[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 88 (Friday, May 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21627-21631]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-10674]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XP04
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
Sea Turtle Conservation and Recovery in Relation to the Atlantic Ocean
and Gulf of Mexico Trawl Fisheries and To Conduct Public Scoping
Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
and conduct public scoping meetings.
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SUMMARY: NMFS intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and to conduct public scoping meetings to comply with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by assessing potential impacts
resulting from the proposed implementation of new sea turtle
regulations in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico trawl fisheries. These
requirements are proposed to protect threatened and endangered sea
turtles in the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico from
incidental capture, and would be implemented under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA). NMFS announced consideration of rulemaking for these
new sea turtle regulations February 15, 2007 in an Advance Notice of
Public Rulemaking.
DATES: The public scoping period starts May 8, 2009 and will continue
until July 10, 2009. NMFS will consider all written comments received
or postmarked by July 10, 2009, in defining the scope of the EIS.
Comments received or postmarked after that date will be considered to
the extent practicable. Verbal comments will be accepted at the NMFS
scoping meetings as specified below.
ADDRESSES: NMFS will hold public scoping meetings to provide the
public with an opportunity to present verbal comments on the scope of
the EIS and to learn more about the proposed action from NMFS
officials. Where practical, NMFS will hold scoping meetings in
conjunction with Council/Commission meetings. Scoping meetings will be
held at the following locations:
1. Silver Spring--NOAA Science Center, 1301 East West Highway,
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
2. New York--Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting,
Radisson Martinique on Broadway, 49 West 32nd Street, New York, NY
10001.
3. Brunswick--Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal
Division Headquarters, Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA 31520.
4. Manteo--Roanoke Festival Park, Small Auditorium, One Festival
Park, Manteo, NC 27954.
5. Portland--New England Fishery Management Council meeting,
Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring Street, Portland, ME 04101.
The meeting dates are:
1. May 15, 2009, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Silver Spring, MD.
2. June 9, 2009, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., New York, NY.
3. June 15, 2009, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Brunswick, GA.
4. June 20, 2009, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Manteo, NC.
5. June 23, 2009, 7 p.m. to 4 p.m., Portland, ME.
In addition to the five scoping meetings, NMFS will also present
the Scoping document to the four Atlantic Regional Fishery Management
Councils (FMCs) (New England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic and Gulf of
Mexico FMCs) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commissions.
Please see the Councils' and Commission's May and June meeting notices
for agenda, dates, times and locations.
Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to
[email protected], 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD
20910; 301-713-2322 or fax 301-713-4060. Additional information,
including the Scoping document, can be found at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/regulations.htm.
All comments, whether offered verbally in person at the scoping
meetings or in writing as described above, will be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Klemm (ph. 727-824-5312, fax
727-824-5309, email [email protected]), Pasquale Scida (ph. 978-
281-9208, fax 978-281-9394, email [email protected]), Alexis
Gutierrez (ph. 301-713-2322, fax 301-713-4060, email
[email protected]).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
All sea turtles that occur in U.S. waters are listed as either
endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(ESA). The Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), leatherback
(Dermochelys coriacea), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) are
listed as endangered. Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia
mydas) turtles are listed as threatened, except for breeding
populations of green turtles in Florida and on the Pacific coast of
Mexico, which are listed as endangered. Due to the inability to
distinguish these green turtle populations away from the nesting beach,
green turtles are considered endangered wherever they occur in United
States waters. Incidental capture (bycatch) of sea turtles in fisheries
is a primary factor hampering the recovery of sea turtles in the
Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
To address this factor comprehensively, NMFS initiated a Strategy
for Sea Turtle Conservation and Recovery in Relation to Atlantic Ocean
and Gulf of Mexico Fisheries (Strategy). The Strategy is a gear-based
approach to addressing sea turtle bycatch. Certain types of fishing
gear are more prone to incidentally capture sea turtles than others,
depending on the design of the gear, the way the gear is fished, and/or
the time and area within which it is fished. The Strategy provides a
framework to evaluate sea turtle
[[Page 21628]]
interactions by gear type in order to have a more comprehensive
assessment of fishery impacts across fishing sectors as well as across
state, federal, and regional boundaries. Through this Strategy, NMFS
seeks to address sea turtle bycatch across jurisdictional boundaries
and fisheries for gear types that have the greatest impact on sea
turtle populations.
Based on documented sea turtle-fishery interactions, NMFS has
identified several gear types that need to be addressed to reduce
incidental capture of sea turtles. These gear types include, but are
not limited to: gillnets, longlines, trap/pot and trawl gear. Trawl
gear has been identified as a priority for addressing sea turtle
bycatch, given our knowledge of the level of bycatch in this gear and
the availability of technology that is effective at excluding sea
turtles from capture in trawl gear.
Trawling is a method of fishing that involves actively pushing or
towing a net through the water. Because trawl gear is pushed or towed,
it has the capability to incidentally capture sea turtles and other
species that are not the intended target of the fishery. The likelihood
of incidental capture is inherent in the basic design of trawls,
regardless of the target species. Trawl fisheries with documented
observer coverage or historical bycatch information that occur in known
areas and times of sea turtle distribution have consistently been shown
to capture sea turtles. In fact, trawling is often used as a means to
capture sea turtles for research, distribution studies, and relocation
because of the effectiveness of this method. Without an avenue for
escape, sea turtles captured in trawl gear may drown due to forced
submergence. Even when drowning does not occur, the stress of forced
submergence has been shown to result in various negative physiological
consequences that can make the turtles susceptible to delayed
mortality, predation, boat strike or other sources of injury and
mortality (including potentially higher mortality if repeated capture
occurs).
NMFS is now working to develop and implement bycatch reduction
regulations for trawl fisheries in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico when
and where sea turtle bycatch has occurred or where gear, time,
location, fishing method, and other similarities exist between a
particular trawl fishery and a trawl fishery where sea turtle bycatch
has occurred. Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) have been proven to be an
effective method to minimize adverse effects related to sea turtle
bycatch in the shrimp trawl fishery, summer flounder trawl fishery,
several state trawl fisheries, and certain other trawl fisheries around
the world. TEDs have an escape opening, usually covered by a webbing
flap that allows sea turtles to escape from trawl nets. While TEDs have
potential as a bycatch reduction device for all trawl fisheries,
differences in trawl designs and fishing methods may necessitate
modifications or adjustments to the design of existing TEDs before they
can be applied in other trawl fisheries. Testing is necessary to ensure
that feasible TED designs for specific fisheries still accomplish the
desired sea turtle bycatch reduction goals and to determine the TEDs'
impact on target catch retention. It is possible that TEDs may not be
feasible for some trawl fisheries. In the event that TEDs are not a
viable option, other regulations, e.g., tow time restrictions and time/
area closures, may need to be considered. NMFS anticipates a phased
approach to the implementation of regulations to reduce sea turtle
bycatch in trawl fisheries as the information needed to support and
properly analyze regulations in various trawl type becomes available.
The ANPR specified those trawl fisheries for which the first phase of
establishment of conservation measures via regulation are being
considered.
Under the Strategy, there is a proposed three-phase approach to
regulating trawl fisheries. The first phase, ``Trawl Phase I,'' will
include the following fisheries summer flounder, Atlantic sea scallop,
whelk, calico scallop and the flynet fisheries for croaker and
weakfish. The second phase, ``Trawl Phase II,'' will likely include
sheepshead/black drum/king whiting, porgy, skimmer, Spanish sardine/
scad/ladyfish/ butterfish, trynet, squid/mackerel/butterfish, and
multispecies (large and small mesh) trawl fisheries. Phase three,
``Trawl Phase III,'' will likely include the skate, horseshoe crab,
monkfish, bluefish, spiny dogfish, and the herring trawl fisheries.
Given that NMFS is still in the process of developing and testing the
appropriate TED technology for phases two and three fisheries, it is
possible that some fisheries in Phase II may move to Phase III or vice
versa. Additional trawl fisheries that may exist or develop but have
not been identified above would also be considered in Phase II and/or
Phase III as information becomes available on those fisheries. For some
of these fisheries, TEDs may not be effective given the configuration
of the gear or the size of the target species. For those fisheries in
which TEDs are not effective, other mitigation measures, such as time
and area closures or tow time restrictions, may be considered. This EIS
will provide background on the overall Strategy but, due to the state
of the current knowledge on Phase II and Phase III, the EIS analyses
will focus on fisheries that were identified for Trawl - Phase I.
