Activity: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes Amendment 16 and Framework Adjustment 44 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP).The FMP currently manages a suite of 12 species comprising 19 stocks of fish in federal waters of the coast of Maine to North Carolina.From 1994 to present, the principal tools utilized to manage the fishery have been a combination of days-at-sea (DAS) restrictions, which limit the number of days a vessel may fish, fish possession and minimum size limits, closed areas (year-round and seasonal), and gear restrictions (principally minimum mesh sizes).Pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the FMP has succeeded in reducing fishing mortality to relatively low levels.Participation in the fishery has also declined over time, as fishing effort has been constrained by regulations.The FMP requires a formal biennial evaluation of the status of the fishery, and adjustment to management measures, if necessary.Generally, major modifications or new management measures to the FMP are accomplished through “amendments,” while adjustments to existing management measures are carried out through “framework adjustments.” The last amendment to the FMP was implemented in 2004 (Amendment 13).

In order to continue rebuilding pertinent fish stocks, and implement significant changes to the FMP, NMFS proposes to implement Amendment 16 to the FMP, and Framework Adjustment 44 to implement adjustment and catch specifications.Amendment 16, scheduled for implementation in May 2010, represents a mid-point adjustment of the rebuilding programs implemented by Amendment 13.The results of stock assessments of groundfish stocks in August 2008 concluded that 11 stocks were still subject to overfishing, and that 11 stocks were overfished, with 9 stocks classified as both overfished and subject to overfishing.Based upon this scientific information, the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) developed rebuilding programs for stocks newly classified as being overfished and adjustments to the existing DAS management strategy necessary to end overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks under Amendment 16.In addition, the Council continued to develop sectors by authorizing 17 new sectors and revising 2 existing sectors under Amendment 16.Finally, to comply with recent amendments to the MSA, Amendment 16 includes processes for specifying and implementing allowable biological catch, annual catch limits, and accountability measures for each stock managed by the FMP.Framework Adjustment 44 would implement annual catch limits in fishing year (FY) 2010 for all northeast multispecies stocks.Specifically, this action would implement catch specifications for all stocks for FYs 2010, 2011, and 2012, and implement modified trip limits and/or differential DAS rules, as well as provide authority for the NMFS Regional Administrator to adjust such measures in-season.This action is needed to work closely with, and augment, Amendment 16.

Comments Deadline: December 4, 2009

Activity: NMFS proposes Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota and effort control specifications. NMFS proposal would adjust the Atlantic BFT fishery regulations to increase the General category maximum daily retention limit, allow the General category season to remain open until the January subquota is reached, and increase the Harpoon category daily incidental retention limit. The intent of the proposal is to enable more thorough utilization of the available U.S. BFT quota, particularly within the General and Harpoon category subquotas, which have been underharvested for several years, while ending BFT overfishing by 2010, rebuilding the BFT stock by 2019, and minimizing bycatch and bycatch mortality to the extent practicable. The proposed effort controls would affect only when and where BFT mortality occurs, not the magnitude. The magnitude of mortality has been defined by finite quotas and fish size limits established under a 20-year rebuilding plan for BFT, and other recommendations by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.

Comments Deadline: December 4, 2009

Activity: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to modify the 2008 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activities, hereinafter referred to as “2008 Construction General Permit” or “2008 CGP” to extend the 2-year term of the 2008 CGP by one year so that it expires on June 30, 2011, instead of June 30, 2010.

The 2008 CGP applies to construction projects that disturb one or more acres of land and have a discharge of stormwater to a water of the United States. The 2008 CGP replaced the permit issued in 2003 (“2003 CGP”), which expired on July 1, 2008. The 2008 CGP includes conditions and limits that are identical to the 2003 CGP, with the exception that the 2008 CGP only applies to new and unpermitted ongoing construction projects. Discharges from ongoing projects (or “existing dischargers”) continue to be covered under the 2003 CGP.

On May 28, 2008 the NHCP received EPA’s Coastal Zone Management Act federal consistency determination for the proposed reissuance of the 2008 CGP. On June 17, 2008 the Department of Environmental Services Wastewater Engineering Bureau granted State Certification of the 2008 CGP, pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. On August 4, 2008 the New Hampshire Coastal Program determined that the 2008 CGP was consistent, to the maximum extent practicable, with the NHCP’s enforceable policies.

Comments Deadline: December 4, 2009