Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 163 / Wednesday, August 24, 2005 / Notices 49577

Plan (FMP). The Council will consider 

alternatives and provide final approval 

on issues related to area rotation, 

specifications for trip and days-at-sea 

allocations in 2006 and 2007, a 

streamlined procedure to adjust the 

Elephant Trunk Area and open area 

allocations in 2007, the general category 

scallop fishery, crew size limits on 

controlled area access trips and a new 

bycatch data collection and monitoring 

program. Also included will be changes 

in controlled access area trip exchanges, 

the broken trip limit exemption program 

and the research set-aside program. 

Consideration of Framework 

Adjustment 18 is likely to take most of 

the day on Wednesday.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

There will be a presentation of the 

assessment summary from the 41st 

Northeast Regional Stock Assessment 

Workshop. Species to be addressed 

include summer flounder, bluefish and 

tilefish. This will be followed by a 

report on a video monitoring pilot study 

that explores alternative means to 

supplement and complement observer 

activities on fishing vessels. The 

Council also will discuss and consider 

establishing a control date for party and 

charter boats in the multispecies fishery, 

as recommended by the its Recreational 

Fishing Advisory Panel. During the 

remainder of the day the Council will 

take further action on Framework 

Adjustment 42 to the Northeast 

Multispecies FMP by identifying 

additional measures to be analyzed and 

further considered in the action. These 

will include the Category B (regular) 

days-at-sea pilot program, a formal 

rebuilding program for Georges Bank 

yellowtail flounder with associated 

measures, a standardized bycatch 

reporting methodology, and possible 

modifications to the rolling closures 

now in effect to reduce groundfish 

fishing mortality. The Transboundary 

Management Guidance Committee is 

scheduled to ask for approval of its 

recommendations for the 2006 total 

allowable catches for cod, haddock and 

yellowtail flounder in a specific area of 

Georges Bank that is governed by the 

U.S./Canada Resource Sharing 

Understanding. Prior to addressing any 

other outstanding business, the Council 

will consider and possibly approve 

retaining the 2005 herring specifications 

through the 2006 fishing year.

Although other non-emergency issues 

not contained in this agenda may come 

before this Council for discussion, those 

issues may not be the subjects of formal 

action during this meeting. Council 

action will be restricted to those issues 

specifically listed in this notice and any 

issues arising after publication of this 

notice that require emergency action 

under section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Act, provided that the public 

has been notified of the Council’s intent 

to take final action to address the 

emergency.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul 

J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 

days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: August 19, 2005.

Emily Menashes,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. E5–4630 Filed 8–23–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 080205C]

Endangered Species; File No. 1527

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the John A. Musick, Ph.D., Virginia 

Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), 

Gloucester Point, VA 23062, has applied 

in due form for a permit to take 

loggerhead (Caretta caretta), Kemp’s 

ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), 

leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), 

green (Chelonia mydas), and hawksbill 

(Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles for 

purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail 

comments must be received on or before 

September 23, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review 

upon written request or by appointment 

in the following office(s):

Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 

Spring, MD 20910; phone (301)713–

2289; fax (301)427–2521; and

Northeast Regional Office, NMFS, 

One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 

01930-2298; phone (978)281–9328; fax 

(978)281–9394.

Written comments or requests for a 

public hearing on this application 

should be mailed to the Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 

Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals 

requesting a hearing should set forth the 

specific reasons why a hearing on this 

particular request would be appropriate.

Comments may also be submitted by 

facsimile at (301)427–2521, provided 

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy 

submitted by mail and postmarked no 

later than the closing date of the 

comment period.

Comments may also be submitted by 

e-mail. The mailbox address for 

providing email comments is 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line of the e-mail 

comment the following document 

identifier: File No. 1527.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patrick Opay or Shane Guan, (301)713–

2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject permit is requested 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).

The purpose of the proposed research 

is to study loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, 

leatherback, green, and hawksbill sea 

turtles in the waters of the Chesapeake 

Bay (Bay), and the Virginia (VA) and 

Maryland (MD) tributaries to the Bay to 

identify relative abundance over time; 

detect changes in sea turtle size and age 

composition; monitor and document 

movement and migration patterns; and 

to study sea turtle interactions with 

whelk pot gear. The applicant proposes 

to take up to 100 loggerhead, 30 Kemp’s 

ridley, 10 leatherback, 10 green, and 5 

hawksbill sea turtles each year over the 

course of a 5-year permit. Of the 100 

loggerhead turtles taken annually, 74 

would be taken in VA waters, and the 

remaining 26 would be taken in MD 

waters. Likewise, the numbers by state 

of the other species are: 22 Kemp’s 

ridleys from VA and 8 from MD; 7 

leatherbacks from VA and 3 from MD; 

7 greens from VA and 3 from MD; and 

3 hawksbills from VA and 2 from MD. 

Seventy-one of the loggerhead, 21 of the 

Kemp’s ridley, 7 of the leatherback, 7 of 

the green, and 3 of the hawksbill sea 

turtles are expected to be caught in 

pound nets. The remaining turtles 

would be captured utilizing relocation 

trawls as part of dredging activities 

authorized under separate permits and 

then turned over to the applicant. All 

turtles would be blood sampled, 

measured, weighed when practicable, 

flipper tagged, and PIT tagged. A subset 

of these animals would have satellite or 

49578 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 163 / Wednesday, August 24, 2005 / Notices 

radio/sonic transmitters attached to 

their carapace, and would be 

laparoscopied and bone biopsied. 

Twenty loggerheads would be used in a 

whelk gear bycatch reduction study.

Dated: August 18, 2005.

