Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 42 / Friday, March 2, 2001 / Proposed Rules 13035

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 022101A]

Western Pacific Fishery Management

Council; Public Meetings and Hearing

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings/

public hearing.

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

hold a joint meeting of its Coral Reef

Ecosystem Plan Team (CREPT) and

Ecosystem and Habitat Advisory Panel

(EHAP) on March 8, 2001, in Honolulu,

HI, and hold its 109th meeting of the

full Council on March 13, 2001, in

Honolulu, HI.

At the full Council meeting, a public

hearing will be held prior to the Council

taking final action on its Coral Reef

Ecosystem Fishery Management Plan/

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(CREFMP/DEIS).

DATES: The joint meeting of the CREPT

and EHAP (non-Hawaii members by

telephone conference call) will be held

on March 8, 2001, from 12 noon to 5

p.m. The full Council meeting (nonHawaii members by telephone

conference call) will be held on March

13, 2001, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. See

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific

telephone link locations.

ADDRESSES: The joint CREPT/EHAP

meeting, Council meeting, and public

hearing will be held at the Council

Office Conference Room, Western

Pacific Fishery Management Council,

1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu,

HI, 96813; telephone: 808–522–8220.

Copies of the CREFMP/DEIS are

available from the Western Pacific

Fishery Management Council. The

following locations have been identified

for telephone conference call links to

the 109th Council meeting in Honolulu,

HI on March 13, 2001: American Samoa,

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands (CNMI), and Guam. For specific

telephone link locations see

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director;

telephone: 808–522–8220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March

8, 2001, the Plan Team/Advisory Panel

(CREPT/EHAP) will consider public

comments during the public comment

period on the CREFMP/DEIS and make

recommendations to the Council. On

March 13, 2001, the Council will

consider comments and

recommendations from the CREPT/

EHAP on the CREFMP/DEIS and take

final action on the CREFMP. Dates,

Times, and Locations for telephone

conference call links to the Council

meeting and public hearing are as

follows:

1. Honolulu, HI: March 13, 2001, local

meeting time, 12 noon to 5 p.m., public

hearing time, 3 p.m., Western Pacific

Fishery Management Council, Council

Office Conference Room, 1164 Bishop

Street, Honolulu, HI 96813; contact

Kitty Simonds (see ADDRESSES) for

further information.

2. Fagatogo, AS: March 13, 2001, local

meeting time, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., public

hearing time, 2 p.m., Department of

Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR)

conference room, Fagatogo, AS. Local

phone contact c/o DMWR at 684–633–

4456.

3. Saipan, CNMI: March 14, 2001,

local meeting time, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.,

public hearing time, 11 a.m., Division of

Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 10007,

Saipan, MP 96950. Local phone contact

670–664–6000.

4. Tamuning, Guam: March 14, 2001,

local meeting time, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.,

public hearing time, 11 a.m., Guam

Economic Development Authority, Suite

511, ITC Building, 590 S. Marine Drive,

Tamuning, Guam. Local phone contact

671–475–0321.

CREPT/EHAP Meeting

The CREPT/EHAP will meet on

March 8, 2001, from 12 noon to 5 p.m.

Background

The DEIS was prepared to examine

the impacts of implementing the

proposed CREFMP. The DEIS also

addresses potential problems due to

human interactions with coral reefs in

the Western Pacific exclusive economic

zone (EEZ). Although local regulations

control many of the impacts of

harvesting nearshore coral reef

resources in settled areas, exploitation

of coral reef ecosystem remains

relatively uncontrolled in Federal

waters of the EEZ. Although these areas

have been minimally exploited to date,

there has been interest expressed for

fisheries to expand in these areas. In

addition, the DEIS was prepared to

provide for better understanding of

impacts due to natural environmental

changes, other FMP managed fisheries,

and non-fishing related impacts such as

dredging. To address these problems,

four alternatives were examined: (1) No

action or status quo; (2) minimal

additional protection for coral reef

resources;(3) substantial additional

protection to coral reef resources

(preferred alternative); and (4)

maximum additional protection for

coral reef resources. The environmental

effects of each of the alternatives,

management measures, components,

and options have been analyzed in the

DEIS. In June 2000, the Council adopted

a preferred alternative and management

options. Management measures

proposed in the FMP represent a

combination of choices made by the

Council based on a comparison of

alternatives. Alternatives were a product

of numerous public meetings and

meetings of the Council’s various

advisory bodies. The proposed

management measures include: (a)

Designating marine protected areas

(MPAs), including no-take marine

reserves and areas zoned for specific

fishing activities allowed only with a

special permit; (b) establishing fishing

permit and reporting requirements for

fishing for coral reef resources in the

EEZ; (c) specifying the use of selective,

non-destructive gears and methods for

harvesting management-unit species;

and (d) establishing a framework

process to allow for future regulatory

adjustments to the coral reef ecosystem

management program. In addition, the

Council recommends that a formal

procedure be established for assessing

and controlling ecosystem effects of

reef-related fisheries managed under the

Fishery Management Plan for the

Bottomfish and Seamount Groundfish

Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region,

the Fishery Management Plan for the

Crustacean Fisheries of the Western

Pacific Region, and the Fishery

Management Plan for the Precious

Corals Fisheries of the Western Pacific

Region.

CREPT/EHAP Meeting

The agenda for the joint CREPT/EHAP

meeting on March 8, 2001, will include

the items listed below:

1. Introduction

2. CREFMP/DEIS

A. Review of public comments

(1) MPAs

(2) Permits and Reporting

(3) Fishing Gear and Methods

(4) Framework Actions

(5) Non-regulatory Actions

(6) Research, Monitoring and

Assessment

(7) Enforcement

(8) Other

3. Relation of Executive Orders (E.O.s

13178 and 13196) on the Northwestern

Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) Coral Reef

Ecosystem Reserve to CREFMP

4. Discussion Recommendation

13036 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 42 / Friday, March 2, 2001 / Proposed Rules

A. CREPT

B. EHAP

Full Council Meeting

The agenda for the Council meeting

on March 13, 2001, will include the

items listed below:

1. Introduction

2. Approval of 107th Meeting Minutes

3. CREFMP/DEIS

A. Review of public comments

(1) MPAs

(2) Permits and Reporting

(3) Fishing Gear and Methods

(4) Framework Actions

(5) Non-regulatory Actions

(6) Research, Monitoring and

Assessment

(7) Enforcement

(8) Other

4. Relation of E.O.s 13178 and 13196 on

NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve to

CREFMP

5. Review of CREPT and EHAP

comments and recommendations

6. Review of comments from other

advisory body members

7. Council discussion and action

8. Crustacean Fisheries

A. Preferred alternative for

Crustaceans DEIS

B. Consideration of long-term closure

of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

(NWHI) lobster fishery

C. Council discussion and action

9. Community Demonstration Project

Program (CDPP)

A. Approval of draft Federal Register

notice for CDPP

B. Appointment of new CDPP

Advisory Panel member from American

Samoa

10. Other Business

Although non-emergency issues not

contained in this agenda may come

before the Council for discussion, those

issues may not be the subject of formal

Council action during this meeting.

Council action will be restricted to those

issues specifically listed in this

document and any issue arising after

publication of this document that

requires emergency action under section

305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act,

provided the public has been notified of

the Council’s intent to take final action

to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Kitty M. Simonds,

808–522–8220 (voice) or 808–522–8226

(fax), at least 5 days prior to the meeting

date.

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

Dated: February 26, 2001.

Dean Swanson,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–5000 Filed 2–27–01; 2:35 pm]

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