[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 222 (Friday, November 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 68735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27899]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC355


New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat Oversight Committee to 
consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to 
the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

DATES: This meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 185 
MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740; telephone: (774) 634-2000; fax: 
(774) 634-2001.
    Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water 
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Committee will continue to develop 
options and alternatives for Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 
(OA2). Specifically, the Committee will review Habitat Advisory Panel 
and Plan Development Team recommendations about Dedicated Habitat 
Research Areas and gear modification measures, and select options for 
inclusion in the OA2 document. In addition, the PDT will provide advice 
on combining management options into alternatives to meet overall 
adverse effects minimization requirements. Other area-management 
options and combined alternatives may also be discussed.
    As a reminder, the Habitat Committee's work will feed into a joint 
process between the Habitat and Groundfish Committees. This joint 
process will draft combined alternatives that merge habitat options 
with yet-to-be-developed groundfish productivity-related options. This 
range of alternatives will be presented to the Council early next year 
for their approval for analysis in the OA2 Environmental Impact 
Statement/Magnuson-Stevens Act document.
    Bureau of Ocean Energy Management staff will provide a brief status 
update on the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Wind Energy Areas (WEA) 
where leasing is under consideration, and will solicit feedback on a 
recently completed Environmental Assessment for the MA WEA.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising 
after publication of this notice that require emergency action under 
section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has 
been notified of the Council's intent to take final action to address 
the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, at (978) 465-
0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: November 13, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-27899 Filed 11-15-12; 8:45 am]
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