Search Results for keywords:"Great Lakes Fishery

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has received a number of filings related to rate changes and reports for natural gas pipelines. Alliance Pipeline L.P. has submitted a notice about new negotiated rate agreements, and Great Lakes Gas Transmission Limited Partnership has filed a compliance report for its transporter usage. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C. also submitted a filing proposing tariff changes. Anyone wishing to participate in these proceedings needs to follow specific FERC procedures and do so by the specified comment dates. Additional assistance and information about the process can be obtained from FERC's Office of Public Participation.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a Draft Condensed Environmental Assessment (Draft CEA) for proposed changes at Chicago Midway International Airport, including decommissioning and redeveloping Runway 13L-31R. They are seeking public feedback and may hold a public meeting if requested. The Draft CEA will be open for review and comments from December 6, 2024, to January 7, 2025. Interested parties can view the document online and submit comments by email or letter.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has released the final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2021 as part of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requirements. This list classifies commercial fisheries based on their interactions with marine mammals, categorizing them into three groups based on the potential for causing injury or death to these animals. The classifications help determine fishery participants' obligations, such as registering for observer coverage. Additionally, the NMFS reviewed comments from the public and organizations, resulting in some fisheries being reclassified and updates to the list of species that are incidentally harmed by these fisheries.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing to issue a permit that would allow for the unintentional capturing or harming of certain endangered marine mammals during commercial fishing activities, specifically in the California thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet fishery. This permit is valid for three years and would authorize incidental takes of humpback and sperm whales, ensuring they meet criteria related to negligible impact and recovery plans. NMFS is seeking public comments on the proposed permit, and detailed information is available for review online.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a permit to allow certain commercial fisheries to incidentally capture endangered marine mammals, specifically targeting humpback whale stocks, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This permit, effective for three years, applies to the sablefish pot fishery in Washington, Oregon, and California. The permit includes the requirement that these fisheries have a monitoring program and adhere to a take reduction plan, all of which are in place or being developed to ensure that incidental harm to the whales has minimal impact on their populations. Concerns from environmental groups about the effect of the permit and the lack of certain safeguards have been considered, but the NMFS has determined that the fisheries' operations, as regulated, meet the necessary conditions to minimize harm.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing changes to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for the waters off Washington, Oregon, and California. These changes include adjustments to recreational fishery seasons and allocations for 2025. New measures are also proposed to transfer unused fishing quotas from Northern California to areas south of Point Arena to help maintain opportunities for anglers. The public is invited to provide comments on these proposed rules by January 27, 2025.

The document is a notice from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) about off-the-record communications. These include communications that are either prohibited or exempt, as they pertain to certain legal proceedings. Prohibited communications will not be considered unless fairness requires them to be part of the decision-making record, while exempt communications are generally included. The notice lists recent off-the-record communications, which can be reviewed electronically through FERC's website.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, part of the Department of Defense, has issued a final rule to remove the "Design Criteria for Dam and Lake Projects" from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This rule is considered outdated and only pertains to internal agency operations without any public compliance requirements or impact. This change helps avoid confusion and aligns with updated guidance found in the Engineer Manual 1110-2-1602. The rule removal is not significant under regulatory criteria and supports a Department of Defense reform initiative.

The Naval Surface Technology & Innovation Consortium (NSTIC) has updated its membership as required by the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993. New members such as Acutronic USA, Aery Aviation, and others have joined, while Alion Science and Technology Corporation has withdrawn. The group’s purpose remains focused on collaborative research, and membership continues to be open for any future changes. Notifications about these membership changes were filed with the Department of Justice and published in the Federal Register.

The final rule by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) introduces adjustments to the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery management measures for 2025-2026. These changes include reducing the sub-bag limit for canary rockfish in Oregon's recreational long-leader fishery from five to one fish and adjusting the incidental halibut limit in the sablefish fishery. The aim is to manage fish stocks sustainably by allowing more vessels to participate without exceeding the catch limits. These modifications are based on recent scientific data and recommendations from relevant advisory bodies and were made effective immediately to ensure timely implementation.