Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 14, 2008 / Notices 60713 

provided the reports to the Service. 

Specify the corresponding time frame. 

Response: The Service has updated 

the stock assessment report to reflect the 

requested changes. However, the 

information provided by the NMFS did 

not include a time frame; therefore, a 

time frame has not been included in the 

updated stock assessment report. 

Comment 5: Given the apparent lack 

of voluntary reports of sea otter takes 

and the unreliability of voluntary 

reporting schemes in general, remove 

the word ‘‘more’’ from the sentence on 

page 5 that states ‘‘* * * the 

information provided by the NMFS is 

not sufficient to provide a more accurate 

estimate of annual mortality * * *.’’ 

Further, a statement should be made 

that a useful estimate of fishing 

mortality will require instituting 

observer coverage to obtain data on 

fishery efforts. 

Response: We have revised the final 

stock assessment report to reflect this 

comment. The fishery observer 

programs are conducted by the NMFS of 

the Department of Commerce, and, 

therefore, institution of observer 

coverage in fisheries must be directed to 

them. We have forwarded this 

suggestion to them (see response to 

comment 6). 

Comment 6: The stock assessment 

report concludes that available 

information is not adequate to make a 

reliable assessment of incidental take 

levels. Therefore, the Service should 

consult with NMFS, Tribal authorities, 

and other relevant groups to arrange for 

the placement of observers aboard trap 

and gillnet fishing vessels that may 

incidentally take sea otters. 

Response: The fishery observer 

programs are under the administration 

of the NMFS in accordance with section 

118 of the MMPA. With the exception 

of the Puget Sound Region salmon drift 

gillnet, all commercial fisheries in the 

State of Washington that have the 

potential to take sea otters are classified 

as Category III in NMFS’ List of 

Fisheries. Category III fisheries are not 

required to accommodate observers. 

Further, under this program, fishery 

interactions are self-reporting or, in 

some cases, identified as excluded, e.g., 

treaty Tribal fishing. It is the position of 

the Service that the incidental take of 

sea otters by treaty Tribal fishing 

activities must be authorized under the 

MMPA. Nonetheless, obtaining 

incidental take information is a 

challenge. However, the Service will 

continue to work with the NMFS, Tribal 

authorities, and others to the extent 

practicable under these conditions to 

obtain better data. 

Comment 7: Illegal taking of sea otters 

is being perpetrated by ‘‘fish profiteers’’ 

and the Service is not taking appropriate 

action. 

Response: The stock assessment 

report presents all of the human-caused 

mortality of sea otters that has been 

made known to the Service. 

Reference Not Cited in the Notice of 

Availability of Draft Revised SAR: 

Jameson, R.J. and S. Jeffries. 2008. 

Results of the 2007 Survey of the 

Reintroduced Sea Otter Population in 

Washington State. Unpublished Report. 

7pp. Copies may be obtained from the 

Washington Department of Fish and 

Wildlife. 

Authority: The authority for this action is 

the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361–1407). 

Dated: October 2, 2008. 

Kenneth Stansell, 

Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–24195 Filed 10–10–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R9–FHC–2008–N0265; 94240–1341– 

0000–N3–N5] 

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force 

Meeting 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces a 

meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance 

Species (ANS) Task Force. The meeting 

is open to the public. The meeting 

topics are identified in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. 

DATES: The ANS Task Force will meet 

from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, 

October 28, and Wednesday, October 

29, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: The ANS Task Force 

meeting will take place at the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, Room 200, 4401 

North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 

22203; (703) 358–1843. You may inspect 

minutes of the meeting at the office of 

the Chief, Division of Fish and Wildlife 

Management and Habitat Restoration, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 

North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 

22203, during regular business hours, 

Monday through Friday. You may also 

view the minutes on the ANS Task 

Force Web site at: http:// 

anstaskforce.gov/meetings.php. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe 

Starinchak, Branch of Invasive Species, 

at (703) 358–2018, or by e-mail at 

Joe_Starinchak@fws.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 

App.), this notice announces meetings 

of the ANS Task Force. The ANS Task 

Force was established by the 

Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance 

Prevention and Control Act of 1990. 

Topics the ANS Task Force plans to 

cover during the meeting include: 

Regional Panel issues and 

recommendations, Committee 

recommendations, and consideration for 

approval of state ANS management 

plans. The agenda and other related 

meeting information are on the ANS 

Task Force Web site at: http:// 

anstaskforce.gov/meetings.php. 

Dated: September 22, 2008. 

Gary Frazer, 

Co-Chair, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task 

Force, Assistant Director—Fisheries & Habitat 

Conservation. 

[FR Doc. E8–24228 Filed 10–10–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[F–14876–M, F–14876–N; AK–964–1410– 

KC–P] 

Alaska Native Claims Selection 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of decision approving 

lands for conveyance. 

SUMMARY: As required by 43 CFR 

2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an 

appealable decision approving lands for 

conveyance pursuant to the Alaska 

Native Claims Settlement Act will be 

issued to NANA Regional Corporation, 

Inc., Successor in Interest to Kivalina 

Sinuakmeut Corporation. The lands are 

in the vicinity of Kivalina, Alaska, and 

are located in: 

Kateel River Meridian, Alaska 

T. 29 N., R. 24 W., 

Secs. 3 to 10, inclusive; 

Secs. 13 to 23, inclusive; 

Secs. 28 to 33, inclusive. 

Containing approximately 14,663 acres. 

The subsurface estate in these lands 

will be conveyed to NANA Regional 

Corporation, Inc. when the surface 

estate is conveyed to NANA Regional 

Corporation, Inc., Successor in Interest 

to Kivalina Sinuakmeut Corporation. 

Notice of the decision will also be 

published four times in the Arctic 

Sounder. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES