5102 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 20 / Monday, February 1, 2016 / Notices 

Assessment Part 2 for 2016 Ocean 

Salmon Fishery Regulations’’ is 

scheduled to be posted on the Pacific 

Council Web site at http://

www.pcouncil.org. The report will 

include a description of the salmon 

management alternatives and a 

summary of their biological and 

economic impacts. Public hearings will 

be held to receive comments on the 

proposed ocean salmon fishery 

management alternatives adopted by the 

Pacific Council. Written comments 

received at the public hearings and a 

summary of oral comments at the 

hearings will be provided to the Pacific 

Council at its April meeting. 

All public hearings begin at 7 p.m. at 

the following locations: 

• March 28, 2016: Chateau Westport, 

Beach Room, 710 West Hancock, 

Westport, WA 98595, telephone 360– 

268–9101. 

• March 28, 2016: Red Lion Hotel, 

South Umpqua Room, 1313 North 

Bayshore Drive, Coos Bay, OR 97420, 

telephone 541–267–4141. 

• March 29, 2016: Motel 6, 

Convention Room, 400 South Main St, 

Fort Bragg, CA 95437, telephone 707– 

964–4761. 

Comments on the alternatives the 

Pacific Council adopts at its March 2016 

meeting, and described in Preseason 

Report II, may be submitted in writing 

or electronically as described under 

ADDRESSES, or verbally or in writing at 

any of the public hearings held on 

March 28–29, 2016, or at the Pacific 

Council’s meeting, April 9–14, 2016, at 

the Hilton in Vancouver, WA. Details of 

these meetings will be available on the 

Pacific Council’s Web site (http://

www.pcouncil.org) and will be 

published in the Federal Register. 

Written and electronically submitted 

comments must be received no later 

than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, April 3, 

2016, in order to be included in the 

briefing book for the April Council 

meeting where they will be considered 

in the adoption of the Pacific Council’s 

final recommendation for the 2016 

salmon fishery management measures. 

All comments received accordingly will 

be reviewed and considered by the 

Pacific Council and NMFS. 

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

Dated: January 27, 2016. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2016–01761 Filed 1–29–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XD882 

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and South Atlantic; SnapperGrouper Fishery Off the South Atlantic 

States; Amendment 36 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice announcing the 

preparation of an environmental 

assessment (EA). 

SUMMARY: NMFS, Southeast Region, in 

collaboration with the South Atlantic 

Fishery Management Council (Council), 

is preparing an EA for Amendment 36 

to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) 

for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the 

South Atlantic Region (Amendment 36). 

Amendment 36 considers alternatives to 

implement special management zones 

(SMZs) in the exclusive economic zone 

of the South Atlantic. This notice is 

intended to inform the public of the 

change from the preparation of a draft 

environmental impact statement (DEIS) 

to an EA for Amendment 36. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick 

DeVictor, NMFS Southeast Regional 

Office, telephone: 727–824–5305, or 

email: rick.devictor@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An NOI to 

prepare a DEIS for Amendment 36 was 

published in the Federal Register on 

April 8, 2015 (80 FR 18823). The NOI 

indicated that Amendment 36 would be 

supported by an environmental impact 

statement, which was the preliminary 

determination at the time the original 

purpose and need of the amendment 

was drafted. In addition to publication 

of the NOI, the Council held scoping 

meetings for Amendment 36 from April 

20–23, 2015. When the Council first 

requested development of this 

amendment, they were considering 

SMZs of comparably larger sizes. A 

reassessment of the actions in 

Amendment 36 relative to the National 

Environmental Policy Act indicates an 

EA is appropriate. Therefore, a DEIS 

will not be prepared for Amendment 36 

at this time. 

Through Amendment 36, the Council 

is considering modifications to the SMZ 

process and framework procedures to 

include the consideration of SMZs that 

would protect locations where snappergrouper species are likely to spawn and 

natural habitats that support spawning 

fish. Protecting locations where fish 

spawn and protecting natural habitats 

that support spawning fish may act as 

an effective strategy when managing a 

sustainable fish population. In the EA, 

the Council is also considering the 

implementation of SMZs to protect 

spawning snapper-grouper species in 

the South Atlantic region, in addition to 

specifying the anchoring, transit, and 

sunset provisions. Sunset provisions 

designate the date that the SMZs would 

be removed from the regulations unless 

retained through action by the Council 

and NMFS. 

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

Dated: January 27, 2016. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2016–01756 Filed 1–29–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XE401 

Pacific Fishery Management Council; 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS); 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS and the Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) 

announce their intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) in 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969 to analyze the short- and long-term 

impacts on the human (biological, 

physical, social, and economic) 

environment of Amendment 28 to the 

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP). This notice 

also requests written comment. 

DATES: Public scoping will be conducted 

through this notice. Written comments 

must be received by 5 p.m. Pacific 

Standard Time on March 2, 2016 (see 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on issues and alternatives by any of the 

following methods: 

• Email: 

GroundfishAmendment28.wcr@

noaa.gov. 

• Fax: 360–753–9463, Attention Dr. 

John Stadler. 


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