NOAA NEPA Document Database

Under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFCIA; 16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), this proposed rule would implement a decision of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC or Commission). The proposed rule would implement specific provisions of Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) 2009-05, “Conservation and Management Measure Prohibiting Fishing on Data Buoys,” which the Commission adopted in December 2009.

The 2023 benchmark stock assessment for the American Samoa bottomfish fishery (Nadon et al. 2023) indicated that none of the American Samoa bottomfish were overfished or subject to overfishing. In response to this determination, NMFS is proposing Amendment 7 to the FEP for the American Samoa Archipelago to discontinue the rebuilding plan for bottomfish and set annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) for the 2024-2026 fishing years.

NMFS proposes a catch limit of 457 metric tons (t), with an annual retention limit of 443 t, for the Western and Central North Pacific Ocean (WCNPO) stock of striped marlin retained by the Hawaii deep-set and shallow set-longline fisheries. If the retention limit of 443 t is projected to be reached, NMFS will close those waters to striped marlin retention for U.S. longline fisheries for the remainder of the calendar year. This action is required under Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Section 304(i) to address U.S. fishing vessels’ relative impact on this overfished and internationally managed stock.

NOAA Fisheries and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intend to prepare a management plan for the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. No significant impacts or problems are foreseen.

The proposed action would implement recent decisions of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean on data reporting requirements, fish aggregating device design requirements, and bycatch restrictions for sharks and cetaceans.

The proposed action is to modify the management measures applicable to the Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) and Cowcod Conservation Area (CCA) off the U.S. West Coast in order to provide additional fishing access for non-trawl groundfish fisheries. The additional access might be provided by actions such as 1) moving and/or modifying the existing Non-Trawl RCA and/or CCA boundaries, and/or 2) allowing groundfish fishing inside the Non-Trawl RCA and/or CCA using only select gears that minimize bottom contact. Although there are potential impacts to resources such as rebuilding groundfish species, ESA-listed species, and bottom habitat, there are no known significant impacts anticipated at this time.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Prevention, Control, and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms Program proposes to provide funding for the field demonstration of harmful algal bloom control techniques. (Note: I have continued to use this with a note/addendum that the analysis is sound and applies to actions conducted even more recently - but I will absolutely conduct a new sufficiency analysis.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) plans to work with the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) to establish an aquaculture management program in the Pacific Islands Region (PIR). Aquaculture is the propagation and rearing of aquatic organisms for any commercial, recreational, or public purpose.Aquaculture in Federal waters in the PIR is not currently subject to extensive management oversight, with limited exceptionsrelated to gear types used for culture and harvest of coral reef ecosystem component species

We are developing a proposed rule to implement catch limit specifications for the 2024 small-mesh multispecies fishery, and project specifications for fishing years 2025 and 2026. The Council’s recommended catch limits would increase annual quotas for northern silver hake and decrease the quota for southern whiting and both red hake stocks. In addition to the Council’s recommended catch limits, pursuant to section 305(d), we are reducing the recommended ABC for southern red hake by 25 percent in order to comply with the requirements outlined in Framework Adjustment 62 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. There are no known issues or problems with this action and we anticipate the action will be non-controversial.

The Chub Mackerel Amendment established long-term conservation and management measures for Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) off the U.S. Atlantic coast by integrating this species as a stock in the fishery under the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The amendment established catch limits, accountability measures, and other conservation and management measures required for stocks “in the fishery.” The Council approved the amendment in March 2019, and a final rule was published on August 4, 2020.

The Proposed Action is to continue OMAO vessel operations over a 15-year timeframe from 2023 to 2038 as the NOAA fleet is modernized by updating vessels in the existing fleet and replacing aging vessels with new vessels built specifically to support NOAA missions

The Addendum proposes to use $1.6 million of earned interest to increase funding for the Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities Restoration Type allowing for the implementation of the two conditionally approved projects. This will provide additional compensation to the public for recreational use injuries caused by the Deepwater Horizon spill.

The draft supplemental plan proposes to use the Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats restoration type funds from the terminated Harrod Tract project to acquire a property known as the Lloyd Tract. The Lloyd Tract is located along two tributaries of the Fish River, slightly upstream from the Harrod Tract, in the Weeks Bay watershed.

The trustees are proposing to relocate rock material in the vicinity of the Alabama Swift Tract Living Shoreline Project to another nearby breakwater structure. The rock material may have been placed in the current locations as part of the project but could potentially cause recreational, navigational, or other impacts and need to be moved—as described in the supplement document.

The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group Restoration Plan III/Environmental Assessment analyzed two recreational enhancement projects at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge – the Mobile Street Boardwalk and Centennial Trail Boardwalk projects. The Mobile Street Boardwalk project was selected for implementation at a cost of $1,189,899. This Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan updates the estimated cost to complete both of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge boardwalk projects, evaluates both projects at their revised costs, and proposes to fund an increase in the budget for the Mobile Street Boardwalk project of approximately $2 million. The proposed budget increase is a result of unforeseen circumstances since the time of the project’s approval in December 2019, including the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the availability and cost of labor and materials, hurricane damage, and a better understanding of the project’s complexity.

Draft Restoration Plan 2 and Environmental Assessment: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands, Sea Turtles, Marine Mammals, Birds, and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities released in February 2021.

The Phase V.4 Florida Coastal Access Project: Restoration Plan and Supplemental Environmental Assessment (PDF, 54 pages) proposes the Dickerson Bay Addition, which includes acquisition of a coastal parcel and minor recreational improvements. The privately-owned 114-acre undeveloped coastal parcel is within the approved acquisition boundary of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The estimated cost of the project is $685,000.

The Florida Trustees’ Draft Restoration Plan 3/Environmental Assessment: Water Quality will address water quality using a range of approaches to enhance ecosystem services and recreational use along the Florida Gulf coast by reducing pollutants, nutrients, and pathogens discharged to coastal watersheds and improving hydrology. These restoration approaches include: reducing pollution and hydrologic degradation; reducing nutrient loads; creating, restoring, and enhancing coastal wetlands; and protecting and conserving marine, coastal, estuarine, and riparian habitats.

The plan analyzes restoration project design alternatives for two projects that are components of larger marsh restoration strategies, and were approved for engineering and design in a previous restoration plan. We have selected and approved a design alternative for construction of each, with a combined construction cost of approximately $214,932,290. The primary goal of the Spanish Pass increment in this plan is to create and nourish approximately 132 acres of historical ridge and 1,683 acres of marsh. This plan approves an estimated cost of approximately $100.3 million. This increment will create an estimated 2,816 acres of restored marsh habitat at an estimated cost of approximately $114.7 million.

The LA TIG plan includes a bird restoration project on Rabbit Island, and a habitat restoration project at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The final approved combined cost of the projects is approximately $37 million. These costs cover engineering and design, construction, monitoring and adaptive management, and operations and maintenance.