57862 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 191 / Tuesday, October 4, 2005 / Notices 

proposed action of continuing treaty 

right subsistence ENP whale hunting 

(i.e., request for a waiver of the MMPA 

take moratorium), and alternatives to 

the waiver request. 

Alternatives 

Pursuant to NEPA, which requires 

Federal agencies to conduct an 

environmental analysis of proposed 

actions to determine if the actions may 

affect the human environment, and in 

recognition of the Ninth Circuit Court of 

Appeals ruling in Anderson v. Evans, 

we intend to conduct public scoping 

meetings and to prepare an EIS. Under 

NEPA, a reasonable range of alternatives 

to a proposed action must be developed 

and considered in our environmental 

review. Alternatives considered for 

analysis in this EIS may include: 

variations in the scope of the hunting 

activities, variations in the hunting 

location, or a combination of these 

elements. In addition, the EIS will 

identify potentially significant direct, 

indirect, and cumulative impacts on 

geology and soils, air quality, water 

quality, other fish and wildlife species 

and their habitat, vegetation, 

socioeconomics/tourism, treaty rights 

and Federal trust responsibilities, 

environmental justice, cultural 

resources, noise, aesthetics, 

transportation, public services, and 

human health and safety, and other 

environmental issues that could occur 

with the implementation of the Makah’s 

proposed action and alternatives. For all 

potentially significant impacts, the EIS 

will identify avoidance, minimization, 

and mitigation measures to reduce these 

impacts, where feasible, to a level below 

significance. 

We have identified the following 

preliminary alternatives for public 

comment during the public scoping 

period, and encourage information on 

additional alternatives to consider: 

Alternative 1: No Action - Under the 

No Action Alternative, we would not 

approve the requested whale hunting, 

would not grant the waiver of the 

moratorium on take under the MMPA, 

nor issue the necessary regulations and 

permits. 

Alternative 2: The Proposed Action - 

Under the proposed action, the Makah 

Tribe would be allowed to continue 

treaty right subsistence hunting of gray 

whales imposing time and area 

restrictions designed to target migrating 

whales and to avoid any intentional 

harvest of whales from the PCFA. We 

would grant the waiver of the 

moratorium on take under the MMPA 

and issue the necessary regulations and 

permits. 

Alternative 3: The proposed action 

would be modified to allow limited take 

of gray whales from the PCFA during 

hunts. 

Alternative 4: The proposed action 

would be modified to remove time and 

area restrictions from the hunts. 

Alternative 5: The proposed action 

would be modified to allow hunting to 

target migrating whales, imposing time 

and area restrictions different than those 

contained in the proposed action that 

would maximize the likelihood of 

taking a migrating whale (and minimize 

the likelihood of taking a PCFA whale). 

Request for Comments 

We provide this notice to advise the 

public of an additional meetings 

scheduled following public requests 

received after our initial announcement 

of scoping meetings. Comments and 

suggestions received during the prior 

public comment period for the 2003 

through 2007 quota allocation (March 6 

through April 21, 2003), will be 

considered in developing the current 

EIS. Other comments and suggestions 

are invited from all interested parties to 

ensure that the full range of issues 

related to the Makah’s waiver request 

and all significant issues are identified. 

We request that comments be as specific 

as possible. We seek public input on the 

scope of the required NEPA analysis, 

including the range of reasonable 

alternatives; associated impacts of any 

alternatives on the human environment, 

including geology and soils, air quality, 

water quality, other fish and wildlife 

species and their habitat, vegetation, 

socioeconomics/tourism, treaty rights 

and Federal trust responsibilities, 

environmental justice, cultural 

resources, noise, aesthetics, 

transportation, public services, and 

human health and safety; and suitable 

mitigation measures. 

Comments concerning this 

environmental review process should be 

directed to NMFS (see ADDRESSES). See 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT for 

questions. All comments and material 

received, including names and 

addresses, will become part of the 

administrative record and may be 

released to the public. 

Authority 

The environmental review of 

continuation of the Makah subsistence 

gray whale hunting will be conducted 

under the authority and in accordance 

with the requirements of NEPA, Council 

on Environmental Quality Regulations 

(40 CFR 1500-1508), other applicable 

Federal laws and regulations, and 

policies and procedures of NMFS for 

compliance with those regulations. This 

notice is being furnished in accordance 

with 40 CFR 1501.7 to obtain 

suggestions and information from other 

agencies and the public on the scope of 

issues and alternatives to be addressed 

in the EIS. 

Security 

For access to a government building, 

the Department of Commerce Office of 

Security at NOAA has advised that all 

attendees must register for the hearing 

and must have a valid identification 

with a photograph. Prospective 

attendees may register by sending their 

first and last names by telephone or 

email to Tom Eagle (See ADDRESSES) by 

4 pm EDT October 14, 2005. 

Reasonable Accommodation 

Persons needing reasonable 

accommodations to attend and 

participate in the public meetings 

should contact Tom Eagle (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). To 

allow sufficient time to process 

requests, please call at least 10 business 

days prior to the meeting. Information 

regarding the Makah’s request is 

available in alternative formats upon 

request. 

Dated: September 29, 2005. 

Thomas C. Eagle, 

Acting Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle 

Conservation Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 05–19886 Filed 10–3–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[Docket No. 030602141–5251–25; I.D. 

