Notice of Availability of a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Replacement of NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, CA

Opportunity for comments.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the Proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) Recovery Plan for Lower Columbia River Chinook Salmon, Lower Columbia River Coho Salmon, Columbia River Chum Salmon, and Lower Columbia River Steelhead (Proposed Plan) is available for public review and comment.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a conference call of its Coastal Pelagic Species Advisory Subpanel (CPSAS) and Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team (CPSMT). A listening station will be available at the Pacific Council offices for interested members of the public.

The conference call will be held Monday, June 11, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

This request is for extension of a current recreational information collection for Pacific and Wester Pacific Billfish.

The International Billfish Angler Survey began in 1969 and is an integral part of the Billfish Research Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC). The survey tracks recreational angler fishing catch and effort for billfish in the Pacific and Indian Oceans in support of the Pacific and Western Pacific Fishery Management Councils, authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act (MSA). The data are used by scientists and fishery managers to assist with assessing the status of billfish stocks. The survey is intended for anglers cooperating in the Billfish Program and is entirely voluntary. This survey is specific to recreational anglers fishing for Istiophorid and Xiphiid billfish in the Pacific and Indian Oceans; as such it provides the only estimates of catch per unit of effort for recreational billfish fishing in those areas

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 10, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet atJJessup@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions can be directed to James Wraith, (858) 546-7087 or james.wraith@noaa.gov

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By: David D. Boyer, Alfred E. Smith (Nossaman LLP)            05/09/12

The Little Hoover Commission will meet to discuss its draft report on the Governor's Reorganization Plan 2 (GRP) this Friday, May 11, 2012. This will be the commission's only meeting to discuss its report before submitting it to the governor and Legislature. 

NMFS is reopening the comment period for a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and Fishery Conservation Plan (Plan) related to scientific research and fisheries management measures in waters of the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin, Washington.

Written comments on the draft EA and proposed Plan and associated applications must be received on or before May 11, 2012.

NMFS announces a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Subcommittee (SAS) on May 30, 2012, and a meeting of the General Advisory Committee (GAC) to the U.S. Section to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) on May 31, 2012. 

The meeting of the SAS will be held on May 30, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT (or until business is concluded), and the meeting of the GAC will be held on May 31, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT (or until business is concluded).

Meeting Topics

Through this final rule NMFS establishes fishery management 

measures for the 2012 ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon, 

and California and the 2013 salmon seasons opening earlier than May 1, 

2013. Specific fishery management measures vary by fishery and by area. 

The measures establish fishing areas, seasons, quotas, legal gear, 

recreational fishing days and catch limits, possession and landing 

restrictions, and minimum lengths for salmon taken in the U.S. 

exclusive economic zone (EEZ) (3-200 NM) off Washington, Oregon, and 

California.

NOAA Fisheries announces 3 inseason actions in the ocean
salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the commercial and
recreational fisheries in the area from Cape Falcon, Oregon to Point
Arena, California.

DATES: The effective dates for the inseason action are set out in this
document under the heading Inseason Actions. Inseason actions remain in
effect until modified by additional inseason action or superseded by
the 2012 annual management measures on May 1, 2012. Comments will be
accepted through May 2, 2012.

Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) will hold a work session which is open to the public.

DATES: The meeting will be held Monday, April 30th through Wednesday,
May 2, 2012. The HMSMT work session will begin at 1 p.m. on Monday,
April 30 and at 8:30 a.m. on the following days, and continue until
business is completed on each day.

ADDRESSES: The work sessions will be held at Large Conference Room,
Pacific Fishery Management Council Office, 7700 NE Ambassador Place,
Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220-1384.