This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

8494 

Vol. 74, No. 36 

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

23 CFR Part 180 

Office of the Secretary 

49 CFR Part 80 

Federal Railroad Administration 

49 CFR Part 261 

Federal Transit Administration 

49 CFR Part 640 

Maritime Administration 

49 CFR Part 1700 

[Docket No. DOT–OST–2009–0004] 

RIN 2105–AD70 

Credit Assistance for Surface 

Transportation Projects 

AGENCIES: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal 

Transit Administration (FTA), Maritime 

Administration (MARAD), Office of the 

Secretary of Transportation (OST), 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Withdrawal of notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NPRM) and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: This notice withdraws DOT’s 

proposed changes to its regulations 

implementing the Transportation 

Infrastructure Finance and Innovation 

Act (TIFIA). The NPRM is being 

withdrawn in order to allow the Obama 

Administration to review the program 

and decide what, if any changes, it may 

wish to propose. 

DATES: February 25, 2009. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Mark Sullivan, TIFIA Joint Program 

Office (202) 366–5785, or Mr. Steven 

Rochlis, Office of the Chief Counsel 

(202) 366–1395, Federal Highway 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

Wednesday, January 21, 2009, DOT 

published a NPRM (74 FR 3487) 

concerning the Transportation 

Infrastructure Finance and Innovation 

Act (TIFIA) to implement recent 

statutory changes and to incorporate 

certain other changes to the rule. In 

addition, the NPRM sought comment on 

policy issues with potentially 

significant impact on the TIFIA project 

selection process. This withdrawal will 

allow the Obama Administration to 

review the program and decide what, if 

any changes, it may wish to propose. 

We believe that the public will benefit 

from withdrawal of the proposal early in 

the comment period before comments 

have been drafted and filed pending 

review of the program by the new 

administration. 

Issued in Washington, DC on February 16, 

2009. 

Ray LaHood, 

Secretary of Transportation. 

[FR Doc. E9–3975 Filed 2–24–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 622 

RIN 0648–XN22 

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish 

Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Bottom 

Longline Petition 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Announcement of receipt of 

petitions for rulemaking; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt 

of two petitions for rulemaking from 

several non-governmental organizations 

(NGOs). These petitions request NMFS 

take specific actions to address sea 

turtle interactions in the bottom 

longline component of the commercial 

reef fish fishery. 

DATES: Comments will be accepted 

through March 27, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on the proposed rule, identified by 

‘‘0648–XN22’’ by any of the following 

methods: 

• Electronic Submissions: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

• Fax: 727–824–5308; Attention: 

Peter Hood. 

• Mail: Peter Hood, Southeast 

Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th

Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. 

Instructions: All comments received 

are a part of the public record and will 

generally be posted to http:// 

www.regulations.gov without change. 

All Personal Identifying Information (for 

example, name, address, etc.) 

voluntarily submitted by the commenter 

may be publicly accessible. Do not 

submit Confidential Business 

Information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

To submit comments through the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov, enter ‘‘NOAANMFS–2009–0031’’ in the keyword 

search, then select ‘‘Send a Comment or 

Submission.’’ NMFS will accept 

anonymous comments (enter N/A in the 

required fields, if you wish to remain 

anonymous). You may submit 

attachments to electronic comments in 

Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or 

Adobe PDF file formats only. 

Copies of the petitions may be 

obtained from Peter Hood at the address 

specified above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Peter Hood, telephone 727–824–5305, 

fax 727–824–5308, e-mail 

Peter.Hood@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Oceana 

has petitioned the Gulf of Mexico 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

and NMFS to implement emergency 

regulations for the bottom longline 

component of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) 

reef fish fishery to mitigate the high 

levels of loggerhead sea turtle bycatch in 

the fishery and to implement 

appropriate long-term actions, through 

an amendment to the Fishery 

Management Plan for Reef Fish 

Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), 

to ensure adequate protection for the 

loggerhead sea turtle populations. The 

Oceana petition specifically requests 

NMFS prohibit the use of reef fish 

bottom longline gear in waters 

shallower than 55 fathoms (100m) in the 


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