11886 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 44 / Wednesday, March 5, 2008 / Notices 

small numbers of certain species of 

marine mammals. While behavioral and 

avoidance reactions may be made by 

these species in response to the 

resultant noise from the airguns, these 

behavioral changes are expected to have 

a negligible impact on the affected 

species and stocks of marine mammals. 

While the number of potential 

incidental harassment takes will depend 

on the distribution and abundance of 

marine mammals in the area of seismic 

operations, the number of potential 

harassment takings is estimated to be 

relatively small in light of the 

population sizes (see Tables 3, 4, and 5). 

NMFS anticipates the actual take of 

individuals to be even lower than the 

numbers depicted in the tables, because 

those numbers do not reflect either the 

implementation of the mitigation 

numbers or the fact that some animals 

likely will avoid the sound at levels 

lower than those expected to result in 

harassment. 

In addition, no take by death and/or 

injury is anticipated, and the potential 

for temporary or permanent hearing 

impairment will be avoided through the 

incorporation of the mitigation 

measures described in this document. 

Proposed Authorization 

NMFS proposes to issue an IHA to L–

DEO for a marine seismic survey project 

in the ETP in April–August 2008, 

provided the previously mentioned 

mitigation, monitoring, and reporting 

requirements are incorporated. 

Dated: February 28, 2008. 

Helen Golde, 

Deputy Director, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–4237 Filed 3–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Gray’s Reef National Marine 

Sanctuary 

AGENCY: Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to initiate 

public scoping. 

SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) 

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 

(ONMS) is preparing a draft 

environmental impact statement to 

consider the establishment of a research 

(control) area in Gray’s Reef National 

Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS). Activities 

are restricted within research areas in 

order to facilitate better understanding 

of resources and environmental 

processes. This notice announces the 

beginning of public scoping pursuant to 

the National Environmental Policy Act. 

The public scoping process, including 

public scoping meetings, is intended to 

solicit information and comments on 

the range and significance of issues 

related to the establishment of a 

research area at Gray’s Reef. The results 

of this scoping process will assist 

NOAA in formulating alternatives for 

the draft environmental impact 

statement for the proposed research 

area. This notice contains times, dates, 

and locations for scoping meetings. 

DATES: Comments will be considered if 

received by April 21, 2008. 

Scoping meetings will be held at: 

(1) March 18, 2008, Camden Public 

Library, 6–8 p.m. 

(2) March 20, 2008, Armstrong Center, 

6–8 p.m. 

(3) March 24, 2008, Statesboro 

Regional Library, 6–8 p.m. 

(4) March 25, 2008, Stevens Wetlands 

Education Center, 6–8 p.m. 

(5) March 27, 2008, Best Western Sea 

Island Inn, 6–8 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be 

sent to Gray’s Reef NMS (Research 

Area), 10 Ocean Science Circle, 

Savannah, GA 31411; or by facsimile to 

912/598–2367; or to 

grnms.researcharea@noaa.gov. 

Scoping meetings will be held at: 

(1) Camden Public Library, 1410 

Highway 40 East, Kingsland, Georgia 

31548. 

(2) Armstrong Center, 13040 Abercorn 

St., Savannah, Georgia 31419. 

(3) Statesboro Regional Library, 124 

South Main St., Statesboro, Georgia 

30458. 

(4) Stevens Wetlands Education 

Center, 600 Cedar St., Richmond Hill, 

Georgia 31324. 

(5) Best Western Sea Island Inn, 1015 

Bay St., Beaufort, South Carolina 29902. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Becky Shortland (912) 598–2381 or 

Becky.Shortland@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

National Marine Sanctuaries Act 

(NMSA), 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq., 

authorizes the Secretary of Commerce 

(Secretary) to designate discrete areas of 

the marine environment as national 

marine sanctuaries to protect their 

special conservation, recreational, 

ecological, historical, cultural, 

archaeological, scientific, educational, 

or esthetic qualities. The NMSA is 

administered by the National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA) through the Office of National 

Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS). 

The concept of a research (control) 

area within Gray’s Reef National Marine 

Sanctuary has been under discussion for 

several years. The concept was first 

raised in 1999 during the early stages of 

the GRNMS Management Plan review 

process at public scoping meetings and 

was raised again during public research 

workshops. 

Subsequently, the Gray’s Reef 

Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC), with 

the approval of the Sanctuary 

superintendent, formed a research area 

working group (RAWG) to further 

consider the concept. The Advisory 

Council’s recommendation to 

investigate the concept of a marine 

research area was adopted by GRNMS as 

a research and monitoring strategy for 

the Management Plan which was 

released in 2006. 

The RAWG comprised representative 

constituents of Gray’s Reef including: 

researchers, academics, conservation 

groups, recreational anglers and divers, 

educators, commercial fishing, law 

enforcement and sanctuaries 

representatives. The working group met 

initially in May 2004, and then 

periodically over the course of a year, to 

discuss the concept in detail. The 

working group employed a consensusdriven, constituent-based process to 

address the concept of a marine research 

area. All participants discussed at 

length all issues, considerations, 

priorities and concerns for each step of 

the process. 

