33124 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 105 / Wednesday, June 1, 2022 / Notices 

1See Temporary Rule Modifying AD/CVD Service 

Requirements Due to COVID–19; Extension of 

Effective Period, 85 FR 41363 (July 10, 2020). 2See 19 CFR 351.218(d)(1)(iii). 

62061 (October 28, 2005). Guidance on 

methodological or analytical issues 

relevant to Commerce’s conduct of 

Sunset Reviews is set forth in 

Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation 

of the Weighted-Average Dumping 

Margin and Assessment Rate in Certain 

Antidumping Duty Proceedings; Final 

Modification, 77 FR 8101 (February 14, 

2012). 

Initiation of Review 

In accordance with section 751(c) of 

the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(c), we are 

initiating the Sunset Reviews of the 

following antidumping and 

countervailing duty order(s) and 

suspended investigation(s): 

DOC case No. ITC case No. Country Product Commerce contact 

A–588–815 ........ 731–TA–461 Japan ................ Cement and Cement Clinker (5th Review) ............. Thomas Martin (202) 482–3936. 

A–588–876 ........ 731–TA–1338 Japan ................ Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar (1st Review) ......... Jacky Arrowsmith (202) 482–5255. 

A–583–859 ........ 731–TA–1339 Taiwan .............. Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar (1st Review) ......... Jacky Arrowsmith (202) 482–5255. 

A–489–829 ........ 731–TA–1340 Turkey .............. Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar (1st Review) ......... Jacky Arrowsmith (202) 482–5255. 

C–489–830 ........ 701–TA–564 Turkey ............... Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar (1st Review) ......... Jacky Arrowsmith (202) 482–5255. 

Filing Information 

As a courtesy, we are making 

information related to sunset 

proceedings, including copies of the 

pertinent statute and Commerce’s 

regulations, Commerce’s schedule for 

Sunset Reviews, a listing of past 

revocations and continuations, and 

current service lists, available to the 

public on Commerce’s website at the 

following address: https://

enforcement.trade.gov/sunset/. All 

submissions in these Sunset Reviews 

must be filed in accordance with 

Commerce’s regulations regarding 

format, translation, and service of 

documents. These rules, including 

electronic filing requirements via 

Enforcement and Compliance’s 

Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 

Centralized Electronic Service System 

(ACCESS), can be found at 19 CFR 

351.303. 

In accordance with section 782(b) of 

the Act, any party submitting factual 

information in an AD/CVD proceeding 

must certify to the accuracy and 

completeness of that information. 

Parties must use the certification 

formats provided in 19 CFR 351.303(g). 

Commerce intends to reject factual 

submissions if the submitting party does 

not comply with applicable revised 

certification requirements. 

Letters of Appearance and 

Administrative Protective Orders 

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.103(d), 

Commerce will maintain and make 

available a public service list for these 

proceedings. Parties wishing to 

participate in any of these five-year 

reviews must file letters of appearance 

as discussed at 19 CFR 351.103(d). To 

facilitate the timely preparation of the 

public service list, it is requested that 

those seeking recognition as interested 

parties to a proceeding submit an entry 

of appearance within 10 days of the 

publication of the Notice of Initiation. 

Because deadlines in Sunset Reviews 

can be very short, we urge interested 

parties who want access to proprietary 

information under administrative 

protective order (APO) to file an APO 

application immediately following 

publication in the Federal Register of 

this notice of initiation. Commerce’s 

regulations on submission of proprietary 

information and eligibility to receive 

access to business proprietary 

information under APO can be found at 

19 CFR 351.304–306. Note that 

Commerce has temporarily modified 

certain of its requirements for serving 

documents containing business 

proprietary information, until further 

notice.1

Information Required From Interested 

Parties 

Domestic interested parties, as 

defined in section 771(9)(C), (D), (E), (F), 

and (G) of the Act and 19 CFR 

351.102(b), wishing to participate in a 

Sunset Review must respond not later 

than 15 days after the date of 

publication in the Federal Register of 

this notice of initiation by filing a notice 

of intent to participate. The required 

contents of the notice of intent to 

participate are set forth at 19 CFR 

351.218(d)(1)(ii). In accordance with 

Commerce’s regulations, if we do not 

receive a notice of intent to participate 

from at least one domestic interested 

party by the 15-day deadline, Commerce 

will automatically revoke the order 

without further review.2

If we receive an order-specific notice 

of intent to participate from a domestic 

interested party, Commerce’s 

regulations provide that all parties 

wishing to participate in a Sunset 

Review must file complete substantive 

responses not later than 30 days after 

the date of publication in the Federal 

Register of this notice of initiation. The 

required contents of a substantive 

response, on an order-specific basis, are 

set forth at 19 CFR 351.218(d)(3). Note 

that certain information requirements 

differ for respondent and domestic 

parties. Also, note that Commerce’s 

information requirements are distinct 

from the ITC ’s information 

requirements. Consult Commerce’s 

regulations for information regarding 

Commerce’s conduct of Sunset Reviews. 