Steve Leathery,

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 05–16842 Filed 8–23–05; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[Docket No. 990907250–5223–03; I.D. 

072905B]

Revised Guidelines for NOAA’s 

Community-based Restoration 

Program

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Request for comments on 

proposed revisions to Program 

Guidelines for the NOAA Communitybased Restoration Program.

SUMMARY: NMFS initiated a Communitybased Restoration Program (Program) in 

1996 that provides Federal financial and 

technical assistance to encourage locally 

led coastal and marine habitat 

restoration, and to promote stewardship 

and conservation values for NOAA trust 

resources. The Program is a systematic 

national effort to foster partnerships at 

national, regional and local levels to 

implement sound habitat restoration. 

Partnerships are forged between 

government, not-for-profit 

organizations, community groups, 

recreational and commercial fishing 

organizations, students and educational 

institutions, businesses, youth 

conservation corps and private 

landowners. Under the Program, 

partners may contribute funding, land, 

technical assistance, workforce support 

or other in-kind services; promote local 

participation in habitat restoration 

activities; undertake research and 

monitoring to evaluate and improve 

project success; and facilitate 

stewardship for restored resources at the 

local level. To date, the Program has 

funded more than 1000 communitybased habitat restoration projects in 27 

states, Canada, and the Caribbean. 

NMFS is issuing revised guidelines for 

Program implementation for FY 2006 

and beyond, to reflect the evolution of 

the program since its original 

implementation. NMFS is seeking 

comments from interested parties on the 

revised guidelines. One or more 

constituent meetings are also planned to 

solicit feedback on the Program and the 

revised Program guidelines. This is not 

a solicitation of project proposals.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by 

email or mail by October 11, 2005. To 

support the continued evolution of the 

Program, and as part of the Program 

Guidelines revision, the Restoration 

Center plans to solicit feedback through 

one or more constituent meetings. 

Meetings will be limited to 

approximately 30 participants and will 

include facilitated break-out group 

discussions to maximize feedback 

results. The first meeting will be held on 

September 13, 2005, in Washington D.C. 

Subsequent meetings will be planned to 

coincide with restoration-related 

conferences or meetings throughout 

2006 to enable constituent participation 

without travel. These meetings will be 

physically accessible to people with 

disabilities. Requests for more 

information regarding the September 

meeting, including registration and 

requests for sign language or other 

auxiliary aids, should be directed to 

Robin Bruckner (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT).

ADDRESSES: Please send your comments 

by email to: CRP.Guidelines@noaa.gov, 

or by mail to: Director, NOAA 

Restoration Center, National Marine 

Fisheries Service, 1315 East West 

Highway (F/HC3), Silver Spring, MD 

20910–3282.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robin Bruckner, (301) 713–0174, or by 

e-mail at Robin.Bruckner@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed 

Guidelines for the NOAA Communitybased Restoration Program were 

provided at 64 FR 53339, October 1, 

1999. In that document, comments were 

sought on modifications to the Program 

that would allow greater flexibility to 

support community-based habitat 

restoration projects. Final Program 

Guidelines, including responses to 

comments, were provided at 65 FR 

16890, March 30, 2000. Since the 

Guidelines were issued, the Program has 

experienced an increase in base funding 

and has subsequently implemented 

increased numbers of locally initiated, 

grass-roots habitat restoration projects 

through partnerships at the local, 

regional and national levels. The NOAA 

Restoration Center within NMFS is 

issuing revised guidelines, proposed 

here, that reflect the evolution of the 

Program, including measures that are in 

place or planned to enable the Program 

to demonstrate increased accountability 

for the expenditure of public dollars.

Background

Habitat loss and degradation threaten 

the long-term sustainability of the 

nation’s fishery resources. Over 75 

percent of commercial fisheries and 80 

to 90 percent of recreational marine and 

diadromous fishes depend on estuarine 

or coastal habitats for all or part of their 

life cycles. Protecting existing, 

undamaged habitat is a priority and 

should be combined with coastal habitat 

restoration to enhance the functionality 

of degraded habitat. Restored coastal 

habitat will help rebuild fisheries stocks 

and recover threatened and endangered 

species. Restoring marine and coastal 

habitats will help ensure that valuable 

natural resources will be available to 

future generations of Americans.

The purpose of this document is to 

replace the Program Guidelines that 

were published in 2000, and outline the 

goals, objectives, and structure of the 

Program that will guide its 

implementation in FY 2006 and beyond. 

This notice also references changes 

made by NOAA to standardize 

evaluation criteria for its competitive 

grant programs. The Program will 

provide annual notification regarding 

the availability of funds through the 

NOAA Omnibus Federal Register

Notice process and associated Federal 

Funding Opportunity (FFO) detail, and 

will solicit project proposals once a 

year, or more.

Electronic Access

Information on the Program, 

including partnerships and projects that 

have been funded to date, can be found 

on the World Wide Web at: http://

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration.

Overview of Changes to the Program

Since the Program began, 

Congressional appropriations have 

increased from $250,000 in 1999 to 

$13.6 million in 2005. To effectively 

manage this growth, to provide better 

service to constituents, and to 

accurately report on the Program’s 

accomplishments, the Restoration 

Center has changed some of its practices 

and implemented a number of tools to 

increase efficiency and accountability.

In 2001 a Restoration Center database 

was launched to track habitat acres 

created, established, rehabilitated, 

enhanced or protected; stream miles 

made accessible to diadromous fish; 

volunteer or community participation 

hours; restoration techniques used; 

habitat types and species benefited; and 

other parameters for Restoration Center 

supported projects. The database has