of 1966 (Pub. L. 89–

651, 80 Stat. 897; 15 CFR part 301).

Related records can be viewed between

8:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. in Room 4211,

U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, D.C.

Docket Number: 96–148. Applicant:

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,

Woods Hole, MA 02543–1531.

Instrument: Mass Spectrometer, Model

MAT ELEMENT. Manufacturer:

Finnigan MAT, Germany. Intended Use:

See notice at 62 FR 6216, February 11,

1997.

Comments: None received. Decision:

Approved. No instrument of equivalent

scientific value to the foreign

instrument, for such purposes as it is

intended to be used, is being

manufactured in the United States.

Reasons: The foreign instrument

provides: (1) A magnetic sector analyzer

for best sensitivity to study low levels

of 230Th and 231Pa in seawater and (2)

fastest sample throughput to meet

laboratory workloads. The National

Institutes of Health advises in its

memorandum dated February 4, 1997

that (1) These capabilities are pertinent

to the applicant’s intended purpose and

(2) it knows of no domestic instrument

or apparatus of equivalent scientific

value to the foreign instrument for the

applicant’s intended use.

We know of no other instrument or

apparatus of equivalent scientific value

to the foreign instrument which is being

manufactured in the United States.

Frank W. Creel,

Director, Statutory Import Programs Staff.

[FR Doc. 97–9430 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 032497B]

Western Pacific Fishery Management

Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings;

correction.

SUMMARY: This public meeting notice for

the 92nd meeting of the Western Pacific

Fishery Management Council was

originally published in the March 31,

1997, issue of the Federal Register.

Numerous corrections have made it

necessary to reprint this notice in its

entirety; therefore, this notice

supersedes the March 31 publication.

DATES: The meetings will be held on

April 21–25, 1997. See SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION for specific dates and

times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the Ala Moana Hotel, Garden Lanai and

Pakalana/Anthurium Rooms, Honolulu,

HI; telephone: (808) 855–4811.

Council address: Western Pacific

Fishery Management Council, 1164

Bishop St., Suite 1405, Honolulu, HI

96813.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director;

telephone: (808) 522–8220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March

31, 1997 (61 FR 15157), a public

meeting notice for the Western Pacific

Fishery Management Council was

published. Due to various corrections, it

is hereby reprinted in its entirety for

ease of reading, as follows:

A meeting of the full Advisory Panel

(AP) will be held on Monday, April 21,

1997, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On

Tuesday, April 22, 1997, the Pacific

Insular Area Fishing Agreement

(PIAFA) Working Group will meet from

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the Western

Pacific Fishery Information Network

(WpacFIN) Fishery Data (Coordinating)

Committee will meet from 1:00 p.m. to

5:00 p.m. The Council’s Standing

Committees will meet on Wednesday,

April 23, 1997, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30

p.m. The Council’s Vessel Monitoring

System (VMS) Committee will meet

concurrently with the Enforcement

Standing Committee. The full Council

will meet from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on

Thursday, April 24, 1997, and from 9:00

a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 25,

1997.

The Council will discuss and may

take action on the following agenda

items:

1. Report on the AP meeting and

recommendations to the Council;

2. Reports from the islands;

3. Reports on enforcement issues,

including;

(a) U.S. Coast Guard report,

(b) NMFS activities and VMS update,

(c) VMS data request for research, and

(d) status of violations.

4. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

requirements for Fishery Management

Plan (FMP) amendments, including:

(a) consistency of definitions;

(b) bycatch;

(c) fishing sectors (commercial,

recreational, charter);

(d) essential fish habitat;

(e) fishing communities; and

(f) overfishing.

5. Pelagic fishery issues, including:

(a) pelagic fisheries research and data

reporting;

(b) determination of total allowable

level of foreign fishing for American

Samoa, Guam, and the Northern

Mariana Islands (NMI);

(c) status of bycatch/incidental take,

interaction issues and assessments for

turtles, sharks and seabirds;

(d) gear conflict between handliners

and longliners;

(e) Scientific and Statistical

Committee (SSC) recommendations;

(f) public hearing;

(g) report on South Pacific Tuna treaty

review and future international

meetings; and

(h) other issues.

6. Crustacean fishery issues,

including:

(a) Recommend that the Regional

Administrator issue a final rule

establishing a VMS program for the

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI)

lobster fishery;

(b) possible changes to the NWHI

lobster fishery regulations under the

framework procedures of the FMP,

regarding: model to estimate exploitable

lobster population in the NWHI; risk

analysis estimation procedure; highgrading during 1996 NWHI lobster

season; review harvest guideline for the

1997 NWHI lobster season for possible

adjustment; grandfathered permit

transferability issue; NWHI revised

lobster catch report form; and impact of

expanding live lobster product;
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 1997 / Notices 17785

(c) NMFS lobster research activities;

industry concerns about the fishery;

summary of Review Panel’s report/

recommendations; Crustacean Plan

Team/Hawaii-Crustacean Advisory

Panel recommendations; SSC

recommendations; public hearing; and

(d) other issues.

