[Federal Register: September 2, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 170)]
[Notices]
[Page 53682-53683]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02se04-36]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 082504B]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Draft Generic Amendment to Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Plans for
Offshore Aquaculture
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft supplemental environmental
impact statement; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) and
NMFS intend to prepare a draft supplemental environmental impact
statement (DSEIS) in support of a proposed Generic Amendment for
Offshore Aquaculture. The DSEIS will evaluate alternatives for
regulating aquaculture activities in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of
this notice of intent is to solicit public comments on the range of
alternatives and scope of issues to be addressed in the DSEIS.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the DSEIS must be received by 5
p.m. October 4, 2004. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for
additional information regarding oral comments.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the scope of the DSEIS and requests for the
scoping
[[Page 53683]]
document may be directed to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council, The Commons at Rivergate, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite
1000, Tampa, FL 33619; telephone: 813-228-2815; fax: 813-225-7015.
Comments also may be submitted via e-mail. The mailbox address for
providing e-mail comments is aquaculture.gulf@noaa.gov. Include in the
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier:
Generic Amendment for Offshore Aquaculture. Scoping documents are also
available to download at http://www.gulfcouncil.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Swingle (phone: 813-228-2815,
fax: 813-225-7015, e-mail: Wayne.Swingle@gulfcouncil.org); Andy
Strelcheck (phone: 727-570-5305, fax: 727-570-5583, e-mail:
Andy.Strelcheck@noaa.gov); or visit the Council's web page at http://www.gulfcouncil.org
.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council and NMFS intend to prepare a
DSEIS in support of a proposed Generic Amendment for Offshore
Aquaculture. The DSEIS will evaluate alternatives for regulating
aquaculture activities in the Gulf of Mexico, including: (1) Whether to
implement a generic amendment for offshore aquaculture, (2) the overall
scope of the generic amendment, (3) permit and operational requirements
for aquaculture facilities, (4) fishery management plans that would be
affected by the amendment, and (5) stocks that would be affected by the
amendment. The DSEIS will also evaluate: best management practices for
cage and net-pen facilities, scientific information on the culture of
marine fish, and the environmental effects of aquaculture. Alternatives
currently under consideration are described in detail in ``The Scoping
Document for a Generic Amendment to Provide for Regulation of Offshore
Marine Aquaculture for Selected Fish.'' The Council is soliciting
public comment on the range of alternatives and scope of issues that
should be considered in the DSEIS. Persons may request a copy of the
scoping document from the Council (see ADDRESSES for contact
information).
In accordance with NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 216-6, Section
502(c)4, the Council previously held eight scoping hearings during
February and March 2004 (69 FR 7185) to solicit input from interested
parties on proposed actions and alternatives identified in the above-
mentioned scoping document. The hearings were held in the following
locations: Biloxi, MS; Corpus Christi, TX; Galveston, TX; Key West, FL;
Larose, LA; Madeira Beach, FL; Mobile, AL; and Panama City, FL.
Additionally, public comments may be accepted at the following
Council meetings and during public hearings that will be announced in
future Federal Register notices:
1. September 13-17, 2004, Edgewater Beach Resort, 11212 Front Beach
Road, Panama City, FL 32407.
2. November 7-10, 2004, Sheraton, 310 Padre Boulevard, South Padre
Island, TX 78597.
3. January 10-13, 2005, Sheraton, 102 France Street, Baton Rouge,
LA 70802.
4. March 7-10, 2005, Wynfrey, 100 Riverchase Galleria, Birmingham,
AL 35244.
The meetings will be physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Wayne Swingle at the Council (see
ADDRESSES).
The completed DSEIS associated with the draft Generic Amendment for
Offshore Aquaculture will be filed with the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), announced in the Federal Register, and open to public
comment for a 45-day period. This procedure is pursuant to regulations
issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for implementing
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (and to NAO 216-6 on
complying with NEPA and the CEQ regulations).
The Council will consider public comments received on the DSEIS in
developing the final supplemental environmental impact statement
(FSEIS), and will consider public comments before taking final action
on the Generic Amendment for Offshore Aquaculture. The Council will
submit both the final amendment and the supporting FSEIS to NMFS for
Secretarial review, approval, and implementation under the requirements
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
NMFS will announce, through a notice published in the Federal
Register, the availability of the final Generic Amendment for Offshore
Aquaculture for public review during the Secretarial review period.
During Secretarial review, NMFS will also file the FSEIS with the EPA
for a final 30-day public comment period. This comment period will be
concurrent with the Secretarial review period and will end prior to
final agency action to approve, disapprove, or partially approve the
final Generic Amendment for Offshore Aquaculture.
NMFS will announce, through a notice published in the Federal
Register, all public comment periods on the final Generic Amendment for
Offshore Aquaculture, any proposed implementing regulations, and its
associated FSEIS. NMFS will consider all public comments received
during the Secretarial review period, whether they are on the final
Amendment, any proposed regulations, or the FSEIS, prior to final
agency action.
Dated: August 30, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-20055 Filed 9-1-04; 8:45 am]
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