NMFS announces the final rule to set 2008 fishing year specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery, including quotas for each of the established domestic fishing categories and effort controls for the General category and Angling category. This action is necessary to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This action extends a temporary final rule initially published on October 18, 2005. The regulations contained in the temporary rule, emergency action, published on October 18, 2005, and subsequently extended several times at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will expire on January 1, 2008. This temporary rule extends a

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues final specifications for the 2008 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. This final rule specifies allowed harvest limits for both commercial and recreational fisheries, including commercial scup possession limits. This action prohibits federally permitted commercial vessels from landing summer flounder in Delaware in

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations that would limit the harvest of Pacific halibut by guided sport charter vessel anglers in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Area 2C of Southeast Alaska to the guideline harvest level (GHL) for that area under two different scenarios. First, if the GHL remains unchanged in 2008, a suite of three management

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Notice is hereby given that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1255 West 8\th\ Street, Juneau, AK, 99811 (Doug Larsen, Responsible Party), has applied in due form for a permit to collect, receive, and import marine mammal specimens for scientific research.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA), NOAA, announces temporary restrictions consistent with the requirements of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan's (ALWTRP) implementing regulations. These regulations apply to lobster trap/pot and anchored gillnet fishermen in an area totaling approximately 1,939 nm\2\ (6,650 km\2\), south of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), announce a 90day finding for a petition to revise leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as [[Page 73746]]
amended (ESA). The leatherback turtle is currently listed as endangered throughout its range, and critical habitat consists of Sandy

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 15A to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. Amendment 15A proposes actions to update management reference points for snowy grouper, black sea bass, and red porgy

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes 2008 specifications and management measures for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish (MSB). This action also proposes to modify existing management measures. Specifically, it would clarify gear requirements for the Loligo squid fishery, standardize procedures for closing the Atlantic mackerel (mackerel) and butterfish fisheries,

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the Sapelo Island (Georgia) National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation will be conducted pursuant to sections 312 and 315 of the CZMA and regulations at 15 C.F.R. Part 921, Subpart E

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Notice is hereby given that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Division of Science, Research and Technology, P.O. Box 409, Trenton, NJ 086250409 has been issued a permit to take marine mammals and sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has determined that summer flounder is overfished. NMFS notified the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) of its determination by letter. The Council is required to take action within 1 year following notification by NMFS that a stock is

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS has revised the conservation plan (Plan) for northern fur seals to incorporate new information obtained since the original plan was completed. The Plan is required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and was initially completed in 1993. The goal of the Plan is to promote the recovery of northern fur seals to their optimum sustainable

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Crab Committee will meet January 910, 2008, in Anchorage, AK.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) will publish North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) State Plane Coordinate (SPC) grid values in both meters and U.S. Survey Feet (1 ft = 1200/3937 m) in Nebraska, for all well defined geodetic survey control monuments maintained by NGS in the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and computed from various

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Pursuant to Section 104(f) the Global Change Research Act of 1990 (GCRA), the U.S. Climate Change Science Program Revised Research Plan Summary is being published in the Federal Register for a 60day public comment period. The public comments received on the Revised Research Plan Summary will be considered during the preparation of the final

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of collectionofinformation requirements implementing the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program for the fixedgear commercial Pacific
[[Page 73666]]
halibut fishery and sablefish fishery. OMB assigned OMB Control Number 06480569 to the collection of information contained in these

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA), NOAA, announces temporary restrictions consistent with the requirements of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan's (ALWTRP) implementing regulations. These regulations apply to lobster trap/pot and anchored gillnet fishermen in an area totaling approximately 1,580 nm\2\ (5,419 km\2\), south of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues this final rule to revise VMS requirements applicable to the commercial reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and to revise the allowable methods for complying with the advance notification of landing requirement in the Gulf red snapper individual fishing quota (IFQ) program. Regarding the VMS program, this final rule allows

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS reduces the trip limit in the commercial hook-and-line fishery for king mackerel in the northern Florida west coast subzone to 500 lb (227 kg) of king mackerel per day in or from the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This trip limit reduction is necessary to protect the Gulf king mackerel resource.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This rule corrects and clarifies a number of inadvertent errors, omissions, and ambiguities in the regulations implemented by recent actions taken under the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fisheries Management Plan (FMP), including Amendment 5, Framework Adjustment (FW) 38, Amendment 13, FW 40A, FW 41, and FW 42. The measures corrected or clarified by

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes 2008 specifications for the Atlantic bluefish fishery, including statebystate commercial quotas, a recreational harvest limit, and recreational possession limits for Atlantic bluefish off the east coast of the United States. The intent of these specifications is to establish the allowable 2008 harvest levels and possession limits to

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) proposes to amend the Fishery Management Plan for the Bottomfish and Seamount Groundfish of the Western Pacific Region (Bottomfish FMP). Bottomfish FMP Amendment 14 was developed in response to a determination by NMFS that Hawaiian bottomfish stocks are experiencing

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA publishes this notice to supplement the agency's solicitation for applications published on July 2, 2007 in an action entitled ``Omnibus Notice Announcing the Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2008''. This notice announces 11 additional programs that are soliciting applications for FY 08 funding.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS amends the regulations governing minimum performance standards of fishing gear proposed for use in both the NE multispecies Regular B DAS Program and the Eastern U.S./Canada Haddock SAP. The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) may request the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) approve additional gear

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration