106440 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 249 / Monday, December 30, 2024 / Notices 

coordination of NMFS OPR. NMFS has 

conducted an environmental review of 

OPR’s coordination role related to the 

STSSN and the formalization of their 

program protocols and roles described 

in the Draft 2024 STSSN Operating 

Procedures Handbook. 

The STSSN is a cooperative effort to 

reduce causes of morbidity and 

mortality in sea turtles by responding to 

and documenting sea turtles, found 

either dead or alive (but compromised), 

in a manner sufficient to inform 

conservation management and recovery. 

The proposed activities considered in 

the draft EA are limited to the 

coordination role that OPR holds, 

activities NMFS staff will conduct in the 

field related to stranding coordination, 

response, and mortality investigation, 

and direct takes of sea turtles while 

responding to stranding incidents that 

have occurred because of human 

activity or natural causes of illness, 

injury, or mortality. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

This notice is provided pursuant to 

section 10(c) of the ESA and the NEPA 

(42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.). This draft EA 

was prepared in accordance with NEPA 

(42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) and NOAA 

policy and procedures (NOAA 

Administrative Order [NAO] 216–6A 

and the Companion Manual [CM] for the 

NAO 216–6A). 

Alternatives Considered 

NMFS’ proposed action is the 

continued coordination of the STSSN by 

NMFS OPR and the review of program 

protocols and best practices, which have 

been consolidated and updated in the 

Draft 2024 STSSN Operating Procedures 

Handbook. In preparing the draft EA, 

NMFS considered the following two 

alternatives for the proposed action. 

Alternative 1: No Action. In 

accordance with the NOAA CM for 

NAO 216–6A, section 6.B.i, Under the 

No Action Alternative, NMFS OPR 

would absolve its role coordinating the 

STSSN. Under this alternative, the 

STSSN would continue to operate as 

prescribed in the species Recovery 

Plans, but only under existing state 

programs that are permitted through the 

USFWS permit authority, or through 

direct permits to stranding response 

organizations and rehabilitation 

facilities. Stranding response activities 

would be maintained, but without 

NMFS OPR involvement. The Council 

on Environmental Quality Regulations 

and the CM for NAO 216–6A require 

consideration and analysis of a no 

action alternative for the purposes of 

presenting a comparative analysis to the 

action alternatives. The no action 

alternative, serves as a baseline against 

which the impacts of the action 

alternatives will be compared and 

contrasted. 

Alternative 2: Continued Operation of 

the STSSN under NMFS Coordination, 

Guided by the Draft 2024 STSSN 

Operating Procedures Handbook. Under 

Alternative 2, NMFS OPR would 

continue to coordinate the STSSN and 

would finalize the Draft 2024 STSSN 

Operating Procedures Handbook as a 

guide for the continued operation of the 

STSSN. The STSSN has been in 

operation for decades, and the 

Operating Procedures seeks to 

consolidate various guidance 

documents and clearly outline the roles 

and responsibilities of STSSN 

participants. 

Final determinations will not be 

completed until after the end of the 30- 

day comment period and NMFS will 

fully consider all public comments 

received during the comment period. If 

finalized and adopted, NMFS will 

publish the Final STSSN Operating 

Procedures Handbook to its website. 

Dated: December 20, 2024. 

Caroline Good, 

Acting Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle 

Conservation Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–31126 Filed 12–27–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE568] 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of hybrid meeting. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) Crab 

Plan Team will meet January 14, 2025 

to January 15, 2025. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Tuesday, January 14, 2025, through 

Wednesday, January 15, 2025, from 9 

a.m. to 5 p.m., AK time. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be a 

hybrid meeting. Attend in-person at the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council office, 1007 West Third Ave., 

Suite 400, Anchorage, AK 99501, or join 

the meeting online through the link at 

https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/ 

Details/3072. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 1007 

West Third Ave., Suite 400, Anchorage, 

AK 99501–2252; telephone: (907) 271– 

2809. Instructions for attending the 

meeting via video conference are given 

under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 

below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Anita Kroska, Council staff; phone: 

(907) 271–2809; email: anita.kroska@

noaa.gov. For technical support, please 

contact our admin Council staff, email: 

npfmc.admin@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda 

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Through 

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 

The agenda will include (a) tools for 

constructing model-based indices of 

survey data, (b) GMACS coding updates, 

stock assessment model developments, 

simulations, and (c) other business. The 

agenda is subject to change, and the 

latest version will be posted at https:// 

meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/ 

3072. prior to the meeting, along with 

meeting materials. 

Connection Information 

You can attend the meeting online 

using a computer, tablet, or smart 

phone, or by phone only. Connection 

information will be posted online at: 

https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/ 

Details/3072. 

Public Comment 

Public comment letters will be 

accepted and should be submitted 

electronically to https://meetings.

npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/3072. 

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

Dated: December 20, 2024. 

Rey Israel Marquez, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–31232 Filed 12–27–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE569] 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 


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