[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 117 (Wednesday, June 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36539-36540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15407]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 060603E]
Intent to Analyze the Effects of the Subsistence Taking of
Northern Fur Seals on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent; scoping meetings; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) regarding possible changes to the subsistence harvest of the
Pribilof Islands stock of northern fur seals. The scope of the EIS will
consist of a broad review of the subsistence harvest management on the
Pribilof Islands including the manner in which the harvest is
conducted. NMFS intends to hold scoping meetings to receive public
input on the issues of concern and the appropriate range of management
alternatives to be addressed in the EIS. In addition to holding the
scoping meetings, NMFS solicits written comments related to the scope
of the analysis.
DATES: Written comments will be accepted through September 16, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Assistant
Regional Administrator, Protected Resources Division, NMFS, P.O. Box
21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Lori Durall. Requests to be included on
a mailing list of persons interested in the EIS should be sent to Mr.
David Cormany at 222 West 7th Avenue, Box 43, Anchorage, AK 99513.
Comments may also be hand-delivered to NMFS, Federal Building, 709 West
9th Street, Juneau, AK, or NMFS, Federal Building, Room 517, 222 West
7\th\ Avenue, Anchorage, AK. NMFS is not accepting email or internet
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Cormany, (907) 271-5006.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 9, 1985 (50 FR 27914), NMFS
published an emergency interim rule to govern the subsistence taking of
fur seals by Alaska Native (Aleut) residents of the Pribilof Islands. A
final rule was subsequently published on July 9, 1986 (51 FR 24828).
The subsistence harvest of northern fur seals on the Pribilof Islands
is governed by regulations at 50 CFR 216 Subpart F--Pribilof Islands,
Taking for Subsistence Purposes. These regulations were published under
the authority of the Fur Seal Act (FSA), 16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq., and
the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq. The
purpose of these regulations was to provide for the subsistence needs
of the Pribilof Aleuts using humane harvesting methods and to restrict
taking by sex, age, and season for herd management purposes.
The Need for an EIS on this Action
An Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact
of the harvest on the fur seal population have been considered adequate
to address the Agency's NEPA compliance responsibilities in the past.
However, evidence is building that continued management under the
harvest regulations in combination with other past, present, and future
actions, may be having a significant impact on the human environment.
Therefore, preparation of an EIS for the proposed action may be
required by NEPA and implementing regulations at 40 CFR 1501.4.
NMFS is required to publish a Notice of Intent (NOI) to, among
other things, describe the proposed scoping process, including any
scoping meetings to be held. The NOI also serves as the official notice
that a Federal agency is commencing preparation of an EIS pursuant.
NMFS will examine all activities addressing the conduct of the
subsistence harvest management. The cumulative effects section of the
EIS will address the incremental cumulative effects of these management
alternatives on northern fur seals when added to the effects of past,
other present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions including the
significant effects finding of the Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures
EIS (NMFS 2001). The EIS for Steller sea lions examined the effects of
management measures implemented in the groundfish fisheries in the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) to protect endangered Steller
sea lions in the area. In the analyses of the cumulative effects of the
action on the environment, it was determined that commercial fishing
and environmental changes (effects of a regime shift) may result in a
conditionally significant adverse effect on northern fur seals.
Therefore, while the subsistence harvest is not likely to have any
direct or indirect effects on the fur seal population that would be
considered significant under NEPA, the cumulative effects of the
subsistence harvest alternatives when added to the effects of the
groundfish fisheries on the harvest alternatives may result in a
similar cumulative effects finding as identified in NMFS (2001).
Information and Comments Solicited
NMFS solicits comments and information to identify the complete
range of alternatives to be analyzed. Alternatives analyzed in this EIS
may include those identified below, plus additional alternatives
identified through the public scoping process and through working with
the Tribal Governments and other constituent groups. Potential
alternatives that have already been identified include the following:
(1) status quo alternative- No action will be taken to change existing
regulations at 50 CFR 216 subpart F. The conduct and management of the
harvest will remain as it has been; (2) an alternative that combines
some of the existing regulations with agreed upon stipulations
identified in the co-management agreements between NMFS and the Tribal
Governments pursuant to section 119 of the MMPA; and (3) a harvest
regime that is completely managed through co-management pursuant to
section 119 of the MMPA.
NMFS has entered into co-management agreements with the Tribal
Governments of St. Paul Island and St. George Island under section 119
of the MMPA in 2000 and 2001, respectively. These agreements are
specific to the conservation and management of northern fur seals and
Steller sea lions on the Pribilof Islands, with particular attention to
the subsistence take and use of these animals. NMFS has worked with
both communities to integrate the agreements into one management plan
for the purpose of recovering and maintaining the fur seal population.
Under this alternative all current regulations would be eliminated.
NMFS is also seeking information on the environmental, social and
economic issues to be considered in the analysis.
[[Page 36540]]
The direct and indirect effects sections of the EIS will present the
impacts of each identified alternative on the human environment. Major
issues are likely to include: the impact of subsistence and commercial
fisheries removals on this stock, the impacts of regulated harvests on
the subsistence needs, traditional and cultural values of Alaskan
Natives, and co-management of the subsistence harvest under section 119
of the MMPA.
Public Involvement
Scoping is an open process for determining the scope of issues to
be addressed and for identifying the significant issues related to the
proposed action. A principle objective of this process is to identify a
range of reasonable management alternatives that, with analysis, will
provide a clear basis for distinguishing between the alternatives and
selecting a preferred alternative.
Scoping meetings will be held on the Pribilof Islands, AK, and in
Anchorage, AK. Dates have not been set at this time and will follow the
cessation of the 2003 subsistence harvest. Times and locations of the
scoping meetings will also be published in a subsequent notice.
Dated: June 11, 2003.
Donna Wieting,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-15407 Filed 6-17-03; 8:45 am]
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