Consult Commerce’s regulations at 19 

CFR part 351 for definitions of terms 

and for other general information 

concerning antidumping and 

countervailing duty proceedings at 

Commerce. 

This notice of initiation is being 

published in accordance with section 

751(c) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(c). 

Dated: May 9, 2022. 

James Maeder, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping 

and Countervailing Duty Operations. 

[FR Doc. 2022–11764 Filed 5–31–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID: 0648–XB900] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a 

Programmatic Environmental Impact 

Statement for Identification of 

Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in 

Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico 

and To Conduct Public Scoping 

Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a 

programmatic environmental impact 

statement and conduct public scoping 

meetings. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with Section 7 

of Executive Order 13921, ‘‘Promoting 

American Seafood Competitiveness and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 105 / Wednesday, June 1, 2022 / Notices 33125 

Economic Growth’’ NMFS intends to 

prepare a programmatic environmental 

impact statement (PEIS) to evaluate 

alternatives for identifying Aquaculture 

Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in Federal 

waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The PEIS 

will be prepared in accordance with the 

requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 

regulations published by the Council on 

Environmental Quality, and NOAA’s 

NEPA implementing procedures, NOAA 

Administrative Order 216–6A and its 

Companion Manual. Input from 

stakeholders and the public is essential 

to identifying AOAs; and this notice 

initiates the public scoping process for 

the PEIS, which includes a 60-day 

public comment period. The intent of 

this PEIS is to support long-term 

planning for offshore aquaculture by 

analyzing potential locations for one or 

more offshore AOAs in the Gulf of 

Mexico and the types of impacts that 

could be associated with future 

proposed aquaculture projects in those 

locations. Comments that are provided 

prior to the close of the comment period 

and clearly articulate opinions or 

concerns will provide the greatest 

assistance to NMFS in the preparation 

of the PEIS. 

DATES: The 60-day public scoping 

period begins Wednesday, June 1, 2022, 

and will continue until August 1, 2022. 

NMFS will consider all written 

comments received by August 1, 2022. 

Three virtual public scoping meetings 

will be held on: 

• Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 6:30 p.m.– 

8:30 p.m. CDT/7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. 

EDT 

• Thursday, June 16, 2022, 5:30 p.m.– 

7:30 p.m. CDT/6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. 

EDT 

• Tuesday, July 12, 2022, 6:30 p.m.– 

8:30 p.m. CDT/7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. 

EDT 

ADDRESSES: You may submit written 

comments on this PEIS identified by 

‘‘NOAA–NMFS–2022–0044’’ by any of 

the following methods: 

Electronic submissions: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to: 

http://www.regulations.gov and enter 

‘‘NOAA–NMFS–2022–0044’’ in the 

Search box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ 

icon, complete the required fields, and 

enter or attach your comments. 

Mail: Submit written comments by 

mail to Andrew Richard, Regional 

Aquaculture Coordinator, NMFS, 

Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th 

Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. 

Please include ‘‘Gulf AOA PEIS’’ on the 

envelope. 

Instructions: Oral comments will be 

accepted during the three virtual public 

scoping meetings described under 

DATES. Information on how to join these 

meetings can be found at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/news/gulfmexico-aquaculture-opportunity-areaprogrammatic-environmental-impactstatement. Comments sent or provided 

by any other method, to any other 

address or individual, or received after 

the end of the comment period, may not 

be considered by NMFS. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and may be posted for public viewing 

on http://www.regulations.gov without 

change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Andrew Richard, Southeast Regional 

Aquaculture Coordinator, telephone: 

(727) 551–5709; or email: 

nmfs.ser.aquaculture@noaa.gov. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

may call the Federal Information Relay 

Service at 800–877–8339 between 8 a.m. 