As mentioned previously, the incidental capture of sea turtles in
certain trawl fisheries has been documented in the Gulf of Mexico and
the northwest Atlantic. Under the ESA and its implementing regulations,
taking sea turtles is prohibited, with exceptions identified in 50 CFR
223.206. The incidental taking of threatened sea turtles during shrimp
or summer flounder trawling is exempted from the taking prohibition of
section 9 of the ESA if the conservation measures specified in the sea
turtle conservation regulations (50 CFR 223.206(d)) are followed. The
conservation regulations require most shrimp trawlers and summer
flounder trawlers operating in the southeastern United States (Atlantic
Area and Gulf of Mexico Area) to have a NMFS-approved TED installed in
each net that is rigged for fishing to provide for the escape of sea
turtles. Under 50 CFR 222.102, a shrimp trawler is defined as any
vessel that is equipped with one or more trawl nets and that is capable
of, or used for, fishing for shrimp, or whose on-board or landed catch
of shrimp is more than 1 percent, by weight, of all fish comprising its
on-board or landed catch.
TEDs are devices with an escape opening, usually covered by a
webbing flap, that when installed in trawl nets allows sea turtles to
escape and avoid drowning or serious injury. There are a variety of
different TED designs approved by NMFS for use in various trawl
fisheries depending on trawl type, target catch, and fisherman
preference. The list of approved TEDs and detailed descriptions of
their construction and measurements are contained in 50 CFR 223.207. To
be approved for use by NMFS, a TED design must be shown to be at least
97 percent effective in excluding sea turtles during experimental TED
testing. TEDs must meet generic criteria based upon certain parameters
of TED design, configuration, and installation, including height and
width dimensions of the TED opening through which the turtles escape.
To allow the release of leatherback and large loggerhead sea
turtles, NMFS required the use of large escape openings in the shrimp
fishery in February 2003 (68 FR 8456; February 21, 2003). The February
2003 regulations required the use of either the
[[Page 21629]]
double cover flap TED, which is a TED with a minimum opening of 71-inch
(180 cm) straight-line stretched mesh, or the Parker soft TED with a
minimum 96-inch (244-cm) opening in offshore waters (from the seaward
from the U.S. Coast Guard demarcated lines provided under the
International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea [COLREGS
demarcation lines, 33 CFR part 80] line seaward) and in all inshore
waters off of Georgia and South Carolina; and required a TED with a
minimum opening of 44-inch (112 cm) straight-line stretched mesh with a
20-inch (51 cm) vertical taut height in all inshore waters (from the
COLREGS demarcation line landward) except for the inshore waters of
Georgia and South Carolina. At this time, the large-opening TED is only
required in the shrimp trawl fishery.
Summer Flounder Fishery
Since 1992, all vessels using bottom trawls to fish for summer
flounder in specific times and areas off Virginia and North Carolina
have been required to use NMFS-approved TEDs in their nets (57 FR
57358, December 4, 1992; 50 CFR 223.206(d)(2)(iii)). Currently, the
escape opening requirements for the flounder TED are [gteqt]35 inches
([gteqt]89 cm) in width and [gteqt]12 inches ([gteqt]31 cm) in height
(50 CFR 223.207(b)(1)). Although the February 21, 2003 final rule (68
FR 8456) to require the larger opening in the shrimp trawl fishery did
not require vessels in the summer flounder trawl fishery to use the
larger escape opening sizes, the rule stated NMFS was evaluating the
need for such restrictions in this fishery. The smaller opening
currently used in this fishery is insufficient to allow the escapement
of leatherback sea turtles and larger loggerhead and green sea turtles.
The larger opening TEDs have passed the NMFS testing criteria for
turtle escapement, and NMFS has conducted testing of the larger opening
in the Mid-Atlantic summer flounder trawl fishery since 2003.
