9676 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 42 / Monday, March 5, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 

Dated: February 22, 2007. 

David I. Maurstad, 

Director, Mitigation Division, Federal 

Emergency Management Agency, Department 

of Homeland Security. 

[FR Doc. E7–3724 Filed 3–2–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–12–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 070213032–7032–01; I.D. 

022807A] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of 

a closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is reopening directed 

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 

630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 24 

hours. This action is necessary to fully 

use the A season allowance of the 2007 

total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock 

specified for Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), March 1, 2007, through 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 2, 2007. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., March 15, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue 

Salveson, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Comments may be 

submitted by: 

• Mail to: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 

99802; 

• Hand delivery to the Federal 

Building, 709 West 9th Street, Room 

420A, Juneau, Alaska; 

• FAX to 907–586–7557; 

• E-mail to 630pollock2@noaa.gov 

and include in the subject line of the email comment the document identifier: 

‘‘g63plkro4’’ (E-mail comments, with or 

without attachments, are limited to 5 

megabytes); or 

• Webform at the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions at that site for submitting 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of 

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

under authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act. Regulations governing 

fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance 

with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 

CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679. 

NMFS closed the directed fishery for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA under § 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on 

January 22, 2007 (72 FR 2793, January 

23, 2007). The fishery was subsequently 

reopened on February 6, 2007 and 

closed on February 8, 2007 (72 FR 5346, 

February 6, 2007), reopened on 

February 12, 2007 and closed on 

February 14, 2007 (72 FR 7353, 

February 15, 2007), and reopened on 

February 20, 2007 and closed on 

February 22, 2007 (72 FR 8132, 

February 23, 2007). 

NMFS has determined that 

approximately 2,850 mt of pollock 

remain in the directed fishing allowance 

in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. 

Therefore, in accordance with 

§ 679.25(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i)(C) and 

(a)(2)(iii)(D), and to fully utilize the A 

season allowance of the 2007 TAC of 

pollock in Statistical Area 630, NMFS is 

terminating the previous closure and is 

reopening directed fishing for pollock in 

Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. In 

accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the 

Regional Administrator finds that this 

directed fishing allowance will be 

reached after 24 hours. Consequently, 

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA after the 24 hours, effective 1200 

hrs, A.l.t., March 2, 2007. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement to provide prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment 

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 679.25(c)(1)(ii) as 

such requirement is impracticable and 

contrary to the public interest. This 

requirement is impracticable and 

contrary to the public interest as it 

would prevent NMFS from responding 

to the most recent fisheries data in a 

timely fashion and would delay the 

opening of pollock in Statistical Area 

630 of the GOA. NMFS was unable to 

publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of February 27, 2007. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30–day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

Without this inseason adjustment, 

NMFS could not allow the fishery for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA to be harvested in an expedient 

manner and in accordance with the 

regulatory schedule. Under 

§ 679.25(c)(2), interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments on 

this action to the above address until 

March 15, 2007. 

This action is required by § 679.25 

and § 679.20 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: February 28, 2007. 

James P. Burgess, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 07–988 Filed 2–28–07; 12:48 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No.070213032–7032–01; I.D. 

112206B] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; 2007 

and 2008 Final Harvest Specifications 

for Groundfish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule; closures. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces 2007 and 

2008 final harvest specifications, 

reserves and apportionments thereof, 

Pacific halibut prohibited species catch 

(PSC) limits, and associated 

management measures for the 

groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska 

(GOA). This action is necessary to 

establish harvest limits and associated 

management measures for groundfish 

during the 2007 and 2008 fishing years 

and to accomplish the goals and 

objectives of the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of 

Alaska (FMP). The intended effect of 

this action is to conserve and manage 

the groundfish resources in the GOA in 


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