Pacific Salmon Fisheries Off the Coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and in the Columbia River Basin

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 011597A]

Pacific Salmon Fisheries Off the Coasts of California, Oregon,

Washington, Alaska and in the Columbia River Basin

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent; scoping meeting; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: In the Federal Register of January 27, 1997, NMFS announced

its intent to hold scoping meetings, prepare Environmental Assessments

(EAs) and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on ocean and in-river

fisheries that may result in the incidental take of Pacific salmonids

currently listed or proposed for listing under the Endangered Species

Act. In the Federal Register of March 4, 1997, NMFS announced the time

and place for the Alaska meeting and extended the comment period. Due

to severe winter weather conditions the Alaska meeting was postponed.

NMFS is therefore announcing a new scoping meeting in Alaska and is

also extending the comment period on the EIS and EAs.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted through March 31, 1997. The

scoping meeting will be held on March 20, 1997, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sitka,

AK.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests to be included on a mailing

list of persons interested in the EIS should be sent to Joseph R. Blum,

Office of Protected Resources, Endangered Species Division (PR3), NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

The scoping meeting for Alaska will be held at the Sitka Centennial

Building, 330 Harbor Drive, Sitka, AK 99835.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph R. Blum (301) 713-1401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Background and rationale for this action were provided in the

notice of intent (62 FR 3873, January 27, 1997) and are not repeated

here.

NMFS announced the time and place for the Alaska meeting and

extended the comment period (62 FR 9750, March 4, 1997).

Special Accommodations

Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Tamra Faris (907)

[[Page 13366]]

586-7228 at least 3 days before the meeting date.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. et seq.

Dated: March 13, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 97-6974 Filed 3-19-97; 8:45 am]

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