80 FR 52250 - Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Fisheries Research Conducted and Funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 167 (August 28, 2015)

NMFS announces the availability of the ``Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (DPEA) for Fisheries Research Conducted and Funded by the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC).'' Publication of this notice begins the official public comment period for this DPEA. The purpose of the DPEA is to evaluate, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of conducting and funding fisheries and ecosystem research along the U.S. West Coast, including the Northern California Large Marine Ecosystem (NCLME), Puget Sound, and the Lower Columbia River Research Area (LCRRA).

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 167 (Friday, August 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52250-52251]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21356]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE123


Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment for Fisheries Research Conducted and Funded by the National 
Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of the ``Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Assessment (DPEA) for Fisheries Research Conducted and 
Funded by the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC).'' Publication 
of this notice begins the official public comment period for this DPEA. 
The purpose of the DPEA is to evaluate, in compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the potential direct, indirect, and 
cumulative impacts of conducting and funding fisheries and ecosystem 
research along the U.S. West Coast, including the Northern California 
Large Marine Ecosystem (NCLME), Puget Sound, and the Lower Columbia 
River Research Area (LCRRA).

DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than 
September 28, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DPEA should be addressed to Kurt Fresh, 
Manager, Estuarine and Ocean Ecology Program, NMFS, Northwest Fisheries 
Science Center. The mailbox address for providing physical comments is 
2725 Montlake Boulevard, East Seattle, WA

[[Page 52251]]

98112. The email address is [email protected]. NMFS is not 
responsible for email comments sent to addresses other than the one 
provided here.
    Instructions: NMFS is not responsible for comments sent by any 
other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the 
end of the comment period. Comments received electronically, including 
all attachments, must not exceed a 25-megabyte file size. Attachments 
to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word or Excel or 
Adobe PDF file formats only. All personal identifying information 
(e.g., name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be 
publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt Fresh, Northwest Fisheries 
Science Center, NMFS, (206) 860-3200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Availability

    An electronic copy of the DPEA may be obtained by writing to the 
address specified above (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) or by 
visiting the internet at: http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/news/features/incidental_take_NOA. Documents cited in this notice may also be viewed, 
by appointment, during regular business hours, at the aforementioned 
address.

Background

    The NWFSC is the research arm of NMFS in the Northwest Region of 
the Continental United States. The NWFSC conducts research and provides 
scientific advice to manage fisheries and conserve protected species in 
the Pacific Ocean (primarily the Continental Shelf Region of the 
Pacific Coast), Puget Sound, and Lower Columbia River Estuary (below 
Bonneville Dam). Research is aimed at monitoring fish stock 
recruitment, survival and biological rates, abundance and geographic 
distribution of species and stocks, and providing other scientific 
information needed to improve our understanding of complex marine 
ecological processes. Primary research activities include: Studies of 
early marine life and mortality processes of juvenile Pacific 
salmonids, bottom trawl surveys to support assessments of multiple 
groundfish species, stock assessments of Pacific hake, studies to 
support salmon recovery efforts in Puget Sound and the Columbia River 
Estuary, telemetry studies of numerous species, and extensive 
cooperative research projects designed to address current or emerging 
information needs of the commercial fishing industry such as bycatch 
reduction efforts. Many research activities also include active 
acoustic systems, plankton nets, and other oceanographic equipment that 
provide important data on the status and trends of marine ecosystems 
important for various fisheries and natural resource management 
processes.
    NMFS has prepared the DPEA under NEPA to evaluate several 
alternatives for conducting and funding fisheries and ecosystem 
research activities as the primary Federal action. Additionally in the 
DPEA, NMFS evaluates a secondary Federal action--also called a 
``connected action'' under 40 CFR 1508.25 of the Council on 
Environmental Quality's regulations for implementing the procedural 
provisions of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)--which is the proposed 
promulgation of regulations and authorization of the take of marine 
mammals incidental to the fisheries research under the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA). Additionally, because the proposed research 
activities occur in areas inhabited by species of marine mammals, 
birds, sea turtles, and fish listed under the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA) as threatened or endangered, this DPEA evaluates activities that 
could result in unintentional takes of ESA-listed marine species.
    The following four alternatives are evaluated in the DPEA:
    1. No-Action/Status Quo Alternative--Conduct Federal Fisheries and 
Ecosystem Research with Scope and Protocols Similar to Past Effort;
    2. Preferred Alternative--Conduct Federal Fisheries and Ecosystem 
Research (New Suite of Research) with Mitigation for MMPA and ESA 
Compliance;
    3. Modified Research Alternative--Conduct Federal Fisheries and 
Ecosystem Research (New Suite of Research) with Additional Mitigation; 
and
    4. No Research Alternative--No Fieldwork for Federal Fisheries and 
Ecosystem Research Conducted or Funded by NWFSC.
    The first three alternatives include a program of fisheries and 
ecosystem research projects conducted or funded by the NWFSC as the 
primary Federal action. Because this primary action is connected to a 
secondary Federal action to consider authorizing incidental take of 
marine mammals under the MMPA, NMFS must identify as part of this 
evaluation ``(t)he means of effecting the least practicable adverse 
impact on the species or stock and its habitat.'' (Section 101(a)(5)(A) 
of the MMPA [16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.]). NMFS must therefore identify and 
evaluate a reasonable range of mitigation measures to minimize impacts 
to marine mammals that occur in NWFSC research areas. These mitigation 
measures are considered as part of the identified alternatives in order 
to evaluate their effectiveness to minimize potential adverse 
environmental impacts. The three action alternatives also include 
mitigation measures intended to minimize potentially adverse 
interactions with other protected species that occur within the action 
area. Protected species include all marine mammals, which are covered 
under the MMPA, all species listed under the ESA, and bird species 
protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
    NMFS is also evaluating a second type of no-action alternative that 
considers no federal funding for fieldwork on fisheries and ecosystem 
research activities. This is called the No Research Alternative to 
distinguish it from the No-Action/Status Quo Alternative. The No-
Action/Status Quo Alternative will be used as the baseline to compare 
all of the other alternatives.
    Potential direct and indirect effects on the environment are 
evaluated under each alternative in the DPEA. The environmental effects 
on the following resources are considered: physical environment, 
special resource areas, fish, marine mammals, birds, sea turtles, 
invertebrates, and the social and economic environment. Cumulative 
effects of external actions and the contribution of fisheries research 
activities to the overall cumulative impact on the aforementioned 
resources is also evaluated in the DPEA for the geographic regions in 
which NWFSC surveys are conducted.

Information Solicited

    NMFS requests comments on the DPEA for Fisheries Research Conducted 
and Funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest 
Fisheries Science Center. Please include, with your comments, any 
supporting data or literature citations that may be informative in 
substantiating your comment.

    Dated: August 19, 2015.
Mark Strom,
Deputy Director, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-21356 Filed 8-27-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P