Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices 44435 

Working Group meetings will be taken 

on day two of the meeting. 

(5) Adjournment of meeting. 

Day 2 

The agenda for the October 27, 2017, 

full Committee meeting is as follows: 

(1) Introduction. 

(2) Swear in newly appointed 

Committee members. 

(3) Remarks from U.S. Coast Guard 

Leadership. 

(4) Designated Federal Officer 

announcements. 

(5) Roll call of Committee members 

and determination of a quorum. 

(6) Reports from the following 

Working Groups: 

(a) Task Statement 87, Review of 

policy documents providing guidance 

on the implementation of the December 

24, 2013, International Convention on 

Standards of Training, Certification and 

Watchkeeping for Seafarers rulemaking; 

(b) Task Statement 96, Review and 

comment on the course and program 

approval requirements including 46 

CFR 10.402, 10.403, 10.407 and 

Navigation and Vessel Inspection 

Circular 03–14 guidelines for approval 

of training courses and programs; 

(c) Task Statement 98, continue the 

progress made by the military services 

towards meeting the goals on the use of 

Military Education, Training and 

Assessment for STCW and National 

Mariner Endorsements as identified in 

the Howard Coble Coast Guard and 

Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 

and subsequent legislation; 

(d) Task Statement 99, Review and 

comment on the ‘‘Guidelines for Issuing 

Endorsement for Tankerman PIC 

Restricted to Fuel Transfers on Towing 

Vessels’’ policy letter (CG–MMC Policy 

Letter No. 01–17); 

(e) Task Statement 100, Provide input 

to MARAD’s working group that will 

examine and assess the size of the pool 

of U.S. mariners necessary to support 

the U.S. flag fleet in times of national 

emergency; 

(f) Task Statement 101, Provide 

feedback and avenues to further 

enhance open communication between 

external stakeholders and the U.S. Coast 

Guard’s mariner credentialing program 

regarding all aspects of the program; 

(g) Task Statement 102, consider and 

make recommendations regarding the 

current requirement for a U.S. Merchant 

Mariner to read and write using English; 

(h) Task Statement 103, Input to 

Support Regulatory Reform of Coast 

Guard Regulations-Executive Orders 

13771 and 13783. 

(7) Other items for discussion: 

(a) Report on the Mariner 

Credentialing Program; 

(b) Report on National Maritime 

Center activities from the National 

Maritime Center Commanding Officer, 

such as medical requirements and legal 

authorities; 

(c) Briefings about on-going U.S. Coast 

Guard projects related to personnel in 

the U.S. merchant marine. 

(8) Public comment period. 

(9) Discussion of Working Group 

recommendations. 

The Committee will review the 

information presented on each issue, 

deliberate on any recommendations 

presented by the Working Groups, 

approve/formulate recommendations 

and close any completed tasks. Official 

action on these recommendations may 

be taken on this date. 

(10) Closing remarks/plans for next 

meeting. 

(11) Adjournment of meeting. 

A public comment period will be held 

during each Working Group and full 

Committee meeting concerning matters 

being discussed. 

A copy of all meeting documentation 

will be available at https://

homeport.uscg.mil/merpac no later than 

October 18, 2017. Alternatively, you 

may contact Mr. Davis Breyer as noted 

in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION section 

above. 

Public comments will be limited to 

three minutes per speaker. Please note 

that the public comment periods will 

end following the last call for 

comments. Please contact Mr. Davis 

Breyer, listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section, to register 

as a speaker. 

Please note that the meeting may 

adjourn early if the work is completed. 

Dated: September 18, 2017. 

Jeffrey G. Lantz, 

Director of Commercial Regulations and 

Standards. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20209 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Federal Emergency Management 

Agency 

[Internal Agency Docket No. FEMA–3388– 

EM; Docket ID FEMA–2017–0001] 

Seminole Tribe of Florida; Emergency 

and Related Determinations 

AGENCY: Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This is a notice of the 

Presidential declaration of an 

emergency for the Seminole Tribe of 

Florida (FEMA–3388–EM), dated 

September 8, 2017, and related 

determinations. 