and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday 

through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for the Proposed 

Action 

NMFS proposes to consider 

identifying one or more locations, 

referred to as Aquaculture Opportunity 

Areas or AOAs, that may be suitable for 

multiple future offshore aquaculture 

projects in Federal waters in the Gulf of 

Mexico, and to evaluate the general 

impacts of siting aquaculture in those 

locations, which could occur through 

future proposals and project level 

review. AOAs identified through this 

process would be considered suitable 

for finfish, shellfish, macroalgae or 

multi-species aquaculture. The 

proposed action is a long-term planning 

effort. It is not a regulatory or permitting 

action and does not propose to 

authorize or permit any specific 

aquaculture-related activities or 

individual aquaculture projects. 

An AOA is a defined geographic area 

that has been evaluated to determine its 

potential suitability for commercial 

aquaculture. NMFS will use a 

combination of scientific analysis and 

public engagement to identify AOAs 

that may be environmentally, socially, 

and economically suitable for 

commercial aquaculture. AOAs may 

only be identified by NMFS after 

completion of a final programmatic 

environmental impact statement and 

issuance of a Record of Decision (ROD). 

Should NMFS ultimately select an 

alternative that identifies one or more 

AOAs, the ROD will serve as the 

agency’s decision document. 

On May 7, 2020, the White House 

issued an Executive Order on Promoting 

American Seafood Competitiveness and 

Economic Growth (E.O. 13921), which 

requires the Secretary of Commerce to 

identify geographic areas containing 

locations suitable for commercial 

aquaculture. The purpose of the 

proposed action is to apply a sciencebased approach to identify AOAs in 

Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 

The goal of identifying AOAs is to 

promote American seafood 

competitiveness, food security, 

economic growth, and support the 

facilitation of the development of 

domestic commercial aquaculture, 

consistent with sustaining and 

conserving marine resources and 

applicable laws, regulations and 

policies. 

The proposed action is needed to 

meet the directives of E.O. 13921 to 

address the increasing demand for 

seafood; facilitate long-term planning 

for marine aquaculture development; 

and address interests and concerns 

regarding offshore marine aquaculture 

siting. 

Background Information 

E.O. 13921 instructs NOAA to lead a 

multi-agency, public planning effort to 

identify 10 AOAs over the course of 7 

years. In order to select the first two 

geographic regions in which AOAs 

would be identified, NMFS, on behalf of 

NOAA, took into consideration existing 

aquaculture industry interest; existing 

foundational work (siting analyses and 

environmental reviews) that could 

support AOA development; the maturity 

of the existing interagency 

communication and collaboration 

structure; and the history of engagement 

with stakeholders on aquaculture in 

regions throughout the United States. As 

a result of these considerations, NMFS 

selected Federal waters off the coast of 

southern California and Federal waters 

in the Gulf of Mexico as the first two 

geographic regions in which to identify 

AOAs. 

The National Centers for Coastal 

Ocean Science initiated a marine spatial 

planning process to assist agency 

decision makers in identifying areas that 

may be suitable for locating AOAs as 

mandated by E.O. 13921. This process 

was based on spatial suitability 


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modeling that included data layers 

relevant to administrative boundaries, 

national security (i.e., military), 

navigation and transportation, energy 

and industry infrastructure, commercial 

and recreational fishing, natural and 

cultural resources, and oceanography 

(i.e., non-living resources). This spatial 

modeling approach was specific to the 

planning goal of identifying discrete 

areas that are 500–2,000 acres (202–809 

hectares) that met the industry and 

engineering requirements of depth and 

distance from shore and that may be 

suitable for all types of aquaculture 

development including the cultivation 

of finfish, macroalgae, shellfish, or a 

combination of species. 

This work resulted in an 

‘‘Aquaculture Opportunity Atlas for the 

U.S. Gulf of Mexico’’ (Riley, K.L., 

Wickliffe, L.C., Jossart, J.A., MacKay, 

J.K., Randall, A.L., Bath, G.E., Balling, 

M.B., Jensen, B.M., and Morris, J.A. Jr. 

2021. An Aquaculture Opportunity Area 

Atlas for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. NOAA 

Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 

299. Beaufort, NC. 545 pp. https://

doi.org/10.25923/8cb3-3r66), which is 

referred to herein as the Atlas and is 

available online at https://

repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/ 

33304. 