As part of this first phase of rulemaking, NMFS is considering
modifying TED regulations in the summer flounder trawl fishery to
require a larger escape opening. The larger escape opening would have a
142-inch (361-cm) circumference with a corresponding 71-inch (180-cm)
straight-line stretched measurement. This is expected to decrease
escape times for all turtles and allow for the release of leatherbacks
and all larger loggerhead and green sea turtles. The larger opening
would be consistent with sea turtle regulations currently in place in
the shrimp trawl fishery. Additionally, the northern component of the
summer flounder trawl fishery, which currently does not fall under the
TED requirement, would also be considered for a requirement to use
TEDs, as detailed below in this notice.
Whelk and Calico Scallop Trawl Fisheries
Much of the whelk fishery occurs primarily in the state waters of
Georgia and South Carolina, in both state and Federal fisheries. The
fishery arose as an alternative fishery when the shrimp fishery was
closed. Trawling for knobbed, channeled and lightning whelk occurs from
mid-February through mid-April. Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and North
Carolina have reported landings of channeled, lightning or knobbed
whelk by trawl gear.
Due to documented sea turtle interactions in whelk fisheries, NMFS
evaluated potential TED designs for the fishery in 2000-2001. The whelk
TED was developed in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources (GDNR) and the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service
in an effort to provide nearshore whelk fishermen with a TED that would
allow the target species to pass through the TED frame and be retained
as catch. The whelk TED passed the NMFS turtle testing protocol in
2001. The whelk TED design is similar to the top-opening flounder TED
used along the southeastern Atlantic coast during the winter months,
and features enlarged openings at the bottom of the frame. Currently,
GDNR requires the use of this TED in the whelk trawl fishery in Georgia
state waters. As part of the Strategy, NMFS is considering requiring
the use of TEDs in the whelk trawl fishery throughout the range of the
fishery.
The calico scallop fishery originally developed in North Carolina
in the early 1960s, but the focus of the fishery shifted to areas off
Florida during the early 1970s. Calico scallop trawls are typically
small (e.g., headrope length <40 feet) and are towed for short periods
of time (e.g., 15 minutes). The scallop beds off Florida stretch from
Jacksonville to Ft. Pierce in 60 to 240 feet (18 to 73 m) of water. Due
to large fluctuations of calico scallop abundance and patchy
distribution, landings within the fishery have been extremely sporadic.
No vessels are thought to currently be operating in the fishery as a
result of resource depletion, habitat degradation, and lack of
processing facilities. NMFS has determined that a hard TED, similar in
design to the whelk TED, could be installed in calico scallop trawls.
As part of the Strategy, NMFS is considering an option to require the
use of TEDs in the calico scallop trawl fishery in the event that the
fishery re-emerges. TED use in this fishery would be a new requirement.
Mid-Atlantic Scallop Trawl Fishery
The U.S. Atlantic sea scallop fishery is conducted in the Gulf of
Maine, on Georges Bank, and in the Mid-Atlantic offshore region
southward to North Carolina. The commercial fishery for Atlantic sea
scallops occurs year round and is primarily conducted using dredges and
otter trawls. Approximately 10 percent of landings in the sea scallop
fishery are from vessels using trawl gear, primarily in the Mid-
Atlantic. Fishing by these vessels often occurs during the summer when
other species (e.g., summer flounder) are not available (NMFS 2003).
Trawl fishermen participating in the sea scallop fishery primarily use
either Atlantic sea scallop trawls or flounder trawls. Sea turtle
bycatch has been documented in the Atlantic sea scallop trawl fishery.
In 2005 and 2006, NMFS tested the feasibility of TED use in the sea
scallop trawl fishery. The sea scallop TED tested is a whelk TED that
has been modified to prevent chafing of the gear. This TED design
passed the NMFS testing criteria for sea turtle escapement. Initial
results suggest that TED use in the sea scallop trawl fishery is
feasible. As part of the first phase of rulemaking, NMFS is considering
an option to require the use of TEDs in the Mid-Atlantic sea scallop
trawl fishery. TED use in this fishery would be a new requirement.
Flynet Fishery
Flynets are high profile trawls fished just off the bottom and
range from 80 to 120 feet (24.4 to 36.6 m) in width, with wing mesh
sizes of 8 to 64 inches (41 to 163 cm). The flynet fishery is a multi-
species fishery that operates along the east coast of the United
States. One component of the fishery operates inside of 180 feet (55 m)
from North Carolina to New Jersey, and targets Atlantic croaker,
weakfish, and other finfish species. Another component of the flynet
fishery operates outside of 180 feet (55 m) from the Hudson Canyon off
New York, south to Hatteras Canyon off North Carolina. Target species
for the deeper-water component of the fishery include bluefish,
Atlantic mackerel, squid, black sea bass, and scup. Sea turtle bycatch
has been documented in this fishery. TED requirements for Trawl-Phase I
would be only for Atlantic croaker and weakfish fisheries.
[[Page 21630]]
TEDs for the flynet fishery have been in development since 1999.
Two semi-rigid TED designs for use within the flynet fishery have
passed the NMFS turtle testing protocol when rigged with a top-opening
escape panel. As part of the first phase, NMFS is currently considering
requiring the use of TEDs in the flynet fishery. TED use in this
fishery would be a new requirement.
Replacement of the Summer Flounder Fishery Sea Turtle Protection Area
Boundary with a General Sea Turtle Protection Area Boundary
The existing Summer Flounder Fishery Sea Turtle Protection Area
rule requires that any summer flounder trawler operating within the
boundary must use TEDs (50 CFR 223.206(d)(2)(iii)). Currently, this
protection area is bounded on the north by a line extending off Cape
Charles, Virginia, on the south by a line extending from the South
Carolina-North Carolina border, and on the east by the Exclusive
Economic Zone boundary. Vessels are exempted from the summer flounder
TED requirement north of Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, from January 15
through March 15, annually, when bycatch of sea turtles by summer
flounder trawling is not expected.
From 1994-2004, observers documented turtle bycatch in summer
flounder and other Mid-Atlantic bottom otter trawl fisheries in areas
and times when TEDs are not required in the summer flounder trawl
fishery (Murray 2006). Based on the analysis, the likelihood of
interacting with a turtle depends on the time and area in which fishing
occurs rather than the fish species being targeted. While incidental
captures of sea turtles occurred throughout the year, Murray (2006)
demonstrated that most interactions were confined to certain
bathymetric and thermal regimes. Because of documented bycatch of sea
turtles north of the current line, NMFS is considering expanding the
geographic scope of the TED requirements in the summer flounder fishery
as part of the first phase to address sea turtle bycatch in the summer
flounder fishery. This change would expand the TED requirements to
other trawl fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic, which currently do not have
any TED requirements within this geographic area.
Purpose of This Action
NEPA requires Federal agencies to conduct an environmental analysis
of their proposed actions to determine if the actions may significantly
affect the human environment. NMFS is considering a variety of
regulatory measures under the Strategy to reduce the bycatch of
threatened and endangered sea turtles in trawl fisheries. This EIS will
provide background on the overall Strategy and specifically evaluate
the alternatives and impacts associated with the proposed first phase
of regulating the trawl fisheries along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of
Mexico. This rulemaking authority would be pursuant to the ESA. Under
the ESA and its implementing regulations, taking sea turtles is
prohibited, with the exceptions identified in 50 CFR 223.206. NMFS is
seeking public input on the scope of the required NEPA analysis,
including the range of reasonable alternatives, associated impacts of
any alternatives, and suitable mitigation measures.
Public Involvement and the Scoping Process
On February 15, 2007, NMFS published an ANPR in the Federal
Register regarding potential amendments to the regulatory requirements
for TEDs (72 FR 7382). The notice initiated a 30-day public comment
period scheduled to end on March 19, 2007. However, due to requests
from the pubic to extend the comment period, NMFS published an
extension to the ANPR on March 19, 2007 (72 FR 12749), to allow
comments through May 18, 2007.
NMFS received approximately 165 comments on proposed regulatory
requirements during the combined 90-day comment period. The vast
majority of nearly identical comments (approximately 130) were in favor
of additional TED requirements for trawl fisheries, as well as a
closure of ``key sea turtle habitat areas.'' While not specifically
opposed to the proposed regulatory requirements, another group of 23
identical e-mail comments suggested a ``new approach perhaps a
deflector'' for trawl fisheries. Through this NOI, NMFS further
encourages all interested parties to participate in this NEPA process.
Scope of the Action
The Draft EIS is expected to identify and evaluate the relevant
impacts and issues associated with implementing the first phase of sea
turtle regulations in trawl fisheries of the northwest Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico, in accordance with the Council on Environmental
Quality's Regulations at 40 CFR parts 1500, 1508, and NOAA's procedures
for implementing NEPA found in NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 216-6,
dated May 20, 1999.
NMFS is proposing to implement the trawl part of the Strategy along
the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. Phase one will specifically
focus on the Atlantic coast trawl fisheries. The public will have
additional opportunity to provide input on Trawl Phases II and III
regulations at such time that separate rule-making processes are
initiated.
Alternatives
NMFS will evaluate a range of alternatives in the Draft EIS for
implementing phase one of the Strategy to reduce sea turtle bycatch and
mortality in trawl fisheries along the Atlantic Coast. In addition to
evaluating the status quo, NMFS will evaluate several alternatives.
These alternatives include time and area closures, requiring the use of
TEDs in the summer flounder, whelk, croaker and weakfish flynet and
calico scallop trawls for the entire Atlantic Coast, as well as
combination of spatial and temporal options. In terms of spatial
options, sea turtles in U.S. waters range as far North as Georges Bank
and the Gulf of Maine, but may be less likely to interact with a
fishery towards the northern extent of this range. We will likely
evaluate several alternatives related to the northern/northeastern
extent of any required gear modification or other regulation. In
general, NMFS is considering applying any gear modification or other
regulation shoreward to the mean high water line. Similarly, several
alternatives will likely be evaluated for the temporal extent of when a
regulation would be in effect, as sea turtles migrate north along the
Atlantic coast as waters warm each year, and are only present in more
northern areas during the warmer months. Several datasets are available
to help select and analyze the various spatial and temporal
alternatives; these include fisheries landings and catch reports,
observer data, sea surface temperature data, sea turtle strandings
data, and sea turtle sighting and survey data.
Public Comments
NMFS provides this notice to advise the public and other agencies
of NMFS's intentions and to obtain suggestions and information on the
scope of the issues to include in the EIS. Comments and suggestions are
invited from all interested parties to ensure that the full range of
issues related to this proposed action and all substantive issues are
identified. NMFS requests that comments be as specific as possible. In
particular, the agency requests information regarding the potential
direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts on the human environment from
the
[[Page 21631]]
proposed action. The human environment is defined as ``the natural and
physical environment and the relationship of people with that
environment'' (40 CFR 1508.14). In the context of the EIS, the human
environment could include air quality, water quality, underwater noise
levels, socioeconomic resources, fisheries, and environmental justice.
Comments concerning this environmental review process should be
directed to NMFS (see ADDRESSES). See FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Alexis Gutierrez at [email protected] or at 301-713-2322 for
questions. All comments and material received, including names and
addresses, will become part of the administrative record and may be
released to the public.
Authority: The environmental review of the phase one of the
Strategy for Sea Turtle Conservation and Recovery in Relation to
Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico Fisheries will be conducted under the
authority and in accordance with the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.),
National Environmental Policy Act Regulations (40 CFR parts, 1500
through 1508), other appropriate Federal laws and regulations, and
policies and procedures of NOAA and NMFS for compliance with those
regulations.
Scoping Meetings Code of Conduct
The public is asked to follow the following code of conduct at the
scoping meetings. At the beginning of each meeting, a representative of
NMFS will explain the ground rules (e.g., alcohol is prohibited from
the meeting room; attendees will be called to give their comments in
the order in which they registered to speak; each attendee will have an
equal amount of time to speak; and attendees may not interrupt one
another). The NMFS representative will structure the meeting so that
all attending members of the public will be able to comment, if they so
choose, regardless of the controversial nature of the subject(s).
Attendees are expected to respect the ground rules, and those that do
not will be asked to leave the meeting.
Special Accommodations
The scoping meetings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to one of the contacts (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 7 days prior to the meeting. See
Council meeting announcement for accessibility information for the
briefings to the councils.
Dated: May 1, 2009.
Katy Vincent,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-10674 Filed 5-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S