The following recommendations were 

developed by the working group and 

were referred to the SAC. After 

reviewing and considering the 

recommendations, the SAC adopted and 

submitted them to NOAA GRNMS: 

Recommendation #1 

Significant research questions exist at 

Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary 

that can only be addressed by 

establishing a control (research) area. 

Therefore, the research area concept 

should be further explored by NOAA 

through a public review process. 

Recommendation #2 

As many appropriate tools as feasible, 

especially a GIS (Geographic 

Information Systems, geographic and 

spatial analysis software) site evaluation 

tool and a RAWG should be used to 

investigate a research area with proper 

siting criteria. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 44 / Wednesday, March 5, 2008 / Notices 11887 

Recommendation #3 

Diversity of habitat with emphasis on 

high relief habitat should be the primary 

siting criterion. The RAWG should be 

maintained to support NOAA GRNMS 

in consideration of these various criteria 

(e.g., habitat, size, existing research and 

monitoring sites, bottom fishing data) in 

developing proposed options for a draft 

environmental impact statement. 

Recommendation #4 

Minimizing impacts to user 

communities including fishing, diving, 

research, and resource management 

should be a priority under the research 

area concept. Non-bottom impinging 

activities should not be viewed as 

conflicting with the primary objectives 

of a proposed research area. Based on 

the recommendations of the Advisory 

Council, NOAA has concluded that the 

research area concept should be further 

explored through a public review 

process. In the upcoming DEIS, NOAA 

will likely develop a range of 

alternatives for the creation of a research 

area, including a no-action alternative. If 

this action results in the creation of a 

research area in the GRNMS, a 

companion management plan for the 

research area will serve as a supplement 

to the 2006 GRNMS Final Management 

Plan/Final Environmental Impact 

Statement. 

By this notice, NOAA announces the 

initiation of scoping for the proposed 

research area in Gray’s Reef National 

Marine Sanctuary. Scoping is the initial 

process intended to solicit information 

and comments on the range and 

significance of issues related to the 

proposed action. The results of this 

scoping process will assist NOAA in 

formulating alternatives for a draft 

environmental impact statement for the 

proposed research area. 

NOAA encourages the public and 

interested parties to submit (via mail, 

e-mail, or fax) comments and to attend 

the public scoping meetings in March. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq. 

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 

Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary Program) 

Dated: February 26, 2008. 

John H. Dunnigan, 

Assistant Administrator, Ocean Services and 

Coastal Zone Management, National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 08–930 Filed 3–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–NK–M 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN: 0648–XG05 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council will convene a 

public meeting of the Ad Hoc 

Recreational Red Snapper Advisory 

Panel (AP). 

DATES: The meeting will convene at 9 

a.m. on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 and 

conclude no later than 5 p.m. on 

Wednesday, March 26, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at 

the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel, 

64 S. Water St., Mobile, AL 36602; 

telephone: (251) 438–4000. 

Council address: Gulf of Mexico 

Fishery Management Council, 2203 

North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, 

FL 33607. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 

Statistician; Gulf of Mexico Fishery 

Management Council; telephone: (813) 

348–1630. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At this 

meeting, the AP will prioritize the goals 

and objectives for the recreational red 

snapper fishery that were developed in 

earlier meetings as well as the list of 

ideas for managing the recreational red 

snapper fishery that was previously 

developed. The AP will select ideas 

from its list for further development, 

and will begin the initial work of 

developing those ideas into possible 

management action. The AP will also 

discuss the possible formation of 

working groups for the task of 

developing discussion papers on the 

ideas to be developed. In addition, the 

AP will receive several presentations 

providing an overview on marine 

protected areas, a review of party boat 

and charter boat catch data, a discussion 

of educational materials on proper 

venting and dehooking, and clarification 

on referendum requirements pertaining 

to possible changes in the red snapper 

allocation. 

Although other issues not on the 

agenda may come before the panel for 

discussion, in accordance with the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, 

those issues may not be the subject of 

formal panel action during this meeting. 

Panel action will be restricted to those 

issues specifically identified in the 

agenda listed as available by this notice. 

A copy of the agenda can be obtained 

by calling 813–348–1630. 

Special Accommodations 

This meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to Tina 

Trezza at the Council (see ADDRESSES) at 

least 5 working days prior to the 

meeting. 

Dated: February 29, 2008. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–4181 Filed 3–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN: 0648–XG06 

New England Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery 

Management Council’s (Council) 

Herring Oversight Committee will meet 

to consider actions affecting New 

England fisheries in the exclusive 

economic zone (EEZ). 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Wednesday, March 26, 2008, at 9:30 

a.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring 

Street, Portland, ME 04101; telephone: 

(207) 775–2311. 

Council address: New England 

Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 

Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul 

J. Howard, Executive Director, New 

England Fishery Management Council; 

telephone: (978) 465–0492. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The items 

of discussion in the committee’s agenda 

are as follows: 

1. Review Council actions for 2008 

priority-setting and discuss issues to be 

addressed in Amendment 4 to the 

Atlantic Herring Fishery Management 

Plan (FMP). 

2. Identify goals and objectives for 

Amendment 4 to the Herring FMP 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES