NOAA NEPA Document Database

Same as previously reported: NMFS proposes to specify a 2020 catch limit of 2,000 metric tons (t) of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each of the pelagic longline fisheries of American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. NMFS also proposes to authorize each U.S. territory to allocate up to 1,500 t of bigeye tuna of its catch limit to a U.S. longline fishing vessel or vessels holding a valid permit and identified in a valid specified fishing agreement with a U.S. territory.NMFS proposes to specify a 2020 catch limit of 2,000 metric tons (t) of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each of the pelagic longline fisheries of American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. NMFS also proposes to authorize each U.S. territory to allocate up to 1,500 t of bigeye tuna of its catch limit to a U.S. longline fishing vessel or vessels holding a valid permit issued under Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 665.801 (50 CFR 665.801) and identified in a valid specified fishing agreement with a U.S. territory. The proposed specifications were recommended by the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and would continue management of the pelagic longline fisheries of the western Pacific region in accordance with the procedures set forth in 50 CFR 665.819. This is the same catch and allocation management program that has been in place since 2014. The proposed 2020 territorial bigeye tuna catch limits are the same as in previous years; while the proposed allocation limits are an increase in the amount a territory may allocate, the fishery outcome is the same as has been authorized in previous years. NMFS has new information about status of sea turtles to be considered in the supplemental analysis.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council is proposing to amend its Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific (Pelagics FEP). Amendment 10 would revise existing measures that manage interactions between the Hawaii shallow-set longline fishery and leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles for consistency with the reasonable and prudent measures and terms and conditions of a 2019 biological opinion (2019 BiOp). Amendment 10 would reduce the annual limit for the leatherback turtle from 26 to 16, and remove the annual limit for the North Pacific loggerhead turtle. The amendment would also establish individual fishing trip limits on interactions with both leatherback and North Pacific loggerhead turtles. If a vessel reaches either limit on any shallow-set longline trip, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) would require the vessel to stop fishing, return to port, and prohibit it from shallow-set fishing for five days. If a vessel were to reach an interaction limit twice in a calendar year, NMFS would prohibit that vessel from shallow-set longline fishing for the remainder of that calendar year. In the following calendar year, that vessel would have an annual cumulative limit equivalent to a single trip limit (5 loggerhead or 2 leatherback turtles) for the year. If Amendment 10 is approved, NMFS would implement the revised measures at 50 CFR Part 665. These measures are intended to reduce the overall incidental capture and mortality of leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles, consistent with the 2019 BiOp, while facilitating the continued operation of the shallow-set fishery to meet U.S. market demands for sustainably-caught swordfish.

The Trustees have selected five restoration projects as preferred alternative to restore, rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the equivalent of natural resources and services injured by the release of hazardous substances at the Sheboygan River and Harbor Site. These projects fit within the parameters of and are consistent with the preferred alternative from the Final Sheboygan

This action would formally integrate Atlantic chub mackerel into the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. Proposed measures include status determination criteria, annual catch limit, accountability measures, permit requirements and administrative measures.

The proposed action is to develop and approve management measures for the 2020 ocean salmon fisheries.

The proposed action is to change NMFS' management of the area of overlap between the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) so that IATTC regulations would apply in the overlap area and only a few WCPFC regulations would continue to apply in the overlap area.

This framework contains specifications for the 2020 and 2021 fishing years.

The Final RP/EA evaluates restoration alternatives that address natural resources injured by the Tug Powhatan oil spill. To restore lost resources and services, the Trustees evaluated five restoration alternatives, including a no action alternative, and identified two preferred restoration alternatives. To restore lost Pacific herring, the Trustees identified as a preferred alternative, a marine debris removal project that would benefit Pacific herring. To restore lost shellfish harvesting days, the Trustees identified as a preferred alternative, an increased effort to monitor paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP

The proposed action will compensate the public for lost recreational uses caused by the 2002 M/V Everreach Oil spill by providing additional and/or improved fishing access through either the installation of a fishing/crabbing pier at Sol Legare boat landing on James Island, South Carolina; or the installation of a courtesy dock at the R.M. Hendricks Park’s boat landing in North Charleston, South Carolina.

The purpose of the Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment is to implement measures that reduce impacts of fishing gear on deep-sea corals in the Gulf of Maine and on the outer continental shelf. This action would prohibit the use of mobile bottom-tending gear in two areas in the Gulf of Maine (Mount Desert Rock and Outer Schoodic Ridge), and it would prohibit the use of all gear (with an exception for red crab pots) along the outer continental shelf in waters deeper than a minimum of 600 meters.

The purpose of the Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment is to implement measures that reduce impacts of fishing gear on deep-sea corals in the Gulf of Maine and on the outer continental shelf. This action would prohibit the use of mobile bottom-tending gear in two areas in the Gulf of Maine (Mount Desert Rock and Outer Schoodic Ridge), and it would prohibit the use of all gear (with an exception for red crab pots) along the outer continental shelf in waters deeper than a minimum of 600 meters.

This action considers a few adjustments to recreational measures (considers conservation equivalency for black sea bass, incorporates slot limits into current specification regulations, may implement a transit zone around block island)

UPDATE: Expected to be finalized in late 2019

The National Weather Service (NWS) owns and operates the existing WSR-88D serving the Grand Junction, CO, area. The radar identifier is KGJX and the radar is located at the crest of Grand Mesa in Mesa County, CO. The radar is facility is about 18 miles east-southeast of downtown Grand Junction, CO. The KGJX WSR-88D was commissioned in June 1996 and is
one of 159 WSR-88Ds in the nationwide network.

Proposed action is to lower the minimum scan angle of the KFSX radar from 0.5 degrees to -0.2 degrees. Significant effects are not expected