Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 115 / Thursday, June 13, 1996 / Rules and Regulations 29975

permit resolution of environmental

issues and issuance of a final decision.

The Board expects that this 60-day

period will usually be sufficient for

these purposes unless preparation of an

EIS is required. If, however,

environmental issues remain unresolved

upon expiration of this 60-day period,

the Board, upon its own motion, or at

the request of a party to the case, will

extend the stay, as necessary to permit

completion of environmental review

and issuance of a final decision. The

Board’s order will specify the duration

of each extension of the initial stay

period. In cases requiring the

preparation of an EIS, the Board will

extend the stay for a period sufficient to

permit compliance with the procedural

guidelines established by the Board’s

environmental regulations.

(d) Third-Party Consultants. An

environmental and historic report

required under 49 CFR 1105.7 and

1105.8 will not be required where a

petitioner engages a third-party

consultant who is approved by SEA and

acts under SEA’s direction and

supervision in preparing the EA or EIS.

In such a case, the third-party

consultant must act on behalf of the

Board, working under SEA’s direction to

collect the environmental information

that is needed and to compile it into a

draft EA or EIS, which is prepared

under SEA’s direction and then

submitted to SEA for its final review

and approval. See 49 CFR 1105.10(d).

[FR Doc. 96–14902 Filed 6–12–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 301

[Docket No. 960111003–6068–03; I.D.

060796A]

Pacific Halibut Fisheries; 1996 Halibut

Landing Report No. 3

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Inseason action.

SUMMARY: The Assistant Administrator

for Fisheries, NOAA, on behalf of the

International Pacific Halibut

Commission (IPHC), publishes these

inseason actions pursuant to IPHC

regulations approved by the U.S.

Government to govern the Pacific

halibut fishery. This action is intended

to enhance the conservation of the

Pacific halibut stock.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Southern Oregon Sport

Halibut Season: 11:59 p.m., Pacific

Daylight Time, June 1, 1996, until June

2, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Steven Pennoyer, 907-586-7221;

William W. Stelle, Jr., 206-526-6140; or

Donald McCaughran, 206-634-1838.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The IPHC,

under the Convention between the

United States of America and Canada

for the Preservation of the Halibut

Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean

and Bering Sea (signed at Ottawa,

Ontario, on March 2, 1953), as amended

by a Protocol Amending the Convention

(signed at Washington, DC, on March

29, 1979), has issued this inseason

action pursuant to IPHC regulations

governing the Pacific halibut fishery.

The regulations have been approved by

NMFS (60 FR 14651, March 20, 1995,

and amended at 61 FR 11337, March 20,

1996). On behalf of the IPHC, this

inseason action is published in the

Federal Register to provide additional

notice of its effectiveness, and to inform

persons subject to the inseason action of

the restrictions and requirements

established therein.

Inseason Action

1996 Halibut Landing Report No. 3

Southern Oregon Sport Halibut Season

to Close June 1

The preliminary catch estimate for the

1996 sport halibut fishery between the

Florence North Jetty (Siuslaw River,

44°01°08′′ N. lat.) and the California

border (42°00°00 N. lat.) indicates the

5,999 lb (2.72 metric tons (mt)) catch

limit will be reached on June 1.

Therefore, the sport halibut fishery in

this area will close at 11:59 p.m. on June

1.

Sport fishing for Pacific halibut will

reopen on June 2 and remain open

through August 1, 7 days a week, only

in the area inside the 30–fathom curve

nearest to the coastline as plotted on

National Ocean Service charts

numbered 18520, 18580, and 18600

from the Florence North Jetty (Siuslaw

River) to the California border, or until

1,500 lb (.68 mt) are estimated to have

been taken (except that any poundage

remaining unharvested after the earlier

season will be added to this season) and

the season is closed by the IPHC,

whichever occurs first. The daily bag

limit remains two halibut per person,

one with a minimum overall size limit

of 32 inches (81.28 centimeters (cm))

and the second with a minimum overall

size limit of 50 inches (127.0 cm).

Dated: June 7, 1996.

Richard H. Schaefer,

Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and

Management, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 96–15058 Filed 6–12–96; 8:45 am]

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