DATES: The declaration was issued 

September 8, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Dean Webster, Office of Response and 

Recovery, Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, 500 C Street SW., 

Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646–2833. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given that, in a letter dated 

September 8, 2017, the President issued 

an emergency declaration under the 

authority of the Robert T. Stafford 

Disaster Relief and Emergency 

Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121–5207 

(the Stafford Act), as follows: 

I have determined that the emergency 

conditions in the lands associated with the 

Seminole Tribe of Florida resulting from 

Hurricane Irma beginning on September 4, 

2017, and continuing, are of sufficient 

severity and magnitude to warrant an 

emergency declaration under the Robert T. 

Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq. (‘‘the 

Stafford Act’’). Therefore, I declare that such 

an emergency exists for the Seminole Tribe 

of Florida and associated lands. 

You are authorized to provide appropriate 

assistance for required emergency measures, 

authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, 

to save lives and to protect property and 

public health and safety, and to lessen or 

avert the threat of a catastrophe in the 

designated areas. Specifically, you are 

authorized to provide assistance for debris 

removal and emergency protective measures 

(Categories A and B), including direct 

Federal assistance, under the Public 

Assistance program. 

Consistent with the requirement that 

Federal assistance is supplemental, any 

Federal funds provided under the Stafford 

Act for Public Assistance will be limited to 

75 percent of the total eligible costs. 

Further, you are authorized to make 

changes to this declaration for the approved 

assistance to the extent allowable under the 

Stafford Act. 

The Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) hereby gives notice that 

pursuant to the authority vested in the 

Administrator, Department of Homeland 

Security, under Executive Order 12148, 

as amended, Justo Herna ́ndez, of FEMA 

is appointed to act as the Federal 

Coordinating Officer for this declared 

emergency. 

The following areas have been 

designated as adversely affected by this 

declared emergency: 

The Seminole Tribe of Florida and 

associated lands for debris removal and 

emergency protective measures (Categories A 

and B), including direct federal assistance, 

under the Public Assistance program. 

The following Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Numbers (CFDA) are to be used 

44436 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 183 / Friday, September 22, 2017 / Notices 

for reporting and drawing funds: 97.030, 

Community Disaster Loans; 97.031, Cora 

Brown Fund; 97.032, Crisis Counseling; 

97.033, Disaster Legal Services; 97.034, 

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA); 

97.046, Fire Management Assistance Grant; 

97.048, Disaster Housing Assistance to 

Individuals and Households In Presidentially 

Declared Disaster Areas; 97.049, 

Presidentially Declared Disaster Assistance— 

Disaster Housing Operations for Individuals 

and Households; 97.050, Presidentially 

Declared Disaster Assistance to Individuals 

and Households—Other Needs; 97.036, 

Disaster Grants—Public Assistance 

(Presidentially Declared Disasters); 97.039, 

Hazard Mitigation Grant. 

Brock Long, 

Administrator, Federal Emergency 

Management Agency. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20191 Filed 9–21–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9111–23–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–MB–2017–N049; FF08M00000– 

FXMB12310800000–145] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement; 

Hycroft Mining Company; Request for 

Take Permits Under the Bald and 

Golden Eagle Protection Act 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement; notice 

of scoping meeting and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), intend to 

prepare a joint environmental impact 

statement (EIS) with the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM). We are a 

cooperating agency with the BLM on the 

development of this EIS. The BLM will 

be analyzing potential impacts of their 

decision regarding Hycroft Resource and 

Development Incorporated’s (Hycroft/ 

applicant) proposed expansion as 

described in BLM’s notice of intent 

published in December 2014. This EIS 

will also analyze impacts associated 

with the Service’s eagle take permit 

decisions. The Service will evaluate the 

applicant’s Eagle Conservation Plan 

(ECP), which describes their request to 

remove inactive golden eagle nests and 

their request for incidental take 

authorization for impacts resulting from 

removing eagle nests, mining 

operations, and expansion of the 

existing facility. We are considering the 

applicant’s request, as allowed under 

the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection 

Act (Eagle Act), for nest removal for the 

purpose of resource development and 

recovery operations and incidental take. 

The BLM has already conducted public 

scoping regarding the proposed 

expansion of the Hycroft mine. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, please 

send your written comments by 

November 21, 2017. Public scoping 

meetings will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 

p.m. on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, at 

the Hyatt Place Reno-Tahoe Airport, 

1790 East Plumb Lane, Reno, NV 89502; 

and on Wednesday, October 11, 2017, at 

the Winnemucca Convention Center, 50 

West Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, 

NV 89445. 

