13420 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 58 / Friday, March 27, 2009 / Notices 

established to fill a need for advice and 

assessment on MEP’s plans, strategies 

and performance. MEP is a unique 

program consisting of centers across the 

United States and Puerto Rico, with 

partnerships at the State, Federal, and 

local levels. The Board provides input 

and advice on MEP’s programs, plans, 

and policies. At this meeting, the Board 

will address MEP’s sustainability 

initiatives and efforts to deploy services 

into the U.S. manufacturing economy. 

The Board’s agenda may include other 

Board business. 

DATES: The meeting will convene April 

19, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. and will adjourn 

at 4 p.m. on April 19, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & 

Convention Center, 8701 World Center 

Drive, Orlando, Florida 32821. Any 

interested person wishing to attend this 

meeting should submit his or her name, 

e-mail address and phone number to 

Susan Hayduk (susan.hayduk@nist.gov, 

(301) 975–5614) no later than c.o.b. 

April 9, 2009. Those who are unable to 

attend in person are invited to submit 

written statements to the MEP Advisory 

Board. Please send your statements to 

Karen Lellock at karen.lellock@nist.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen Lellock, Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership, National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, 

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899–4800, 

telephone number (301) 975–4269. 

Dated: March 19, 2009. 

Richard Kayser, 

Chief Scientist. 

[FR Doc. E9–6906 Filed 3–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–X036 

Endangered Species; File No. 1547–02 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit 

modification. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the New York State Department of 

Environmental Conservation (Kathryn 

Hattala, Principal Investigator), 21 

South Putt Corners Road; New Paltz, NY 

12561, has been issued a modification to 

scientific research Permit No. 1547–02. 

ADDRESSES: The modification and 

related documents are available for 

review upon written request or by 

appointment in the following offices: 

Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 

(301)713–2289; fax (301)427–2521; and 

Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great 

Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; 

phone (978)281–9300; fax (978)281– 

9333; 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Malcolm Mohead or Kate Swails, 

(301)713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

December 9, 2008, notice was published 

in the Federal Register (72 FR 74708) 

that a modification of Permit No. 1547– 

01, issued March 22, 2007 (72 FR 

17135), had been requested by the 

above-named individual. The requested 

modification has been granted under the 

authority of the Endangered Species Act 

of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.) and the regulations 

governing the taking, importing, and 

exporting of endangered and threatened 

species (50 CFR 222–226). 

In addition to all research activities 

authorized under Permit No. 1547–01, 

this modification authorizes anesthesia 

and gastric lavage on up to 200 

shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser 

brevirostrum) in the Haverstraw and 

Newburgh Bays of the Hudson River. 

The researcher also is permitted one 

unintentional mortality of a shortnose 

sturgeon during the remaining 

permitted period. The goal of the 

additional research will be to document 

the diet of shortnose sturgeon occupying 

the same habitat as Atlantic sturgeon 

(Acipenser oxyrhynchus oxyrhynchus) 

in the lower Hudson River. This 

modification will be valid through the 

expiration date of the original permit, 

October 31, 2011. 

Issuance of this modification, as 

required by the ESA, was based on a 

finding that such permit (1) was applied 

for in good faith, (2) will not operate to 

the disadvantage of such endangered or 

threatened species, and (3) is consistent 

with the purposes and policies set forth 

in section 2 of the ESA. 

Dated: March 24, 2009. 

Tammy C. Adams, 

Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and 

Education Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–6899 Filed 3–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XN99 

Fisheries Off West Coast States and in 

the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast 

Groundfish Fishery; Application for an 

Exempted Fishing Permit 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of exempted 

fishing permit applications; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt 

of exempted fishing permit (EFP) 

applications, and is considering 

issuance of EFPs for vessels 

participating in the EFP fisheries. The 

EFPs are necessary to allow activities 

that are otherwise prohibited by Federal 

regulations. The EFPs will be effective 

no earlier than April 27, 2009, and 

would expire no later than December 

31, 2009, but could be terminated earlier 

under terms and conditions of the EFPs 

and other applicable laws. 

DATES: Comments must be received no 

later than 5 p.m., local time on April 27, 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by 0648–XN99 by any one of 

the following methods: 

• Fax: 206–526–6736, Attn: Gretchen 

Arentzen. 

• Mail: D. Robert Lohn, Administrator, 

Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand 

Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115–0070, 

Attn: Gretchen Arentzen. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

view copies of the 2009 EFP 

applications, visit the Pacific Council 

website at www.pcouncil.org and 

browse the September 2008 Briefing 

Book; or contact Gretchen Arentzen 

(Northwest Region, NMFS), phone: 206– 

526–6147, fax: 206–526–6736. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

action is authorized by the Magnuson– 

Stevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act provisions at 50 CFR 

600.745, which states that EFPs may be 

used to authorize fishing activities that 

would otherwise be prohibited. At the 

September 2008 Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) meeting 

in Boise, Idaho, the Council considered 

applications for four EFPs from: (1) The 

Nature Conservancy and their 

collaborators; (2) the California 

Recreational Fishing Alliance and 

Golden Gate Fisherman’s Association; 

(3) the Oregon Recreational Fishing 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 58 / Friday, March 27, 2009 / Notices 13421 

Alliance; and (4) Steven Fosmark. An 

opportunity for public testimony was 

provided during the Council meeting. 

