AGENCIES: Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

Notice of availability and request for comments.

NOAA and U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) announce on behalf of the Federal Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture under the Office of Science and Technology Policy that a draft National Aquaculture Research and Development Strategic Plan (R&D Plan) for the United States is being made available for public review and comment. This plan will provide a framework for federal agencies to develop programs for research and development that affect the production of aquatic organisms such as finfish, crustaceans, mollusks, and algae.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announced a public meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) and a request for written comments. This meeting, the 28th biannual meeting of the USCRTF, provides a forum for coordinated planning and action among Federal agencies, State and territorial governments, and nongovernmental partners.

DATES: Meeting Dates: August 20, 2012, through August 23, 2012.   

NMFS is extending the date by which public comments are due in response to the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) published on May 3, 2012, on potential adjustments to the National Standard 1 Guidelines, one of 10 national standards for fishery conservation and management contained in Section 301 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. NMFS has received a request to extend the comment period for the ANPR beyond its current 90-day comment period, originally scheduled to end on August 1, 2012. With this notice, NMFS is extending the comment period to September 15, 2012, to ensure there is adequate time for stakeholders and members of the public to comment on the ANPR.

The deadline for receipt of comments on the ANPR published on May 3, 2012 (77 FR 26238), is extended to September 15, 2012.

Recently, the U.S. Coast Guard released its annual report on recreational boating for 2011, showing boating fatalities rose 12.8 percent from 672 to 758. The USCG report comes on the heels of NMMA's latest statistical abstract, which notes an increase in participation for recreational boating and would certainly have an impact on the safety statistics reported. In 2011, U.S. boating participation increased an estimated ten percent to 83 million boaters, the largest proportion of adults (34.8 percent) who went boating since 1997, when 35.8 percent participated.

Contrary to numerous studies showing economic and consumer detriment of fuel with more than 10 percent ethanol, EPA approved a plan submitted by the ethanol industry to address residual fuel that may be left in gas pumps that offer both E15, or gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol, and other fuels. That step "knocks down the lone, significant regulatory hurdle standing in the way of getting E15 into the marketplace," trade groups Growth Energy and Renewable Fuels Association said.

The U.S military is no stranger to alternative energy. Lead by the Department of Defense’s aggressive energy plan, the country’s armed forces have been experimenting with ways to incorporate alternative energies, such as solar and hydrogen fuel cells, for some time. Biofuels, in particular, have been getting a great deal of attention from the Navy, Army, and Air Force recently, each launching their own projects to examine the capabilities of the fuel. The U.S. Coast Guard has also taken a keen interest in biofuels, using them to power the ship Henry Blake on its maiden voyage.

Eric Schwaab has reassumed the title of Assistant Administrator of NOAA for Fisheries.  As a general rule, the Vacancies Reform Act limits a person to serving 210 days in an acting capacity for a Senate-confirmed Presidential appointee beginning on the date the vacancy occurs. However, Eric will continue to perform the functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management. 

 John Bryson has resigned as commerce secretary, telling President Obama in a letter that the seizure he suffered recently "could be a distraction" to the president's focus on rebuilding the U.S. economy.

The Commerce Department announced the appointment of 30 new and returning members to the eight regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA’s Fisheries Service to manage ocean fish stocks. To view appointments for all 8 councils please click read more...

The National Maritime Center (NMC) has initiated a yearlong project to refresh our website with more tools and information regarding all aspects of the Mariner Credentialing Program. As we work through this project, we have and will continue to make changes to many of the individual page addresses. Therefore, if you have bookmarked individual pages you may get „page not found‟ errors. Please go to the home page (www.uscg.mil/nmc) and reconnect to the page you are looking for by using the links, search engine, or sitemap.

Should you have any questions related to this, or any other aspect of the NMC‟s website, you can use the webmaster link on the website, email our Customer Service Center at IASKNMC@uscg.mil, or call 888-IASKNMC (888-427-5662).