Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2001 / Notices 13293

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute;

Notice of Decision on Application for

Duty-Free Entry of Electron

Microscope

This is a decision pursuant to section

6(c) of the Educational, Scientific, and

Cultural Materials Importation Act of

1966 (Pub. L. 89–651, 80 Stat. 897; 15

CFR part 301). Related records can be

viewed between 8:30 A.M. and 5:00

P.M. in Room 4211, U.S. Department of

Commerce, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.

Docket Number: 00–039. Applicant:

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy,

NY 12180–3590. Instrument: Electron

Microscope, Model JEM–2010.

Manufacturer: JEOL Ltd., Japan.

Intended Use: See notice at 66 FR 7626,

January 24, 2001. Order Date: December

13, 1999.

Comments: None received. Decision:

Approved. No instrument of equivalent

scientific value to the foreign

instrument, for such purposes as the

instrument is intended to be used, was

being manufactured in the United States

at the time the instrument was ordered.

Reasons: The foreign instrument is a

conventional transmission electron

microscope (CTEM) and is intended for

research or scientific educational uses

requiring a CTEM. We know of no

CTEM, or any other instrument suited to

these purposes, which was being

manufactured in the United States at the

time of order of the instrument.

Gerald A. Zerdy,

Program Manager, Statutory Import Programs

Staff.

[FR Doc. 01–5281 Filed 3–2–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

Availability of Seats for the Channel

Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Advisory Council

AGENCY: National Marine Sanctuary

Program (NMSP), National Ocean

Service (NOS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice and request for

applications.

SUMMARY: The Channel Islands National

Marine Sanctuary (CINMS or Sanctuary)

is seeking applicants for the following

vacant seats on its Sanctuary Advisory

Council (Council): Research member;

Education member; and Fishing

alternate. Applicants are chosen based

upon their particular expertise and

experience in relation to the seat for

which they are applying; community

and professional affiliations; philosophy

regarding the conservation and

management of marine resources; and

the length of residence in the area

affected by the Sanctuary. Applicants

who are chosen as members should

expect to serve three-year terms,

pursuant to the Council’s Charter.

DATES: Applications are due by March

10, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Application kits may be

obtained from Michael Murray at 115

Harbor Way, Suite 150, Santa Barbara,

CA 96825. Completed applications

should be sent to the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Murray at (805) 884–1464, or

michael.murray@noaa.gov, or visit the

CINMS web site at:

www.cinms.nos.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

CINMS Advisory Council was originally

established in December 1998 and has a

broad representation consisting of 20

members, including ten government

agency representatives and ten members

from the general public. The Council

functions in an advisory capacity to the

Sanctuary Manager. The Council works

in concert with the Sanctuary Manager

by keeping him or her informed about

issues of concern throughout the

Sanctuary, offering recommendations on

specific issues, and aiding the Manager

in achieving the goals of the Sanctuary

program. Specifically, the Council’s

objectives are to provide advice on: (1)

Protecting natural and cultural

resources, and identifying and

evaluating emergent or critical issues

involving Sanctuary use or resources;

(2) Identifying and realizing the

Sanctuary’s research objectives; (3)

Identifying and realizing educational

opportunities to increase the public

knowledge and stewardship of the

Sanctuary environment; and (4)

Assisting to develop an informed

constituency to increase awareness and

understanding of the purpose and value

of the Sanctuary and the National

Marine Sanctuary Program.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. Section 1431 et seq.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog

Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary Program)

Dated: February 27, 2001.

Margaret A. Davidson,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Ocean

Services and Coastal Zone Management.

[FR Doc. 01–5287 Filed 3–2–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D.022601C]

Endangered and Threatened Species;

Take of Anadromous Fish

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability and

request for comment.

SUMMARY: The Washington Department

of Fish and Wildlife and the Puget

Sound Treaty Tribes submitted a jointly

developed Resource Management Plan

(RMP) pursuant to the protective

regulations promulgated for Puget

Sound chinook salmon under section

4(d) of the Endangered Species Act

(ESA). The RMP specifies the future

management of commercial, recreational

and tribal salmon fisheries potentially

affecting listed Puget Sound chinook

salmon. This document serves to notify

the public of the availability for

comment of the proposed evaluation of

the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary)

as to how the RMP addresses the criteria

in the ESA.

DATES: Written comments on the

Secretary’s proposed evaluation must be

received at the appropriate address or

fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later

than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on

March 26, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

requests for copies of the evaluation

should be addressed to Susan Bishop,

Sustainable Fisheries Division, National

Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand

Point Way NE, Seattle, Washington

98115–0070. Comments may also be

sent via fax to 206/526–6736. The

document is also available on the

Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/,

Sustainable Fisheries Division site.

Comments will not be accepted if

submitted via e-mail or the internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan Bishop at phone number: 206/

526–4587, or e-mail:

susan.bishop@noaa.gov regarding the

RMP.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice is relevant to the Puget Sound

chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus

tshawytscha) Evolutionarily Significant

Unit (ESU).

