Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2001 / Proposed Rules 13281

rule and are not repeated here. This

action does not contain any collectionof-information, reporting, or

recordkeeping requirements. It will not

duplicate, overlap, or conflict with any

other Federal rules. This action is taken

under authority of the MagnusonStevens Act and regulations at 50 CFR

part 648.

All of the affected businesses (fishing

vessels and dealers) qualify as small

entities under the standards described

in NMFS guidelines. There were 2,215

vessels, 6 known processors, and 72

known dealers participating in the

fishery in 1999. The proposed increase

in OY of 26,000 mt would provide

additional opportunities for increased

harvests. It cannot reasonably be

expected to cause a significant increase

in catch, however, given that vessels

caught less than half the current OY in

1999. Therefore, the proposed increase

in OY is not likely to result in any

significant impact on the revenues of

vessels, producer surplus or consumer

surplus. Other alternatives considered

and rejected, either ‘‘no-action’’ or

increasing the allowable biological

catch, would have a similar impact.

If foreign vessels avail themselves of

the opportunity to harvest some or all of

the TALFF, and those vessels are

obligated to engage in JVs with U.S.

fishing vessels, there would be a

positive impact on the revenues of those

U.S. vessels participating. Since the

number of vessels that would be

involved in the JVs and the specifics of

the financial arrangements between the

harvesters and foreign processor are not

known, the per-vessel revenue impacts

cannot be estimated. If the full amount

of the JVP (10,000 mt) is harvested,

revenues to the participating vessels

would approximate $1.2 million, based

on an average price of $120/mt. This

would represent an increase in overall

fleet revenues of 10–12 percent. While

this represents a maximum dollar

benefit, the net economic benefit would

have to take into account opportunity

costs in the form of revenues that could

have been earned by delivering herring

to shoreside processors, assuming that

there is coincidental shoreside demand.

In comparison, setting TALFF at 0 mt

(the ‘‘no-action’’ alternative) would not

provide as much incentive for foreign

vessels to establish operations in the

exclusive economic zone and would

likely preclude the utilization of JVP,

based on the activity in the fishery

during the past 2 years. Alternatively,

setting TALFF at a higher level, as

considered by the Herring Committee,

would have essentially the same

economic impact as the proposed action

because the economic benefits to the

domestic fishery are realized through,

and limited by, the utilization of the JVP

specification (which is not changed),

not the TALFF.

While a higher specification of TALFF

may provide a greater incentive to

foreign participants, there is no

experience on which to base an estimate

of this effect. The economic impact to

shoreside processors from JVP

(enhanced by a specification of TALFF)

is uncertain. A reduction in supply to

shoreside processors could result in an

increase in the cost of herring to

shoreside processors or bait dealers.

Conversely, if domestic vessels

concentrate on increasing supply of

herring to shoreside processors, a

decrease in cost could occur.

The President has directed Federal

agencies to use plain language in their

communications with the public,

including regulations. To comply with

this directive, we seek public comment

on any ambiguity or unnecessary

complexity arising from the language

used in this proposed rule. Such

comments should be sent to the

Northeast Regional Administrator (see

ADDRESSES).

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

Dated: February 26, 2001.

William T. Hogarth,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–5261 Filed 3–2–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 012401D]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United

States; Supplemental Environmental

Impact Statements (SEISs) for the

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH)

Components of the Northeast

Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

(FMP) and Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of intent to prepare

an SEIS; request for comments;

extension of the comment period.

SUMMARY: NMFS recently announced its

intention to prepare SEISs in

accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA) for the EFH components for

both the Northeast Multispecies FMP

and Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP. NMFS

will accept written comments to

determine the range of management

alternatives to be addressed in the SEISs

to describe and identify EFH, minimize

to the extent practicable the adverse

effects of fishing on EFH, and identify

other actions to encourage the

conservation and enhancement of EFH.

NMFS is extending the comment period

for the submission of written comments

to ensure opportunity for public

comment.

DATES: Written comments on the intent

to prepare the SEISs must be received

on or before 5 p.m., local time, April 4,

2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

intent to prepare the SEISs and requests

for the scoping document or other

information should be directed to the

National Marine Fisheries Service, One

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930,

Attn: Louis A. Chiarella. Telephone

(978) 281–9277. Comments may also be

sent via facsimile (fax) to (978) 281–

9301. NMFS will not accept comments

by e-mail or Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Louis A. Chiarella, Essential Fish

Habitat Coordinator,

(Lou.Chiarella@noaa.gov), (978) 281–

9277, fax (978) 281–9301.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

February 1, 2001 (66 FR 8568), NMFS

published notification of its intention to

prepare SEISs for the EFH components

of the Northeast Multispecies FMP and

Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP. See the

February 1, 2001, Federal Register

notification for background and scoping

information related to the development

of these SEISs. NMFS is extending the

comment period so that written

comments will now be accepted through

April 4, 2001, rather than through

March 5, 2001.

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

Dated: February 27, 2001.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–5258 Filed 3–2–01; 8:45 am]

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