As you may be aware, the Council is conducting seven public hearings during March 2012 to solicit comments on the management measures under consideration in Amendment 5 to the Herring Fishery Management Plan. The Council will be accepting public comments on the Draft Amendment 5 document through April 9, 2012.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Amendment 5 is still under review by NMFS. Once this document is approved by NMFS and published for review, NMFS will commence an additional 45-day comment period on the Draft Amendment and DEIS. Any significant differences between the Council’s draft document and the Draft EIS will be identified for the public.
When selecting final management measures for inclusion in Amendment 5, the Council will review and consider all public comments – those received during the Council’s public hearings as well as any additional comments received during the 45-day comment period on the DEIS. Final decisions regarding Amendment 5 cannot be made by the Council until the 45-day comment period on the DEIS has ended and all comments can be summarized/reviewed by the Council.
This approach allows additional time for the public to review and comment on the measures under consideration and the draft Amendment 5 document. While it remains unclear at this time when the 45-day comment period on the Amendment 5 DEIS will begin, it is assumed that the Council will not be able to select final management measures at its April 24-26, 2012 meeting. However, there will likely be time scheduled at the April Council meeting to review/discuss comments received during the Council’s public hearings. There may also be a public hearing on the DEIS in conjunction with the April Council meeting, if this meeting falls within the 45-day comment period.
Adequate time must be provided for the public to review the document and provide comments, and for the Council to review the comments and consider final action. We are hopeful that the Council will be able to select final management measures at its June 19-21, 2012 meeting in Portland, ME.