7. Reports from fishery agencies and

organizations.

8. Bottomfish issues, including:

(a) overfished Main Hawaiian Islands

(MHI) onaga and ehu (State of Hawaii

Draft Management Plan and Council’s

Management Plan);

(b) status of NWHI management

system;

(c) SSC recommendations;

(d) public hearing; and

(e) other issues.

9. Native rights and indigenous

fishing issues, including:

(a) PIAFA requirements such as

conservation plans for American Samoa,

Guam, the NMI and other U.S.

possessions;

(b) report of PIAFA Working Group;

(c) status of AP for demonstration

projects;

(d) status of Commonwealth of NMI

turtle study;

(e) SSC recommendations;

(f) Native Rights Committee

recommendations;

(g) public hearing; and

(h) other issues.

10. Ecosystems and Habitat,

including:

(a) summary of recent activities; and

(b) SSC recommendations.

11. Precious corals, including:

(a) application for permit to harvest

precious corals;

12. Program planning, including:

(a) education and outreach program;

and

(b) status of WpacFIN.

13. Administrative matters, including:

(a) Statement of Organization,

Practices, and Procedures revision;

(b) administrative reports;

(c) future meetings and travel; and

(d) other business as required.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to

Kitty M. Simonds, 808–522–8220

(voice) or 808–522–8226 (fax), at least 5

days prior to meeting date.

Dated: April 3, 1997.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–9325 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6210–01–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

National Weather Service

Modernization and Associated

Restructuring

AGENCY: National Weather Service

(NWS), NOAA, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and opportunity for

public comment.

SUMMARY: The National Weather Service

(NWS) is publishing proposed

certifications for the proposed

consolidations of:

(1) International Falls Weather

Service Office (WSO) into the future

Duluth and Eastern North Dakota

Weather Forecast Offices (WFO);

(2) Abilene WSO into the future San

Angelo WFO; and

(3) Victoria WSO into the future

Corpus Christi WFO. In accordance with

Pub. Law 102–567, the public will have

60-days in which to comment on these

proposed consolidation certifications.

DATES: Comments are requested by June

10, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the

proposed consolidation packages should

be sent to Tom Beaver, Room 09356,

1235 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,

MD 20910, telephone 301–713–0300.

All comments should be sent to Tom

Beaver at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Julie Scanlon at 301–713–1698 ext 151.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

accordance with section 706 of Pub.

Law 102–567, the Secretary of

Commerce must certify that these

consolidations will not result in any

degradation of service to the affected

areas of responsibility and must publish

the proposed consolidation

certifications in the FR. The

documentation supporting each

proposed certification includes the

following:

(1) a draft memorandum by the

meteorologist-in-charge recommending

the certification, the final of which will

be endorsed by the Regional Director

and the Assistant Administrator of the

NWS if appropriate, after consideration

of public comments and completion of

consultation with the Modernization

Transition Committee (the Committee);

(2) a description of local weather

characteristics and weather-related

concerns which affect the weather

services provided within the service

area;

(3) a comparison of the services

provided within the service area and the

services to be provided after such

action;

(4) a description of any recent or

expected modernization of NWS

operation which will enhance services

in the service area;

(5) an identification of any area

within the affected service area which

would not receive coverage (at an

elevation of 10,000 feet) by the next

generation weather radar network;

(6) evidence, based upon operational

demonstration of modernized NWS

operations, which was considered in

reaching the conclusion that no

degradation in service will result from

such action including the WSR–88D

Radar Commissioning Report(s), User

Confirmation of Services Report(s), and

the Decommissioning Readiness Report

(as applicable); and

(7) a letter appointing the liaison

officer.

These proposed certifications do not

include any report of the Committee

which could be submitted in accordance

with sections 706(b)(6) and 707(c) of

Pub. Law 102–567. At their December

14, 1995 meeting the numbers ‘‘* * *

resolved that the MTC modify its

procedure to eliminate proposed

certification consultations of

noncontroversial closings,

consolidations, relocations, and

automation certifications but will

provide final consultation on

certifications after public comment and

before final submission to the Secretary

of Commerce.’’

The above actions are all considered

noncontroversial by the NWS. Also

these proposed certifications do not

include the documentation supporting

them which is too voluminous to

publish. Copies of the supporting

documentation can be obtained through

the contact listed above.

Once all public comments have been

received and considered, the NWS will

complete consultation with the

Committee and determine whether to

proceed with the final certifications. If

decisions to certify are made, the

Secretary of Commerce must publish the

final certifications in the FR and

transmit the certifications to the

appropriate Congressional committees

prior to consolidating the offices.

Dated: April 7, 1997.

Elbert W. Friday, Jr.,

Assistant Administrator for Weather Services.

[FR Doc. 97–9327 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–12–M