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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 216 / Thursday, November 9, 2017 / Notices

comprehensive salmon and steelhead
recovery strategy. As reported in the
application, significant actions to
address the decline of salmon and
steelhead stocks in the Willamette River
basin have been underway for several
decades, and are progressing each year
as a result of the implementation of ESA
recovery plans throughout the
Willamette River basin. These actions
include harvest reductions,
hydroelectric system mitigation, habitat
restoration, predation management, and
hatchery reforms.
In their application, the state asserts
that taking no action or continued use
of only non-lethal methods will likely
result in an expansion of the problem
interaction by allowing CSLs to become
recruited into the pool of nuisance
animals. The expected benefit of
permanent removal of the animals in
question will be to reduce a significant
source of mortality that has jeopardized
state, Federal, and non-governmental
efforts to recover ESA-listed salmon and
steelhead stocks in the Willamette River
basin. The state’s population viability
analysis predicts that elimination of the
problem interaction will reduce the
probability of extinction of the three
independent UWR steelhead
populations from 20–64 percent to <5
percent.
In considering whether the
application should be approved or
denied, the MMPA requires that the
Task Force and NMFS consider: (1)
Population trends, feeding habits, the
location of the pinniped interaction,
how and when the interaction occurs,
involved; (2) past efforts to deter such
pinnipeds, and whether the applicant
has demonstrated that no feasible and
prudent alternatives exist and that the
applicant has taken all reasonable
nonlethal steps without success; (3) the
extent to which such pinnipeds are
causing undue injury impact to, or
imbalance with, other species in the
ecosystem, including fish populations;
and (4) the extent to which such
pinnipeds are exhibiting behavior that
presents an ongoing threat to public
safety. The NMFS West Coast Regional
Administrator has considered the state’s
application and determined that it
provides sufficient evidence to warrant
establishing a Task Force. The
application describes the means of
identifying individual pinnipeds,
includes a detailed description of the
problem interaction between pinnipeds
and listed salmonids in the vicinity of
Willamette Falls, and describes the
expected benefits of potential taking of
pinnipeds. The application also
documents the state’s past non-lethal

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efforts to deter pinnipeds in the vicinity
of Willamette Falls.
Request for Comments and Other
Information
NMFS solicits public comments on
the state’s application and any
additional information that should be
considered by the Task Force in making
its recommendation, or by NMFS in
making its determination whether to
approve or deny the application. NMFS
is interested in receiving additional
information related to the factors that
must be considered in determining
whether to approve or deny the
application (see Background), and on
the impact of sea lion predation in the
vicinity of Willamette Falls on the
affected salmonid stocks.
NMFS requests that comments be
specific. In particular, we request
information regarding: (1) Observations
of pinnipeds (number, species and
predation on salmonids) in the
Willamette River;
(2) Information on areas where
numbers of pinnipeds are concentrated
in the Willamette River, including
resting/haul out sites and locations
where pinnipeds have been repeatedly
observed taking salmonids; and
(3) Dates when pinnipeds have been
observed in the Willamette River.
NMFS also solicits the names and
affiliations of experts from the academic
and scientific community, tribes,
Federal and state agencies, and the
private sector for consideration as
potential Task Force members. A Task
Force, established under section 120(c)
of the MMPA must, to the maximum
extent practicable, consist of an
equitable balance among representatives
of resource users and non-users as
outlined above. The state’s application
included a list of suggested agencies and
organizations for inclusion in the Task
Force (see Electronic Access).
Nominations for Task Force
membership must include sufficient
background information (e.g., 1–page
resume) on the candidate to allow us to
judge their expertise and should
indicate the prospective candidate’s
willingness to serve without
compensation.
Dated: November 3, 2017.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–24352 Filed 11–8–17; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Proposed Information Collection;
Comment Request; West Coast Region
Groundfish Trawl Fishery Monitoring
and Catch Accounting Program
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

The Department of
Commerce, as part of its continuing
effort to reduce paperwork and
respondent burden, invites the general
public and other Federal agencies to
take this opportunity to comment on
proposed and/or continuing information
collections, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Written comments must be
submitted on or before January 8, 2018.
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 at pracomments@doc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection
instrument and instructions should be
directed to the West Coast Regional
Office—7600 Sand Point Way NE.,
Seattle, WA 98115, Keeley Kent,
telephone number ((206) 526–4655), or
keeley.kent@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:

I. Abstract
This request is for extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
In January 2011, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration’s
(NOAA) National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) implemented a trawl
rationalization program, a catch share
program, for the Pacific coast groundfish
fishery’s trawl fleet. The program was
developed through Amendment 20 to
the Groundfish Fishery Management
Plan (FMP), under the authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and consists of an
individual fishing quota (IFQ) program
for the shorebased trawl fleet (including
whiting and non-whiting fisheries); and
cooperative (coop) programs for the atsea mothership (MS) and catcher/
processor (C/P) trawl fleets (whiting
only). Fixed allocations to the limited
entry trawl fleet were developed

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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 216 / Thursday, November 9, 2017 / Notices
through a parallel process with
Amendment 21 to the FMP. The
regulations implementing the program
were effective January 1, 2011; all of the
necessary tracking systems to make the
program operational became active on
January 11, 2011, the date fishing began
under the new program. Since that time,
the Council and NMFS have been
addressing implementation issues as
they arise. To achieve individual
accountability for catch and bycatch and
track total catch, the shorebased IFQ
Program is subject to 100 percent
monitoring both at-sea and dockside. In
addition to 100 percent monitoring atsea, motherships and catcher/processors
are subject to flow scale requirements
that include daily testing, reporting, and
an annual inspection.

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II. Method of Collection
This collection utilizes both
electronic and paper forms, depending
on the specific item. Methods of
submittal include email of electronic
forms, and mail and facsimile
transmission of paper forms.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0619.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular (extension of
a current information collection).
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
155.
Estimated Time per Response: 10
hours for a Provider permit, 2 hours for
an annual renewal, 4 hours each for
appeals and catch monitoring plans; 1
hour each for a catch monitor
qualification inseason testing of
shorebased scales; 2 hours for an
inspection; 10 minutes each for first
receiver reports and electronic fish
tickets ; 1 minute for Pacific whiting
disposition recordkeeping; 30 minutes
for daily at-sea scale testing reports, 10
minutes for daily at-sea scale catch and
cumulative weight reports, 1 minute
each for at-sea scale audit trail, at-sea
scale calibration log, and at-sea scale
fault log, and 0 minutes for at-sea scale
video monitoring.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 1,826.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $14,628 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

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agency’s estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval of this information collection;
they also will become a matter of public
record.
Dated: November 6, 2017.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017–24382 Filed 11–8–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act.
Agency: National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Title: West Coast Region Highly
Migratory Species Vessel Identification
Requirements.
OMB Control Number: 0648–0361.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular (extension of
a currently approved information
collection).
Number of Respondents: 1,700.
Average Hours per Response: All but
purse seine vessels, 45 minutes; purse
seine vessels, 1 hour, 15 minutes.
Burden Hours: 644.
Needs and Uses: This request is for
extension of a current information
collection. Regulations at 50 CFR
660.704 require that all commercial
fishing vessels with permits issued
under authority of the National Marine
Fishery Service’s (NMFS) Fishery
Management Plan for United States
(U.S.) West Coast Highly Migratory
Species Fisheries display the vessel’s
official number (U.S. Coast Guard
documentation number or state
registration number). The numbers must
be of a specific size and format and
located at specified locations. The
official number must be affixed to each

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52041

vessel subject to this section in block
Arabic numerals at least 10 inches
(25.40 centimeters) in height for vessels
more than 25 feet (7.62 meters) but
equal to or less than 65 feet (19.81
meters) in length; and 18 inches (45.72
centimeters) in height for vessels longer
than 65 feet (19.81 meters) in length.
Markings must be legible and of a color
that contrasts with the background. The
display of the identifying number aids
in fishery law enforcement. This
requirement does not apply to
recreational charter vessels.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations; individuals or
households.
Frequency: Biennially.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain benefits.
This information collection request
may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow
the instructions to view Department of
Commerce collections currently under
review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
Dated: November 6, 2017.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017–24425 Filed 11–8–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Availability of Norfolk Harbor
Navigation Improvements Draft
General Reevaluation Report/
Environmental Assessment
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:

The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) in association with
the nonfederal sponsor, the Virginia
Port Authority, an agent of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, announces
the availability of the Norfolk Harbor
Navigation Improvements Draft General
Reevaluation Report/Environmental
Assessment (GRR/EA) for public review
and comment. The purpose of this Draft
GRR/EA is to identify whether the
original authorized plan is still in the
federal interest and to evaluate
alternatives that have the potential to
improve the current and future
operational efficiency of commercial
vessels currently using the Norfolk

SUMMARY:

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