NOAA Fisheries Service Seeks PublicComment on Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Grouper Management Measures in the Gulf of Mexico

NOAA Fisheries Service is seeking public comment on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Amendment 32 to the Fishery Management Plan for Reef Fish Resources in the Gulf of Mexico. The Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of the DEIS on June 10, 2011 (76 FR 34072).

A DEIS is draft analysis of potential significant impacts that proposed actions can have on the natural and social environment. The analysis is done by comparing a series of alternatives for each action to evaluate the effects on the environment.

Actions contained within the DEIS include: 1) Rebuilding plans for the gag stock; 2) establishing or modifying recreational bag limits, size limits, and closed seasons for gag and red grouper; 3) applying commercial gag quota adjustments to account for dead discards; 4) adjusting multi-use individual fishing quota shares (allocation); 5) changing the commercial gag size limit; 6) establishing time and area closures; and 7) modifying current gag, red grouper, and shallow-water grouper accountability measures.

Request for Comments
Written comments on this DEIS must be received no later than July 25, 2011, in order to be considered by NOAA Fisheries Service. See the Addresses section for information on where and how to submit comments.

Addresses
Electronic copies of the DEIS may be obtained from the NOAA Fisheries Service Web site http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/GrouperSnapperandReefFish.htm in the items of interest section and the e-Rule Making Portal http://www.regulation.gov.

To request a CD of the DEIS:
Sustainable Fisheries Division
Southeast Regional Office
NOAA Fisheries Service
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

• Electronic Submissions: Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. After selecting “submit a comment,” enter the following docket number into the “Search” box: NOAA-NMFS-2011-0135. All comments received are part of the public record and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NOAA Fisheries Service will accept anonymous comments. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
• Mail: Peter Hood, NOAA Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505
  

Comments received through means not specified in this bulletin may not be considered.

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