Proposed Rules. Notice of public meetings

Agency: Coast Guard, DHS
Action: Notice of public meetings
Citation: FR Doc. 06-8280 · USCG-2006-25767; formerly CGD09-06-123 · 33 CFR 165

Summary

This document provides the times and locations of the public meetings which will be held by the Coast Guard to discuss issues relating to the proposed permanent safety zones located in the Great Lakes to conduct live gunnery training exercises. The meetings will be open to the public.

Dates

The Coast Guard will hold four public meetings as follows: Monday, October 16, 2006 in Duluth MN; Wednesday October 18, 2006 in Grand Haven/Spring Lake, MI; Thursday, October 19, 2006 in Port Huron/Marysville, MI; Monday, October 23, 2006 in Cleveland, OH. The public meetings at each location will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (local), with an open house prior to the start of the public meeting beginning at 4 p.m. (local). Comments and material related to the public meetings must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before October 6, 2006. If you are unable to attend, you may submit comments to the Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES by November 13, 2006.

Supplementary Information

The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to submit written data, views, or comments. Persons submitting comments should please include their name and address and identify the docket number (USCG-2006-25767). You may submit your comments and material by mail, hand delivery, fax or electronic means to the Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES . Regulatory History On August 1, 2006, the Coast Guard published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) (71 FR 43402) to establish permanent safety zones throughout the Great Lakes, which would restrict vessels from portions of the Great Lakes during live fire gun exercises that will be conducted by Coast Guard cutters and small boats. The initial comment period for this NPRM ended on August 31, 2006. In response to public requests, the Coast Guard re-opened the comment period on this NPRM. (71 FR 53629, September 12, 2006) Re-opening the comment period from September 12, 2006 to November 13, 2006, provides the public more time to submit comments and recommendations. On September 19, 2006, the Coast Guard published a brief document announcing the dates of public meetings and indicating that more detailed information related to the meetings would be published at a later date (71 FR 54792). This document provides detailed information regarding the actual location of the public meetings and topics to be discussed. Background and Purpose The thirty-four permanent safety zones proposed in the NPRM will be located throughout the Great Lakes in order to accommodate the training needs of 57 separate Coast Guard units. The proposed safety zones are all located more than three nautical miles from the shoreline. Establishing permanent training areas serves to notify the public and solicit its input on selection of the training locations. The proposed safety zones will be enforced only when training is conducted, and then only after notice by the Captain of the Port for the area in which the exercise will be held. The Captain of the Port will use all appropriate means to effect the widest publicity among the affected segments of the public, including publication in the Federal Register if practicable, in accordance with 33 CFR 65.7(a). Such means of notification may also include, but are not limited to, Broadcast Notice to Mariners or Local Notice to Mariners. The appropriate Captain of the Port will also issue a Broadcast Notice to Mariners and Local Notice to Mariners notifying the public when enforcement of a live fire exercise safety zone is suspended. Interested individuals are encouraged to attend the open house forums and public meetings, provide comments and ask questions about the weapons training areas. Meeting Times and Topics The meetings are expected to run from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (local). We may end the meetings early if there are no additional comments or questions. Topics to be covered during the public meetings include the following: (1) Introduction of the proposed zones and the need to train on the Great Lakes; (2) How the Coast Guard determined the locations of the zones; (3) Scheduling and frequency of training in the zones; (4) Notification procedures; (5) Safety procedures; (6) Weapons and munitions; and (7) Environmental risk assessment overview. Before the start of the formal public meetings, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (local), the Coast Guard is hosting an open house so that the public can speak with Coast Guard personnel and obtain more information on the proposed zones. Procedure Each open house and meeting is open to the public. Ideally, comments will provide specific information and facts related to the impact of the zone(s) on the commenter. Detailed and focused comments will enable the Coast Guard to address identified areas of concern in the rulemaking process. Please note that the meeting may close early if all business is finished. If you are unable to attend, you may submit comments to the Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES by November 13, 2006. Information on Services for Individuals With Disabilities If you plan to attend any of the public meetings and require special assistance, such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, please contact us as indicated in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT . Requests for special assistance should reach the Coast Guard within 7 business days of the meeting you plan to attend. Dated: September 21, 2006. John E. Crowley, Jr., Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District. [FR Doc. E6-15890 Filed 9-26-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-15-P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service 36 CFR Part 242 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 100 RIN 1018-AU92 Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska; Kenai Peninsula Subsistence Resource Region AGENCIES: Forest Service, Agriculture; Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period. SUMMARY: We, the Federal Subsistence Board, are extending the comment period through November 9, 2006, on the proposed rule that would amend the regulations governing subsistence use of fish and wildlife in Alaska by creating an additional subsistence resource region for the Kenai Peninsula. DATES: The comments period on the proposed rule is extended through November 9, 2006. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments electronically to Subsistence@fws.gov or via the Federal E-Rulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for file format and other information about electronic filing. You may also submit written comments to the Office of Subsistence Management, 3601 C Street, Suite 1030, Anchorage, AK 99503. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general subsistence management program questions, contact Pete Probasco at (907) 786-3888. For Forest Service questions, contact Steve Kessler, Regional Subsistence Program Leader, USDA-FS Alaska Region, at (907) 786-3592. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background In Title VIII of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) (16 U.S.C. 3111-3126), Congress found that “the situation in Alaska is unique in that, in most cases, no practical alternative means are available to replace the food supplies and other items gathered from fish and wildlife which supply rural residents dependent on subsistence uses * * * ” and that “continuation of the opportunity for subsistence uses of resources on public and other lands in Alaska is threatened * * * ” As a result, Title VIII requires, among other things, that the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretaries) implement a joint program to grant a preference for subsistence uses of fish and wildlife resources on public lands in Alaska, unless the State of Alaska enacts and implements laws of general applicability that are consistent with ANILCA and that provide for the subsistence definition, preference, and participation specified in Sections 803, 804, and 805 of ANILCA. The State implemented a program that the Department of the Interior previously found to be consistent with ANILCA. However, in December 1989, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in McDowell v. State of Alaska that the rural preference in the State subsistence statute violated the Alaska Constitution. The Court's ruling in McDowell required the State to delete the rural preference from its subsistence statute and, therefore, negated State compliance with ANILCA. The Court stayed the effect of the decision until July 1, 1990. As a result of the McDowell decision, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (Departments) assumed, on July 1, 1990, responsibility for implementation of Title VIII of ANILCA on public lands. On June 29, 1990, the Temporary Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska were published in the Federal Register (55 FR 27114). Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils Pursuant to the Subsistence Management Regulations for Federal Public Lands in Alaska, April 6, 1992, and the Subsistence Management Regulations for Federal Public Lands in Alaska, 36 CFR 242.11 (2002) and 50 CFR 100.11 (2002), and for the purposes identified therein, we divided Alaska into 10 subsistence resource regions, each of which is represented by a Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council (Regional Council). The Regional Councils provide a forum for residents of the regions, who have personal knowledge of local conditions and resource requirements, to have a meaningful role in the subsistence management of fish and wildlife on Alaska public lands. The Regional Council members represent varied geographical, cultural, and user diversity within each region. Comments and Extension of Comment Period on the Proposed Rule The Kenai Peninsula has unique fish and wildlife management challenges due to intense use of the Peninsula's fish and wildlife by local and nonlocal residents and by nonresidents, and due to the recent Board actions to begin to provide a meaningful subsistence priority for fisheries in Federally managed fresh waters on the Kenai Peninsula. Kenai Peninsula lands primarily under Federal management include the Chugach National Forest and the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. On August 14, 2006, the Board published a proposed rule (71 FR 46427) related to the establishment of a new Kenai Peninsula Subsistence Resource Region. During a Southcentral Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council meeting held in Anchorage, Alaska on August 24, 2006, we heard significant testimony regarding the creation of a new Kenai Peninsula Subsistence Resource Region. Additionally, the Southcentral Regional Council unanimously recommended against the formation of such a region without providing more opportunity for public input. Letters from the public also strongly recommended providing more opportunity for public input. Therefore, the comment period on that proposed rule is extended through November 9, 2006. Prior to that date, the Board will hold public meetings on the Kenai Peninsula to receive testimony and discuss the proposed Kenai Peninsula Subsistence Resource Region. The specific time and place will be noticed in local and regional newspapers and by press release. You may submit electronic comments (preferred method) as a PDF or MS Word file, avoiding the use of any special characters and any form of encryption. Dated: September 19, 2006. Peter J. Probasco, Acting Chair, Federal Subsistence Board. Dated: September 19, 2006. Steve Kessler, Subsistence Program Leader, USDA-Forest Service. [FR Doc. 06-8280 Filed 9-26-06; 8:45 am]