The Atlas used a precision-siting, 

scoring, and ranking process to narrow 

the suitability analysis results to nine, 

500–2,000-acre (202–809 hectares) 

‘‘AOA options’’ that have high potential 

suitability for an AOA in the Gulf of 

Mexico: Three off the coast of Texas, 

three off the coast of Louisiana, and 

three off the west coast of Florida, 

depicted in Figure 3.30 on pages vii and 

133 of the Atlas. The Atlas includes 

peer-reviewed technical information 

that may be used to assist agency 

decision makers in identifying areas that 

may be suitable for locating AOAs. The 

Atlas does not reflect any agency 

decision to identify specific AOAs or 

foreclose the agency’s ability to evaluate 

alternate locations for consideration as 

AOAs. 

The Atlas is a technical document 

providing geospatial analysis 

information that will be used as one 

source of information to assist the 

agency in identifying one or more AOAs 

within Federal waters of the Gulf of 

Mexico. The draft and final PEIS will 

assess the environmental impacts 

related to the potential siting of 

aquaculture facilities in potential AOA 

locations in Federal waters in the Gulf 

of Mexico, as informed by the Atlas and 

other relevant sources of information. 

AOAs may only be identified by NMFS 

after completion of a final PEIS and 

issuance of a ROD. Should NMFS 

ultimately select an alternative that 

identifies one or more AOAs, the ROD 

will serve as the agency’s decision 

document. 

Preliminary Description of Proposed 

Action and Alternatives 

NMFS proposes to consider 

identifying one or more locations, 

referred to as Aquaculture Opportunity 

Areas or AOAs, that may be suitable for 

multiple future offshore aquaculture 

projects in Federal waters in the Gulf of 

Mexico, and to evaluate the general 

impacts of siting aquaculture in those 

locations, which could occur through 

future proposals and project level 

review. The nine locations identified as 

‘‘AOA options’’ in the Atlas may be 

considered in the draft PEIS, in addition 

to the no action alternative. NMFS will 

determine the number and scope of 

alternatives explored and select the 

locations to be evaluated in the draft 

PEIS based on the comments received 

during this public scoping period. 

NMFS is also considering the suitability 

of evaluating alternatives that would 

focus on specific aquaculture types (e.g., 

finfish, shellfish, macroalgae or multispecies), specific species that could be 

cultivated, or gears that could be used 

in the nine ‘‘AOA options’’ identified in 

the Atlas, depending upon input from 

the public. 

This effort to identify AOAs in the 

Gulf of Mexico will be focused 

exclusively on Federal waters. Future 

efforts to identify AOAs may consider 

locations in State waters if there is 

interest and support from a State. 

Three of the nine ‘‘AOA options’’ are 

located off the coast of Texas and are 

referred to as W–1, W–4 and W–8. 

Location W–1 is depicted as a polygon 

in Figure 3.31 on page 141 of the Atlas, 

is 2,000 acres (809 hectares), and is 

situated approximately 35 nmi (65 km) 

east of the Port Mansfield Channel, 

Texas. Location W–4 is depicted as a 

polygon in Figure 3.43 on page 158 of 

the Atlas, is 2,000 acres (809 hectares), 

and is situated approximately 50 nmi 

(91.5 km) southeast of Port Aransas, 

Texas. Location W–8 is depicted as a 

polygon in Figure 3.55 on page 175 of 

the Atlas, is 500 acres (202 hectares), 

and is situated approximately 58 nmi 

(107.4 km) southeast of Freeport, Texas. 

Three of the nine ‘‘AOA options’’ in 

the Atlas are located off the coast of 

Louisiana and are referred to as C–3, C– 

11 and C–13. Location C–3 is depicted 

as a polygon in Figure 3.67 on page 194 

of the Atlas, is 2,000 acres (809 

hectares), and is situated approximately 

72 nmi (133.4 km) from Pecan Island 

(Morgan City, Louisiana, is the closest 

town with significant infrastructure). 

Location C–11 is depicted as a polygon 

in Figure 3.79 on page 211 of the Atlas, 

is 2,000 acres (809 hectares), and is 

situated approximately 41 nmi (76.7 

km) south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. 

Location C–13 is depicted as a polygon 

in Figure 3.91 on page 228 of the Atlas, 

is 500 acres (202 hectares), and is 

situated approximately 5 nmi (9.6 km) 

south of the inlet to South Pass, 

Louisiana. 