Background

The Washington Department of Fish

and Wildlife and the Puget Sound

Treaty Tribes have provided a jointly

13294 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2001 / Notices

developed RMP for Puget Sound

chinook. The RMP encompasses

fisheries within the range of the Puget

Sound chinook salmon ESU, as well as

the western Strait of Juan de Fuca,

which is not within the ESU. Harvest

objectives specified in the RMP account

for fisheries-related mortality

throughout the migratory range of Puget

Sound chinook from Oregon and

Washington to Southeast Alaska. The

RMP also includes implementation,

monitoring and evaluation procedures

designed to ensure fisheries are

consistent with these objectives.

As required by § 223.203 (b)(6) of the

ESA 4(d) rule, the Secretary must

determine pursuant to 50 CFR 223.209

and pursuant to the government to

government processes therein whether

the RMP for Puget Sound chinook

would appreciably reduce the

likelihood of survival and recovery of

the Puget Sound chinook and other

affected threatened ESUs. The Secretary

must take comments on how the RMP

addresses the criteria in § 223.203(b)(4)

in making that determination.

Authority

Under section 4 of the ESA, the

Secretary is required to adopt such

regulations as he deems necessary and

advisable for the conservation of the

species listed as threatened. The ESA

salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR

42422, July 10, 2000) specifies

categories of activities that contribute to

the conservation of listed salmonids and

sets out the criteria for such activities.

The rule further provides that the

prohibitions of paragraph (a) of the rule

do not apply to actions undertaken in

compliance with a RMP developed

jointly by the State of Washington and

the Tribes (joint plan) and determined

by the Secretary to be in accordance

with the salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule

(65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000).

Dated: February 27, 2001.

Phil Williams,

Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–5259 Filed 3–2–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 021601B]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone off Alaska; Prohibited Species

Donation Progran

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Authorization and Renewal.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the renewal

of Northwest Food Strategies’ (NFS)

authorization to donate Pacific halibut

to economically disadvantaged

individuals under the Prohibited

Species Donation (PSD) program. This

action is necessary to comply with

provisions of the PSD program

implemented at 50 CFR part 679.

DATES: January 1, 2001, through

December 31, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the PSD Permit

may be obtained from the Sustainable

Fisheries Division, NMFS, Alaska

Region, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK

99802–21668, Attn: Lori Gravel. Copies

of Amendments 50 to the groundfish

FMPs and of the Environmental

Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review

(EA/RIR) prepared for the amendments

may be obtained from the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council, 605 West

4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK

99510–2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nina Mollett, 907–586–7462.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The domestic groundfish fisheries in

the exclusive economic zone of the Gulf

of Alaska and Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands Management Area are managed

by NMFS according to the Fishery

Management Plan for Groundfish of the

Gulf of Alaska and the Fishery

Management Plan for the Groundfish

Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands Area (FMPs). The FMPs were

prepared by the North Pacific Fishery

Management Council under the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

(Magnuson-Stevens Act). Regulations

governing the Alaska groundfish

fisheries appear at 50 CFR parts 600 and

679. Fishing for Pacific halibut in waters

in and off Alaska is governed by the

Convention between the United States

and Canada for the Preservation of the

Halibut Fishery of the North Pacific

Ocean and Bering Sea and by

regulations adopted by the International

Pacific Halibut Commission and

approved by the Secretary of State of the

United States pursuant to section 4 of

the Northern Pacific Halibut Act (16

U.S.C. 773–773k).

Amendments 50/50 to the FMPs,

which authorize the PSD program, were

published in the Federal Register on

June 12, 1998 (63 FR 32144). These

amendments expanded the existing

Salmon Donation Program by creating a

program that includes Pacific halibut as

well. The regulations authorize the

voluntary distribution of Pacific halibut,

taken incidentally in groundfish trawl

fisheries off Alaska and landed at

shoreside processing plants, to needy

individuals by tax-exempt

organizations, through an authorized

distributor.

The Regional Administrator, Alaska

Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator)

selected NFS, 600 Erickson Avenue,

Suite 395, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

to be an authorized distributor, as

defined by 50 CFR 679.2, based on

information submitted by NFS as

required under § 679.26. The selection

was announced in the Federal Register

(63 FR 43380, August 13, 1998) and a

permit was issued to NFS. A PSD permit

issued to an authorized distributor may

be renewed following application

procedures at § 679.26(b).

The PSD program was scheduled to

expire on December 31, 2000. This

sunset provision was established to

allow time for agency evaluation before

Council action was taken to make it a

permanent program. Following

evaluation, NMFS permanently

extended the PSD program on January 1,

2001 (65 FR 78119, December 14, 2000).

NFS had been authorized to distribute

Pacific halibut under the PSD program

from August 13, 1998, through

December 31. 2000. During this period,

NFS effectively coordinated the

distribution of prohibited halibut

bycatch for 3 years. NFS employed an

independent seafood laboratory to

ensure product quality and received

support from cold storage facilities and

common carriers servicing the areas

where Pacific halibut donation would

take place. The company worked with

three shoreside processors located in

Dutch Harbor, AK. Approximately 6 to

10 metric tons were landed and donated

annually. NFS anticipates that this

amount could increase.

NFS has submitted an application to

renew its status as an authorized

distributor. NMFS has reviewed NFS’

application, and, on the basis of

information submitted in the

application, selects NFS as an

authorized distributor. This document