ADDRESSES: To request further 

information or submit written 

comments, please use one of the 

following methods, and note that your 

information request or comment is in 

reference to the Hycroft Mine Eagle 

Conservation Plan EIS. 

• Email: fw8_eaglepermits@fws.gov. 

Include ‘‘Hycroft Mine Eagle 

Conservation Plan EIS’’ in the subject 

line of the message. 

• U.S. Mail: Heather Beeler, 

Migratory Bird Program, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest 

Regional Office, 2800 Cottage Way, 

W–2605, Sacramento, CA 95825. 

• Fax: Heather Beeler, Migratory Bird 

Program, (916) 414–6486; Attn: Hycroft 

Mine Eagle Conservation Plan EIS 

Scoping. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Heather Beeler, Migratory Bird Program, 

at the address shown above or at (916) 

414–6651 (telephone). If you use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf, 

please call the Federal Relay Service at 

(800) 877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the 

Service, intend to prepare a joint 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

with the BLM in response to Hycroft’s 

permit application to remove inactive 

golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) nests 

and for incidental take under the Eagle 

Act. Hycroft submitted a draft Eagle 

Conservation Plan (ECP) as part of their 

permit application. The draft ECP is a 

comprehensive plan that addresses the 

removal of inactive golden eagle nests 

and also provides measures to avoid, 

minimize, and mitigate for the loss of 

golden eagle nesting territories. The 

draft EIS will evaluate the impacts of 

several alternatives related to the 

proposed issuance of permits by the 

Service to allow the removal of inactive 

golden eagle nests for natural resource 

extraction and authorization of 

incidental take, including the potential 

loss of up to two golden eagle breeding 

territories. The Hycroft mine is located 

near the historical town of Sulphur, in 

Pershing and Humboldt Counties, 

Nevada. 

We provide this notice to (1) describe 

the proposed action; (2) advise other 

Federal and State agencies, potentially 

affected tribal interests, and the public 

of our intent to prepare an EIS; (3) 

announce the initiation of a 60-day 

public scoping period; and (4) obtain 

suggestions and information on the 

scope of issues and possible alternatives 

to be included in the EIS. We are 

particularly interested in comments 

regarding the creation of new golden 

eagle nest sites or territories, a potential 

mitigation option. 

We also announce plans for public 

scoping meetings and the opening of a 

public comment period. We request 

data, comments, new information, or 

suggestions from the public, 

governmental agencies, the scientific 

community, tribes, industry, or any 

other interested party. 

We publish this notice in accordance 

with the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 

4321–4347 et seq.; NEPA), and its 

implementing regulations in the Code of 

Federal Regulations at 40 CFR 1500– 

1508, as well as section 668a of the 

Eagle Act (16 U.S.C. 668a–668d). 

Background 

Golden eagles are protected under the 

Eagle Act, which prohibits take of both 

bald and golden eagles and eagle nests. 

‘‘Take’’ under the Eagle Act includes 

any actions that pursue, shoot, shoot at, 

poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, 

collect, destroy, molest, and disturb 

eagles. ‘‘Disturb’’ is further defined in 

50 CFR 22.3 as ‘‘to agitate or bother a 

bald or golden eagle to a degree that 

causes, or is likely to cause, based on 

the best scientific information available 

(1) injury to an eagle, (2) a decrease in 

its productivity, by substantially 

interfering with normal breeding, 

feeding, or sheltering behavior, or (3) 

nest abandonment, by substantially 

interfering with normal breeding, 

feeding, or sheltering behavior.’’ 

The BLM will be the lead agency in 

development of the EIS, and will be 

evaluating the applicant’s request for 

the proposed expansion of their 

operations at the Hycroft Mine. The 

current mining operations were 

approved by BLM in a record of 

decision (ROD) issued in August of 

2012. 

During biological surveys conducted 

in 2011 and 2012 for BLM’s 2012 EIS, 

a golden eagle nest and two older nests 

were discovered on an outcrop at the 

northern end of the Silver Camel 

feature. Mining of the Silver Camel 

feature and the occurrence of the nests