18756 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 74 / Thursday, April 17, 1997 / Notices

C. Funding

The source of funding for the

Council’s actions is a $21 million

restoration fund, established as a result

of settlements between the Federal

government, the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts, and the companies

responsible for releasing PCBs into New

Bedford Harbor. A separate account

funds the Harbor cleanup. By law and

under the terms of the settlement

agreements, the Council must finalize a

restoration plan for the New Bedford

Harbor Environment before funding

restoration projects, although necessary

plans and studies may be funded before

completion of the plan.

D. Development of the Draft RP/EIS

The Trustees determined that an EIS

was the most appropriate means to

ensure public participation in the

development of restoration alternatives,

and to analyze the environmental

impact of those alternatives. A Notice of

Intent to prepare the RP/EIS was

published in the Federal Register (60

FR 10835, February 28, 1995) and initial

scoping meetings were held in February

and March 1995. Restoration priorities

were determined from the list of

resources identified as having a high

probability of injury within the New

Bedford Harbor environment and which

would be likely candidates for

restoration. The restoration priorities

are: (1)Marshes or wetlands;

(2)recreation areas; (3)water column; (4)

habitats; (5)living resources; and

(6)endangered species.

E. Request for Ideas

A request for restoration ideas was

published in the Federal Register (60

FR 52164–52169, October 5, 1995). As a

result, 56 restoration ideas were

received from citizens, non-profit

organizations, municipalities, academic

institutions, state and Federal agencies,

and private businesses. The ideas

received are the alternatives analyzed in

the RP/EIS. The ideas were reviewed by

the Council’s community and technical

advisory committees and legal counsel.

The Committees provided

recommendations on which ideas

should be preferred alternatives to the

Council. The public was invited to

comment and a public hearing was held

on April 30, 1996. The Council then

selected 12 preferred alternatives after

considering the public comment and its

committees’ recommendation.

F. Alternatives Analyzed in the Draft

RP/EIS

The Council is proposing a

combination of near-term, future and

emergency actions, and plans and

studies, as appropriate, that together

would form the basis of an estuary-wide

plan to restore the affected environment.

This plan evaluates general restoration

alternatives as well as specific

restoration actions, and establishes a

process for the evaluation, selection,

and implementation of future

restoration actions.

G. Preferred Alternatives

From among the 56 ideas, the Council

selected 12 preferred alternatives for

near-term implementation. These ideas,

by restoration priority, are as follows:

Marshes or Wetlands

- Hydrologic restoration of Padanaram

Salt Marsh, Dartmouth

- Hydrologic restoration of Nonquitt

Marsh, Dartmouth

Recreation Areas

- Recreation and habitat

improvements to Fort Taber Park, New

Bedford

- Riverside/Belleville Avenue Marine

Recreational Park, New Bedford

Water Column

- Hurricane Barrier Box Culvert, New

Bedford/Fairhaven

Habitats

- Eelgrass habitat restoration, New

Bedford Harbor and Clarks Cove

- Land acquisition, Sconticut Neck,

Fairhaven

Living Resources

- Restoration and management of the

New Bedford area shellfishery

- Restoration of the Acushnet River

herring run

Endangered Species

- Buzzards Bay tern restoration and

habitat stabilization

Plans and Studies

- Wetlands restoration planning and

implementation

- New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor

Master Plan (aspects related to natural

resources)

On finalization of this plan, the

Council will begin implementation of

selected near-term alternatives.

H. Coordination with Ongoing Cleanup

Actions

Since the Harbor cleanup is ongoing,

restoration actions must be coordinated

with that process to maximize

environmental benefits while ensuring

that neither process negates or interferes

with the other. As cleanup of the Harbor

proceeds, more restoration options will

become practicable. The Council

proposes an event-based process of idea

solicitation and selection to choose

future restoration actions, periodically

selecting restoration actions that are

practicable, effective, and appropriate in

the context of the ongoing cleanup. Full

public involvement in Council

decisionmaking will be maintained in

all aspects of the process.

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. and 9601

et seq.

Dated: April 10, 1997.

Rolland A. Schmitten,

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Services.

[FR Doc. 97–9922 Filed 4–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 041197A]

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management

Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

convene public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on

May 12–15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held

at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, 333

Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA;

telephone: (504) 525–9444.

Council address: Gulf of Mexico

Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S.

Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa,

FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Wayne E. Swingle, Executive Director;

telephone: (813) 228–2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Council

May 14

8:30 a.m.—Convene.

8:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon—Receive

public testimony on Mackerel Total

Allocable Catch and Reef Fish

Amendment 15, published on April 11,

1997, 62 FR 17776.