Three of the nine ‘‘AOA options’’ in 

the Atlas are located off the west coast 

of Florida and are referred to as E–1, E– 

3 and E–4. Location E–1 is depicted as 

a polygon in Figure 3.128 on page 281 

of the Atlas, is 500 acres (202 hectares), 

and is situated approximately 56–58 

nmi (104 km–107.7 km) from the inlets 

off of Fort Myers, Florida. Location E– 

3 is depicted as a polygon in Figure 

3.116 on page 264 of the Atlas, is 2,000 

acres (809 hectares), and is situated 

approximately 49 nmi (91.6 km) to the 

inlet off Tampa, Florida. Location E–4 is 

depicted as a polygon in Figure 3.104 on 

page 247 of the Atlas, is 2,000 acres (809 

hectares) and is situated approximately 

58 nmi (107.8 km) from the inlet in 

Clearwater, Florida. 

Copies of the figures from the Atlas 

depicting the nine ‘‘AOA options’’ can 

be found on the NMFS Gulf of Mexico 

Aquaculture Opportunity Area website, 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/news/ 

gulf-mexico-aquaculture-opportunityarea-programmatic-environmentalimpact-statement. 

Summary of Expected Impacts 

NEPA requires identification and 

evaluation of impacts to the human 

environment likely to be caused by an 

agency’s proposed action. Under NEPA, 

the human environment is interpreted 

comprehensively to include the 

biological and physical environment 

and the relationship of people with that 

environment. The PEIS proposed in this 

Notice of Intent will be a planning-level 

document. The PEIS will analyze 

potential impacts to the human 

environment that may occur should 

projects be proposed in one or more 

AOAs, if identified. The following 

discussion reflects NMFS’s preliminary 

identification of biological and physical 

resources that may be relevant to 

identification of AOAs and NMFS 

solicits the public’s input on these 

matters. 

Biological and physical resources 

impacted by potential future offshore 

aquaculture development in proposed 

AOA locations may include water 

quality, air quality, habitat (e.g., benthic 

and water column habitats), managed 

and non-managed fishery resources 

(e.g., fish, elasmobranchs, such as 


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sharks, and invertebrates), and protected 

resources including migratory birds, 

corals, fish (including elasmobranchs 

such as sharks), sea turtles and marine 

mammals. Impacts to these biological 

and physical resources that may be 

considered include protected species 

interactions (e.g., entanglement, vessel 

strikes); alteration to habitats; disease 

transmission risk; escapement risk (e.g., 

genetic impacts); water quality changes 

(e.g., nutrients, contaminants); habitat 

displacement and fragmentation; gear 

failure risk (e.g., storm risk, operator 

error); marine debris; impacts to 

essential fish habitat; ecosystem impacts 

(e.g., alteration of predator prey 

interactions, broodstock sourcing, fish 

aggregating device effects); and noise, 

lighting and visual disturbance. Impacts 

to the biological and physical 

environment could occur during the 

aquaculture development, 

implementation, and decommissioning 

phases of a project, which include 

siting, construction, operation, 

maintenance, and removal. 

Socioeconomic impacts considered 

may include impacts to commercial and 

recreational fishing; tourism and 

recreation; public health and safety; 

transportation; communications 

infrastructure; domestic and 

international seafood markets; oil, gas 

and alternative energy development and 

infrastructure; military preparedness; 

local ports, marinas and communities; 

and local job markets. Cultural and 

historic resources impacted could 

include archaeological sites, traditional 

fishing grounds and American Indian 

traditional uses. Environmental justice 

impacts considered may include 

impacts to vulnerable communities, 

impacts of aquaculture on climate 

change, and impacts of climate change 

on aquaculture. 

Wherever possible and supported by 

the best available science, the PEIS will 

recommend mitigation strategies to 

address impacts associated with 

offshore aquaculture siting and 

development in the proposed AOAs. 

Anticipated Permits and Other 

Authorizations 

The Federal action to identify AOAs 

is a planning process. Neither the final 

PEIS nor the resulting ROD will 

authorize any specific activities or 

approve any individual projects. 

Any future aquaculture operations 

proposed within an AOA would be 

required to comply with all applicable 

Federal and state laws and regulations, 

including but not limited to the Clean 

Water Act, Rivers and Harbors Act, 

Endangered Species Act, the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens 

Act), Marine Mammal Protection Act, 

National Historic Preservation Act, and 

National Marine Sanctuaries Act. 