061505A] 

RIN 0648–ZB55 

Availability of Grants Funds for Fiscal 

Year 2006; Extension of Application 

Deadline 

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: NOAA publishes this notice 

to extend the solicitation period on the 

‘‘FY 2006 Coastal Services Center 

Environmental Characterization of a 

U.S. Coastal Region,’’ which was 

originally announced in the Federal 

Register on June 30, 2005. The 

solicitation period is being extended 

from October 3, 2005 to October 24, 

2005 to provide the public more time to 

submit proposals. 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 191 / Tuesday, October 4, 2005 / Notices 57863 

DATES: Applications must be received 

no later than 5:00 PM EST on October 

24, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Applications should be 

submitted electronically to http:// 

www.grants.gov/. Electronic submission 

is strongly encouraged. Applicants 

without Internet access may send 

applications to 2234 South Hobson 

Avenue, Charleston, South Carolina 

29405–2413; these applications must be 

received by the Coastal Services Center 

no later than 5:00 PM EST on October 

24, 2005. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeffery Adkins by telephone at 843–740–

1244 or by email at 

Jeffery.Adkins@noaa.gov or Ginger 

Hinchcliff by telephone at 843-740–

1184 or by e-mail at 

Ginger.Hinchcliff@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFOMRATION: NOAA 

publishes this notice to extend the 

solicitation period on the following 

initiative originally announced in the 

Federal Register on June 30, 2005(70 FR 

37766). NOAA extends the solicitation 

period for the FY 2006 Coastal Services 

Center Environmental Characterization 

of a U.S. Coastal Region from October 3, 

2005 to October 24, 2005 to provide the 

public more time to submit proposals. 

All other requirements for this 

solicitation remain the same. 

Limitation of Liability 

Funding for programs listed in this 

notice is contingent upon the 

availability of Fiscal Year 2006 

appropriations. Applicants are hereby 

given notice that funds have not yet 

been appropriated for the programs 

listed in this notice. In no event will 

NOAA or the Department of Commerce 

be responsible for proposal preparation 

costs if these programs fail to receive 

funding or are cancelled because of 

other agency priorities. Publication of 

this announcement does not oblige 

NOAA to award any specific project or 

to obligate any available funds. 

Universal Identifier 

Applicants should be aware that they 

are required to provide a Dun and 

Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) number during the 

application process. See the October 30, 

2002 Federal Register, Vol. 67, No. 210, 

pp. 66177B66178, for additional 

information. Organizations can receive a 

DUNS number at no cost by calling the 

dedicated toll-free DUNS Number 

request line at 1–866–705–5711 or via 

the internet (http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com ). 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) 

NOAA must analyze the potential 

environmental impacts, as required by 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), for applicant projects or 

proposals which are seeking NOAA 

federal funding opportunities. Detailed 

information on NOAA compliance with 

NEPA can be found at the following 

NOAA NEPA website: http:// 

www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our 

NOAA Administrative Order 216–6 for 

NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/ 

NAO216l6lTOC.pdf, and the Council 

on Environmental Quality 

implementation regulations, http:// 

ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/ 

toclceq.htm Consequently, as part of 

an applicant’s package, and under their 

description of their program activities, 

applicants are required to provide 

detailed information on the activities to 

be conducted, locations, sites, species 

and habitat to be affected, possible 

construction activities, and any 

environmental concerns that may exist 

(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous 

or toxic chemicals, introduction of nonindigenous species, impacts to 

endangered and threatened species, 

aquaculture projects, and impacts to 

coral reef systems). In addition to 

providing specific information that will 

serve as the basis for any required 

impact analyses, applicants may also be 

requested to assist NOAA in drafting of 

an environmental assessment, if NOAA 

determines an assessment is required. 

Applicants will also be required to 

cooperate with NOAA in identifying 

feasible measures to reduce or avoid any 

identified adverse environmental 

impacts of their proposal. The failure to 

do so shall be grounds for not selecting 

an application. In some cases if 

additional information is required after 

an application is selected, funds can be 

withheld by the Grants Officer under a 

special award condition requiring the 

recipient to submit additional 

environmental compliance information 

sufficient to enable NOAA to make an 

assessment on any impacts that a project 

may have on the environment. 

The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification Requirements for 

Grants and Cooperative Agreements 

contained in the Federal Register notice 

of December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389), are 

applicable to this solicitation. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This document contains collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The 

use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, 

SF-LLL, and CD–346 has been approved 

by the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) under the respective 

control numbers 0348–0043, 0348–0044, 

0348–0040, 0348–0046, and 0605–0001. 

Notwithstanding any other provision of 

law, no person is required to respond to, 

nor shall any person be subject to a 

penalty for failure to comply with, a 

collection of information subject to the 

requirements of the PRA unless that 

collection of information displays a 

currently valid OMB control number. 

Executive Order 12866 

This notice has been determined to be 

not significant for purposes of Executive 

Order 12866. 

Executive Order 13132 (Federalism) 

It has been determined that this notice 

does not contain policies with 

Federalism implications as that term is 

defined in Executive Order 13132. 

Administrative Procedure Act/ 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

Prior notice and an opportunity for 

public comment are not required by the 

Administrative Procedure Act or any 

other law for rules concerning public 

property, loans, grants, benefits, and 

contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). Because 

notice and opportunity for comment are 

not required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or 

any other law, the analytical 

requirements of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are 

inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory 

flexibility analysis has not been 

prepared. 

Dated: September 29, 2005. 

Helen Hurcombe 

Director Acquisition and Grants Office, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 05–19885 Filed 10–3–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–12–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Marine Protected Areas Federal 

Advisory Committee; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Ocean Service, 

NOAA, Department of Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of open meeting. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the 

next meeting of the Marine Protected 

Areas Federal Advisory Committee 

(MPA FAC) in Corpus Christi, Texas. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Tuesday, November 1, 2005 from 8:30 

a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, November 2, 

2005 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and