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.—Continue

public testimony on Reef Fish

Amendment 15.

3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.—Receive a

report of the Reef Fish Management

Committee.

May 15

8:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.—Receive a

report of the Mackerel Management

Committee.

11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.—Receive a

report of the Shrimp Management

Committee.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 74 / Thursday, April 17, 1997 / Notices 18757

11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.—Receive a

report of the Data Collection Committee.

11:45 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.—Receive a

report of the Law Enforcement

Committee.

12:00 noon - 12:15 p.m.—Receive a

report on the South Atlantic Fishery

Management Council Liaison.

12:15 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.—Receive a

report of the International Commission

for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas

Advisory Committee.

12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.—Receive

Enforcement Reports.

1:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.— Receive

Director’s Reports.

1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.—Other business

to be discussed.

Committees

May 12

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.—Convene the

Data Collection Committee to review the

procedures that will be used by NMFS

in monitoring recreational red snapper

landings and closing that fishery when

the quota is taken.

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.—Convene the

Shrimp Management Committee to

review restoration scenarios for the red

snapper stock provided that several

additional types of bycatch reduction

devices are allowed in shrimp trawls

and the prognosis for the upcoming

brown shrimp season in Louisiana.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.—Convene the

Law Enforcement Committee to review

the NOAA Penalty Schedule Meeting

Discussion and the Law Enforcement

Advisory Panel (AP) comments.

May 13

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.—Convene the

Reef Fish Management Committee

(Committee) to review

recommendations on Draft Amendment

15 by the public from hearings and

letters, the Red Snapper AP, the Reef

Fish AP, the Law Enforcement AP, the

Scientific and Statistical Committee

(SSC) and by NMFS. Following its

review, the Committee will develop its

recommendations to the Council. The

Committee will also review a stock

assessment panel report on vermilion

snapper and public comments on a

scoping document for amberjacks.

1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.—Convene the

Mackerel Management Committee to

review the Stock Assessment Panel

report, the Socioeconomic Panel report,

and the recommendations of the

Mackerel AP and SSC before developing

its recommendations to the Council. It

will also review a preliminary options

paper for the next amendment to the

fishery management plan for the

mackerel fishery and reporting of

landings.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Anne Alford at the

Council (see ADDRESSES) by May 5,

1997.

Dated: April 11, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–9923 Filed 4–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 041497B]

Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of modification 1 to

permit 991 (P599).

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

NMFS has issued a modification to a

permit that authorizes takes of an

Endangered Species Act-listed species

for the purpose of scientific research,

subject to certain conditions set forth

therein, to the California Department of

Water Resources in Sacramento, CA

(CDWR).

ADDRESSES: The application 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

Protected Species Division, NMFS,

777 Sonoma Avenue, Room 325, Santa

Rosa, CA 95404–6528 (707–575–6066).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

modification to a permit was issued

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–

222).

Notice was published on December

30, 1996 (61 FR 68721) that an

application had been filed by CDWR

(P599) for modification 1 to permit 991.

Modification 1 to permit 991 was issued

to CDWR on March 24, 1997. Permit 991

authorizes CDWR takes of juvenile,

endangered, Sacramento River winterrun chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus

tshawytscha) associated with scientific

research. For modification 1 to permit

991, CDWR is authorized an annual take

of juvenile, ESA-listed fish associated

with a fisheries study of the Yolo

Bypass, a floodplain adjacent to the

Sacramento River where large numbers

of salmon are trapped when high flows

recede. Study results will be used to

provide recommendations for ecosystem

restoration options, to identify actions

to minimize adverse effects to juvenile

salmon, and to make habitat restoration

efforts as harmless to fish as possible.

Modification 1 is valid for the duration

of the permit. Permit 991 expires on

June 30, 1999.

Issuance of the permit modification,

as required by the ESA, was based on

a finding that such action: (1) Was

requested in good faith, (2) will not

operate to the disadvantage of the ESAlisted species that is the subject of the

permit, and (3) is consistent with the

purposes and policies set forth in

section 2 of the ESA and the NMFS

regulations governing ESA-listed

species permits.

Dated: April 14, 1997.

Robert C. Ziobro,

Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–9960 Filed 4–17–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 040297B]

Marine Mammals; Permit No. 838

(P535)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Scientific research permit

amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a

request for amendment of scientific

research permit no. 838 submitted by

Dr. Stephen Insley, Smithsonian

Institution, National Zoological Park,

Dept. Zoological Research, Washington,

DC 20008, has been granted.

ADDRESSES: The amendment and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following office(s):

Permits Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Suite 13130, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (301/712–2289); and