Compliance may include Endangered 

Species Act and essential fish habitat 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act) consultations, 

and Marine Mammal Protection Act 

authorizations. 

Additional NEPA analysis may be 

required as part of permitting and 

authorization processes. Cooperating 

agencies may adopt the PEIS and utilize 

the information to support their 

permitting decisions. 

Schedule for the Decision-Making 

Process 

The PEIS planning process is 

expected to take 2 years from the date 

of this notice. The draft PEIS is 

tentatively scheduled for publication in 

fall 2023. The draft PEIS will be 

released for public comment, and all 

public comments will be considered 

before issuing a final PEIS. The final 

PEIS is tentatively scheduled for 

publication in spring 2024, with a 

record of decision to follow no sooner 

than 30 days later. 

Public Scoping Process 

This notice initiates the scoping 

process, which in turn guides the scope 

of environmental issues, impacts, 

alternatives and mitigation measures to 

be included in the draft PEIS. 

Comments will be accepted until 

August 1, 2022. Interested parties may 

submit public comments according to 

the instructions described in the DATES

and ADDRESSES sections above. 

Request for Identification of Potential 

Alternatives, Information, and 

Analyses Relevant to the Proposed 

Action 

NMFS requests data, comments, 

views, information, analysis, 

alternatives, or suggestions on the 

proposed action from the public; 

affected Federal, State, Tribal, and local 

governments, agencies, and offices; the 

scientific community; nongovernmental organizations; industry; 

and all other interested parties. 

Specifically, we are soliciting 

information and feedback on: 

1. The scope of the NEPA analysis, 

including the range of reasonable 

alternatives and how many or which 

locations should be considered and 

evaluated; 

2. The type of aquaculture (e.g., 

finfish, shellfish, seaweed, multi-species 

aquaculture) that could be supported or 

analyzed in a proposed AOA location; 

3. Ecologically, economically and 

socially suitable species and gear for 

aquaculture that could be analyzed for 

a proposed AOA location; 

4. Monitoring and reporting 

requirements for owners and operators 

of aquaculture facilities that could 

mitigate impacts to managed and nonmanaged fishery resources, protected 

species, habitat, water quality, storm, 

navigation, economic, social, cultural 

and other impacts; 

5. Potential adverse, beneficial, 

neutral, or cumulative impacts to 

biological, physical and ecological 

resources, including potential 

interactions with marine mammals and 

other species protected by the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act or Endangered 

Species Act, essential fish habitat 

designated under the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, and other sensitive, managed, or 

protected habitats in the Gulf of Mexico; 

6. Potential adverse, beneficial, 

neutral, or cumulative impacts to the 

social, economic, and cultural 

environment, including commercial and 

recreational fishing industries and 

coastal communities; 

7. Promotion of environmental justice, 

diversity, equity, and inclusion when 

considering alternative AOA locations 

and other aspects of offshore 

aquaculture development in Federal 

waters of the Gulf of Mexico; 

8. Underserved communities and 

underrepresented groups, and/or 

regions and communities that could 

either benefit from or be adversely 

impacted by the siting of AOAs in the 

Gulf of Mexico; 

9. The impact of climate change or 

changing environmental conditions 

(e.g., storm intensity, sea level rise, 

water quality) on siting and other 

aspects of aquaculture; 

10. Current or planned activities in or 

near the areas highlighted in this notice 

and their possible impacts on 

aquaculture development or the impact 

of aquaculture developments on those 

activities; 

11. Other topics relevant to the 

Proposed Action and its impacts on the 

human environment. 

Lead and Cooperating Agencies 

NMFS is the lead agency for this PEIS. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

and U.S. Air Force will be cooperating 

agencies on this PEIS. 

Decision Maker 

Mr. Andrew J. Strelcheck, Regional 

Administrator, NMFS, Southeast 

Regional Office. 


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Nature of Decision To Be Made 

NMFS will use a combination of best 

available scientific information and 

public engagement to evaluate and 

consider identifying areas that may be 

environmentally, socially, and 

economically suitable for commercial 

aquaculture as AOAs. Geographic areas 

proposed as AOAs will be described in 

the draft and final PEIS along with the 

no action alternative. Selection of AOAs 

will follow evaluation in the draft and 

final PEIS with the agency’s issuance of 

a ROD explaining the factors considered 

in making the final decision. The 

identification of an AOA in the ROD is 

not a regulatory action and does not 

bind NMFS or the cooperating agencies 

to take any specific action related to an 

AOA. 

