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[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 29924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13972]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 052101C]

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Shallow Water Reeffish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin 
Islands; Essential Fish Habitat Generic Amendment to the Fishery 
Management Plans of the U.S. Caribbean; Public Hearings and Scoping 
Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public hearings and scoping meetings; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
scoping meetings to obtain input from fishers, the general public, and 
government agencies prior to developing a Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Generic 
Amendment to the Fishery Management Plans of the U.S. Caribbean (EFH 
Generic Amendment). The Council is also holding public hearings on 
Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shallow Water 
Reeffish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (Amendment 
3).

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until June 27, 2001. Hearings 
and meetings will be held during June. For specific dates and times of 
the hearings and scoping meetings see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Caribbean Fishery 
Management Council, 268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan, PR 
00918-2577; telephone: 787-766-5926. Copies of the Scoping Document for 
developing the SEIS for the EFH Generic Amendment can be obtained from 
the Council at the same address. Hearings and meetings will be held in 
the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific hearing and meeting locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 
268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan, PR 00918-2577; 
telephone: 787-766-5926.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council published a notice of intent to 
prepare an SEIS for the EFH Generic Amendment (66 FR 15404, March 19, 
2001) that provides further detail not repeated here. The Council will 
hold scoping meetings to obtain input from fishers, the general public, 
and Government agencies prior to developing the SEIS for the EFH 
Generic Amendment. The Council is seeking public input on alternatives 
for the designation of EFH and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern 
(HAPCs) for the fisheries and fishery resources under the Council's 
jurisdiction, and on alternatives for minimizing, to the extent 
practicable, the adverse effects of fishing on EFH. The Council is also 
seeking public input on the environmental impacts associated with such 
alternative EFH and HAPC designations and with measures needed to 
mitigate impacts related to both fishing and non-fishing activities. 
Alternatives that would be considered in the SEIS include, at a 
minimum, no action, the preferred alternative identified in the EFH 
Generic Amendment, and multiple alternatives to the description and 
identification of EFH and HAPCs for the managed fisheries.
    The Council will also be convening public hearings on the proposed 
measures included in Amendment 3. These measures include modifying the 
requirement for trap panels, establishing fishing gear permits, 
prohibiting the use of traps in the U.S. Caribbean Exclusive Economic 
Zone (EEZ), and prohibiting the use of nets in the U.S. Caribbean EEZ.

Dates, Times, and Locations for the Public Hearings and Scoping 
Meetings

    The Council will be holding the EFH Generic Amendment scoping 
meetings and the Amendment 3 public hearings at the same location, with 
the EFH Generic Amendment scoping meeting commencing first, followed by 
the Amendment 3 public hearing at the following locations, times, and 
dates:
    1. June 12, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meetings from 7 
p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Amendment 3 Public Hearings from 7:31 p.m. to 10 
p.m., Legislature Building, Hilltop Building, Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI;
    2. June 13, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meetings from 2 
p.m. to 5 p.m., Amendment 3 public hearings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., 
Windward Passage Holiday Inn, Veterans Drive, Charlotte Amalie, St. 
Thomas, USVI;
    3. June 14, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meeting from 2 p.m. 
to 5 p.m., Amendment 3 public hearing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Hotel on 
the Cay, Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI;
    4. June 18, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meeting from 2 p.m. 
to 5 p.m., Amendment 3 public hearing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., ``Colegio 
de Ingenieros,'' Antolin Nin corner with Ricardo Skerret St., Urb. 
Roosevelt, Hato Rey, PR;
    5. June 19, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meeting from 2 p.m. 
to 5 p.m., Amendment 3 public hearing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Hotel 
Villa Real, Rd. 2, Km. 67.2, Santana Ward, Arecibo, PR;
    6. June 20, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meeting from 2 p.m. 
to 5 p.m., Amendment 3 public hearing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Mayaguez 
Holiday Inn Hotel, 2701, Rd. 2, Mayaguez, PR;
    7. June 21, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meeting from 2 p.m. 
to 5 p.m., Amendment 3 public hearing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Ponce 
Holiday Inn Hotel, 3315 Ponce By Pass, Ponce, PR;
    8. June 25, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meeting from 7 p.m. 
to 7:30 p.m., Amendment 3 public hearing from 7:31 p.m. to 10 p.m., 
``Centro de Usos Multiples,'' Culebra, PR;
    9. June 26, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meeting from 7 p.m. 
to 7:30 p.m., Amendment 3 public hearing from 7:31 p.m. to 10 p.m., 
``El Faro'', Vieques, PR; and
    10. June 27, 2001, EFH Generic Amendment scoping meeting from 2 
p.m. to 5 p.m., Amendment 3 public hearing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., 
``Parador La Familia'', Rd. 987, Km. 4.1, Fajardo, PR.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. For more information or request for sign language 
interpretation and other auxiliary aids, please contact Mr. Miguel A. 
Rolon (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: May 29, 2001.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-13972 Filed 6-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
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