Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Essential Fish Habitat (EFH); Preparation Schedule for EFH Provisions of Fishery Management Plans

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 031898B]

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Essential Fish Habitat (EFH);

Preparation Schedule for EFH Provisions of Fishery Management Plans

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

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of the schedules and updates

for amending fishery management plans (FMPs) to incorporate EFH

provisions, in compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The Magnuson-

Stevens Act requires the Secretary of Commerce to set forth a schedule

to amend FMPs to identify EFH and to review and update EFH based on new

scientific evidence or other relevant information. The Secretary's EFH

amendment schedule requires all FMP amendments to be submitted to the

Secretary by October 11, 1998. This document announces the availability

of the fishery management councils' (Councils) schedules for preparing

EFH provisions including the identification, description, conservation,

and enhancement of EFH. The FMP amendments will contain the schedule to

revise and update the EFH provisions.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of these schedules and updates should be

made to the Director, Office of Habitat Conservation; Attention: EFH

Schedule, NMFS; 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282.

These schedules and additional information and updates of the schedules

will also be available from the Councils or regional NMFS offices (see

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION) and will be posted on the NMFS Office of

Habitat Conservation Internet website at: http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/

rschreib/habitat.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lee Crockett, 301/713-2325.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The creation of these schedules is required

by section 305(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C.

1855(b)(1)(A)). Section 303(a) of the

[[Page 15376]]

Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1853(a)) lists the required provisions

of FMPs, including EFH provisions that describe and identify EFH,

minimize, to the extent practicable, adverse effects on such habitat

caused by fishing, and identify other actions to encourage the

conservation and enhancement of such habitat. NMFS issued interim final

regulations (62 FR 66531, December 19, 1997) to assist the Councils in

meeting these requirements. Information on the required EFH provisions

is included in those regulations. The Councils' schedules for amending

FMPs with EFH provisions will inform the public of opportunities for

involvement, input, and comment during the preparation of EFH

provisions. These schedules are subject to change and will be updated

as appropriate.

The statutory deadline for FMP amendments to include EFH

provisions, as established by the Sustainable Fisheries Act, is October

11, 1998, and all FMP amendments must be submitted to the Secretary for

approval by that date. Within 5 days of submittal, the Secretary will

publish a notice of availability for each amendment with a 60-day

comment period. Within 30 days of the closure of the comment period,

the Secretary will approve or disapprove the amendment. If the

amendment contains regulations, the Secretary will also publish the

draft regulations as a proposed rule with a 45-day comment period. The

Secretary is required to publish a final rule within 30 days of the

closure of the comment period.

For further information and copies of the schedule contact the

following offices:

NMFS Regional Offices

Northeast Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation

Division, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298; 978/281-9102.

Southeast Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation

Division, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-

2432; 813/570-5317.

Southwest Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation

Division, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213;

562/980-4041.

Northwest Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation

Division, 525 NE. Oregon St., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232-2737; 503/

230-5421.

Alaska Regional Office, Attention: Habitat Conservation Division,

709 West 9th Street, Federal Bldg., Room 461, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau,

AK 99802-1668; 907/586-7235.

Regional Fishery Management Council Offices

New England Fishery Management Council; Suntaug Office Park, 5

Broadway (Rte. 1); Saugus, MA 01906; Phone:(781)231-0422; FAX:

(781)565-8937.

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Federal Bldg., Rm. 2115;

300 S. New St.; Dover, DE 19901; Phone: (302)674-2331; FAX: (302)674-

5399.

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Southpark Building, Ste.

306; 1 Southpark Circle; Charleston, SC 29407; Phone: (803)571-4366;

FAX: (803)769-4520.

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Lincoln Center, Ste.

331; 5401 W. Kennedy Blvd.; Tampa, FL 33609; Phone: (813)228-2815; FAX:

(813)225-7015.

Caribbean Fishery Management Council; 268 Ave. Munoz Rivera, Ste.

1108; San Juan, PR 00918; Phone: (787)766-5926; FAX: (787)766-6239.

Pacific Fishery Management Council; 2130 SW. 5th Ave., Ste. 224;

Portland, OR 97201; Phone: (503)326-6352; FAX: (503)326-6831.

North Pacific Fishery Management Council; 605 W. 4th Ave., Rm. 306;

Anchorage, AK 99501; Phone:(907)271-2809; FAX: (907)271-2817.

Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; 1164 Bishop St., Rm.

1405; Honolulu, HI 96813; Phone:(808)522-8220; FAX: (808)522-8226.

Highly Migratory Species Division, NMFS; 1315 East-West Highway;

SSMC#3, 14th Floor, F/SF; Silver Spring, MD 20910; Phone:(301)713-2347;

FAX: (301)713-1917.

Dated: March 24, 1998.

James P. Burgess,

Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 98-8289 Filed 3-30-98; 8:45 am]

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