No specific aquaculture projects are 

being proposed or will be permitted 

through the PEIS. The analysis 

presented in the draft and final PEIS 

and the identification of AOAs in the 

ROD will serve to guide and inform 

future decision-making (e.g., 

environmental review and permitting 

processes) if and when specific 

proposals to conduct aquaculture 

operations are proposed within these 

areas. 

Future aquaculture operations 

proposed within an AOA would be 

required to comply with all applicable 

Federal and state laws and regulations, 

including but not limited to the Clean 

Water Act, Rivers and Harbors Act, 

Endangered Species Act, the MagnusonStevens Act, Marine Mammal Protection 

Act, National Historic Preservation Act, 

and National Marine Sanctuaries Act. 

Compliance may include Endangered 

Species Act and essential fish habitat 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act) consultations, 

and Marine Mammal Protection Act 

authorizations. Additional NEPA 

analysis may be required as part of 

permitting and authorization processes. 

Cooperating agencies may adopt the 

PEIS and utilize the information in their 

permitting decisions. 

Identifying AOAs is an opportunity 

for NMFS to use best available sciencebased guidance on sustainable 

aquaculture management, meaningfully 

take into account the views of the public 

and stakeholders, and support the 

‘‘triple bottom line’’ of environmental, 

economic, and social sustainability. 

(Authority: Executive Order on Promoting 

American Seafood Competitiveness and 

Economic Growth, E.O. 13921) 

Dated: May 13, 2022. 

Danielle Blacklock, 

Director, Office of Aquaculture, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–11564 Filed 5–31–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XC055] 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Take of Anadromous Fish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: NMFS is notifying the public of 

the issuance of a permit for 

implementation of the Rescue and 

Rearing Management Plan (RRMP) for 

Petaluma River Steelhead. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NMFS has issued a permit pursuant to 

Section 10 of the Endangered Species 

Act (ESA) for the implementation of the 

RRMP by the United Anglers of Casa 

Grande (UACG). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jodi 

Charrier, Santa Rosa, California (ph.: 

707–575–6069; email: jodi.charrier@

noaa.gov). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This 

Notice 

• Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)— 

Central California Coast (CCC) distinct 

population segment (DPS) 

Discussion of the Biological Analysis 

Underlying Permit Issuance 

NMFS has issued a permit for UACG 

to implement the RRMP, which is 

intended to increase adult CCC 

steelhead DPS abundance in the 

Petaluma River Watershed. Fish rearing 

will occur at the UACG Hatchery and 

will be run by Casa Grande High School 

located in Petaluma, California. The 

RRMP has two main components: (1) 

Rescue and translocate wild steelhead 

from drying stream reaches; and (2) 

captively rear wild fry at the UACG 

Hatchery to be released as smolts into 

natal tributaries. There is no spawning 

of steelhead at the Hatchery. These 

management actions should result in 

higher survival rates; thereby increasing 

the abundance of the population over 

time. 

The program uses natural-origin fish, 

and the permit for this program is 

issued under ESA section 10(a)(1)(A). 

Description of the programs was 

provided in the RRMP submitted by the 

UACG. NMFS has analyzed the effects 

of the RRMP on CCC DPS steelhead 

listed under the ESA, and has 

concluded that the program is not likely 

to jeopardize the continued existence of 

CCC steelhead or destroy or adversely 

modify its designated critical habitat. 

Authorization of the activities is 

contingent upon implementation of all 

of the monitoring, evaluation, reporting 

tasks or assignments, and enforcement 

activities included in the permit. 

Summary of Comments Received on the 

RRMP 

NMFS made the permit application 

available for public comment on 

February 16, 2022 (87 FR 8787) for 30 

days, as required by the ESA. No 

comments were received. 

Dated: May 26, 2022. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–11754 Filed 5–31–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XC073] 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council’s Summer 

Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass 

Advisory Panel will hold a public 

meeting, jointly with the Atlantic States 

Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer 

Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass 

Advisory Panel. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Thursday, June 16, 2022, from 2 p.m. to 

5 p.m. EDT. For agenda details, see 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held 

via webinar. Webinar connection, 

agenda items, and any additional 

information will be available at 

www.mafmc.org/council-events. 

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, 800 N State 

Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; 

telephone: (302) 674–2331 or on their 

website at www.mafmc.org. 


jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1