For more details on these EFP 

applications and to view copies of the 

applications, see the Pacific Council’s 

website at www.pcouncil.org and 

browse the September 2008 Briefing 

Book. The Council recommended that 

NMFS consider issuing the following 

EFPs. 

Community Based Fishing Association 

EFP 

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) 

submitted a proposal for a 2009 EFP, 

along with their collaborators: City of 

Morro Bay Harbor Department; Port San 

Luis Commercial Fishermen’s 

Association; Port San Luis Harbor 

District; California Department of Fish 

and Game; Morro Bay Commercial 

Fishermen’s Organization, Inc.; and 

Environmental Defense. The primary 

purpose of the EFP is to test whether 

establishing a cooperatively managed, 

community based fishing association 

can provide economic and 

environmental performance benefits. 

Recreational Chilipepper EFP 

The California Recreational Fishing 

Alliance (RFA) and the Golden Gate 

Fishermen’s Association submitted an 

application for a 2009 EFP. The primary 

purpose of the EFP is to do an area– 

based recreational fishing study to test 

if hook and line fishing gear can be used 

to access underutilized chilipepper 

rockfish seaward of the non–trawl RCA, 

while keeping bycatch of overfished 

species low. 

Recreational Yellowtail EFP 

The Oregon RFA submitted an 

application for a 2009 EFP. The primary 

purpose of the EFP is to test if 

recreational fishing gear, fitted with a 

long leader to keep gear up off the ocean 

floor, can be used to access 

underutilized yellowtail rockfish, while 

keeping bycatch of overfished species 

low. 

Commercial Chilipepper EFP 

Steven Fosmark submitted an 

application for a 2009 EFP. The primary 

purpose of the EFP is to test if a specific 

longline gear configuration can be used 

in the commercial fishery to target 

underutilized chilipepper rockfish, 

while keeping bycatch of overfished 

species low. 

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

Dated: March 23, 2009. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–6895 Filed 3–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

Customer Panel Quality Survey 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment 

request. 

SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of its 

continuing effort to reduce paperwork 

and respondent burden, invites the 

general public and other Federal 

agencies to take this opportunity to 

comment on this extension of a 

continuing information collection, as 

required by the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13 (44 

U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before May 26, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• E-mail: Susan.Fawcett@uspto.gov. 

Include ‘‘0651–0057 Customer Panel 

Quality Survey comment’’ in the subject 

line of the message. 

• Fax: 571–273–0112, marked to the 

attention of Susan K. Fawcett. 

• Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records 

Officer, Office of the Chief Information 

Officer, Administrative Management 

Group, U.S. Patent and Trademark 

Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 

22313–1450. 

• Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information 

should be directed to the attention of 

Martin Rater, Management Analyst, 

Office of Patent Quality Assurance, 

United States Patent and Trademark 

Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 

22313–1450; by telephone at 571–272– 

5966; or by e-mail at 

martin.rater@uspto.gov with 

‘‘Paperwork’’ in the subject line. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

For over the past 10 years, the USPTO 

has used surveys to obtain customer 

feedback regarding the products, 

services, and related service standards 

of the USPTO. The USPTO used the 

data to measure how well the agency is 

meeting established customer service 

standards, to identify any disjoints 

between customer expectations and 

USPTO performance, and to develop 

improvement strategies. Typically, these 

surveys ask customers to express their 

satisfaction with the USPTO’s products 

and services based upon their 

interactions with the agency as a whole 

over a 12-month period. 

In order to obtain further data 

concerning customer ratings of the 

USPTO’s services, service standards, 

and performance, the USPTO developed 

the Customer Panel Quality Survey. 

This survey narrows the focus of 

customer satisfaction to examination 

quality and uses a longitudinal, rotating 

panel design to assess changes in 

customer perceptions and to identify 

key areas for examiner training and 

opportunities for improvement. The 

USPTO plans to survey patent agents, 

attorneys, and other individuals from 

large domestic corporations (including 

those with 500+ employees), small and 

medium-size businesses, universities 

and other non-profit research 

organizations, and independent 

inventors; however, the USPTO does 

not plan to survey foreign entities. 

The USPTO will draw a random 

sample of these customers from their 

database. Due to the rotating panel 

design, some sample members will be 

surveyed twice in order to measure 

change over a period of time. Each year 

of the survey will include four waves of 

data collection. 

The Customer Panel Quality Survey is 

a mail survey, although respondents can 

also complete the survey electronically 

on the Web. The content of both 

versions will be identical. A survey 

packet containing the questionnaire, a 

separate cover letter prepared by the 

Commissioner of Patents, a postagepaid, pre-addressed return envelope, 

and instructions for completing the 

survey electronically will be mailed to 

all sample members. A pre-notification 

letter, reminder/thank you postcards, 

and telephone calls will be used to 

encourage response from sample 

members. 

This is a voluntary survey and all 

responses will remain confidential. The 

collected data will not be linked to the 

respondent and contact information that 

is used for sampling purposes will be 

maintained in a separate file from the 

quantitative data. Respondents are not 

required to provide any identifying 

information such as their name, address, 

or Social Security Number. In order to 

access and complete the online survey, 

respondents will need to use the 

username, password, and survey ID 

number provided by the USPTO. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES