[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 34025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13985]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-BC09
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Notice of Public Scoping
Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public scoping meeting.
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SUMMARY: NMFS has scheduled an additional scoping meeting for Amendment
7 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery
Management Plan, which will focus on management issues related to
Atlantic bluefin tuna. A Notice of Intent published on April 23, 2012,
which notified the public that NMFS intended to hold public scoping
meetings and that it anticipated preparing a draft environmental impact
statement. That Federal Register document provided the public with
specific dates and times for four scheduled scoping meetings. This
notice notifies the public of another scoping meeting on Amendment 7 in
Portland, ME.
DATES: The Portland, ME, scoping meeting will be held on June 18, 2012.
ADDRESSES: The Amendment 7 public scoping meeting will be held in
Portland, ME, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay. See supplementary
information below for further details.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Warren or Brad McHale, 978-281-
9260.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS published a Notice of Intent on April
23, 2012 (77 FR 24161), which notified the public of its intent to hold
public scoping meetings and that it anticipated preparing a draft
environmental impact statement, and requested comments. The intent of
the public comment and scoping meetings is to determine the scope and
significance of issues to be analyzed in a potential proposed amendment
to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management
Plan and any associated environmental impact statement on management
measures for Atlantic bluefin tuna. The public scoping process will
help NMFS determine if existing measures are the best means of
achieving certain management objectives for bluefin tuna and providing
flexibility for future management, consistent with relevant Federal
laws. NMFS also announced the availability of a scoping document
describing measures for potential inclusion in a proposed Amendment,
and solicited public comment on the objectives and management options.
Written comments on the Notice of Intent and the scoping document must
be received on or before July 15, 2012.
The April 23, 2012 Notice of Intent included the specific location,
date, and time of four scoping meetings, and the location and
approximate time of three NMFS consultations with regional fishery
management councils (Councils), during their June meetings (Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council; New England Fishery Management
Council, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council), and more detailed
background information. That information is not repeated here.
Since the publication of the Notice of Intent, NMFS decided to
schedule an additional scoping meeting that would be held in
conjunction with the New England Fishery Management Council meeting in
Portland, Maine, to provide additional opportunity for public input.
The relevant information is provided below:
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Date Time Meeting locations Address
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June 18, 2012..................... 6:30-9 p.m........... In Association with the Holiday Inn by the Bay,
New England Fishery 88 Spring Street,
Management Council Portland, ME 04101, 800-
Meeting Portland, ME. 345-5050.
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In addition to this Federal Register notice, NMFS will notify the
public of this meeting via email, and the following Web site:
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breakingnews.htm.
Special Accommodations
The meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Tom Warren (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT)
at least 7 days prior to the meeting.
Dated: June 4, 2012.
Carrie D. Selberg,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-13985 Filed 6-7-12; 8:45 am]
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