[Federal Register: September 15, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 179)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 53161-53162]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15se08-24]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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[[Page 53161]]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
15 CFR Part 922
Initiation of Review of Management Plan/Regulations of the
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary; Intent To Prepare Draft
Environmental Impact Statement and Management Plan; Scoping Meetings
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Initiation of Review of Management Plan/Regulations; Intent to
Prepare Environmental Impact Statement; Scoping Meetings.
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SUMMARY: Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS or sanctuary)
was designated in May 1994. It spans 3,310 square miles of marine
waters off the rugged Olympic Peninsula coast, covering much of the
continental shelf and the heads of several major submarine canyons. The
present management plan was written as part of the sanctuary
designation process and published in the Final Environmental Impact
Statement in 1993. In accordance with Section 304(e) of the National
Marine Sanctuaries Act, as amended, (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.),
the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is initiating a review of
the OCNMS management plan, to evaluate substantive progress toward
implementing the goals for the Sanctuary, and to make revisions to the
plan and regulations as necessary to fulfill the purposes and policies
of the NMSA. NOAA will conduct public scoping meetings to gather
information and other comments from individuals, organizations, tribes,
and government agencies on the scope, types and significance of issues
related to the Sanctuary's management plan and regulations. The scoping
meetings are scheduled as detailed below.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before November 14,
2008.
Scoping meetings will be held on:
(1) September 29, 6-9 p.m., Peninsula College Longhouse, South Campus,
Port Angeles, WA.
(2) September 30, 6-9 p.m., Makah Marina Conference Center, Bay-view
Ave, Neah Bay, WA.
(3) October 1, 6-9 p.m., A-Ka-Lat Center, La Push Road, La Push, WA.
(4) October 2, 6-9 p.m., Ocean Shores Convention Center, 120 W Chance a
La Mer, NW., Ocean Shores, WA.
(5) October 3, 6-9 p.m., Westport Maritime Museum, 2201 Westhaven
Drive, Westport, WA.
(6) October 4, 2-5 p.m., Governor Hotel, Washington Room, 621 S.
Capitol Way, Olympia, WA.
(7) October 5, 7-10 p.m., Seattle Aquarium, Pier 59, 1483 Alaskan Way,
Seattle, WA.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to the Olympic Coast National
Marine Sanctuary (Management Plan Review), 115 Railroad Ave. East,
Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or faxed to (360) 457-8496.
Electronic comments may be sent to ocnmsmanagementplan@noaa.gov.
Comments will be available for public review at the street address
mentioned above. All comments received are a part of the public record.
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 will accept anonymous comments. Attachments
to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel,
Wordperfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Galasso, 360.457.6622 Ext. 12,
ocnmsmanagementplan@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed revised management plan will
likely involve changes to existing policies of the Sanctuary in order
to address contemporary issues and challenges, and to better protect
and manage the Sanctuary's resources and qualities. The review process
is composed of four major stages: (1) Information collection and
characterization; (2) preparation and release of a draft management
plan/environmental impact statement, and any proposed amendments to the
regulations; (3) public review and comment; (4) preparation and release
of a final management plan/environmental impact statement, and any
final amendments to the regulations. In the event that the potential
impacts of new actions described in the management plan do not warrant
the need for an Environmental Impact Statement, NOAA will publish the
appropriate environmental analysis and notify the public. NOAA
anticipates completion of the revised management plan and concomitant
documents will require approximately thirty-six months.
Preliminary Priority Topics
NOAA, in consultation with the Intergovernmental Policy Council
(State of Washington and the Coastal Treaty Tribes who have
jurisdiction of resources within the sanctuary), has prepared a list of
preliminary priority topics. This list represents our best professional
judgment of the most important issues NOAA should consider in
preparation of a new OCNMS management plan. We are interested in the
public's comments on these topics, as well as any other topics of
interest to the public or other agencies. It is important to note that
this list does not preclude or in any way limit the consideration of
additional topics raised through public comment, government-to-
government consultations, and discussions with partner agencies.
Improved Partnerships--Recent initiatives for regional ocean
management, including the formation of the Olympic Coast
Intergovernmental Policy Council (IPC), the Washington Ocean Action
Plan and the West Coast Governors Agreement on Ocean Health, provide
the sanctuary with new opportunities to strengthen partnerships,
particularly with the four coastal treaty tribes and the state of
Washington in their role as governments. The sanctuary will work in
active partnership to provide a more transparent, cooperative and
coordinated management structure of Olympic Coast marine resources
within tribal, state and federal jurisdictions.
[[Page 53162]]
Characterization and Monitoring--There is a need to develop an
understanding of baseline conditions of marine resources within the
sanctuary, ecosystem functions, and status and trends of biological and
socioeconomic resources to effectively inform management. OCNMS, in
conjunction with IPC and other entities, will work to resolve these
needs.
Spill Prevention, Contingency Planning and Response--The risk from
vessel traffic and other hazards remains a significant threat to marine
resources. The potential for a catastrophic oil spill remains a primary
concern and while advances in maritime safety have been made since the
sanctuary was designated, better coordination is needed for response to
these threats. Oil spills cause immediate and potentially long-term
harm to marine resources as well as socioeconomic impacts to coastal
communities.
Climate Change--Climate change is widely acknowledged, yet there is
considerable uncertainty about current and future consequences at
local, ecosystem and oceanic scales. Increased coordination and
cooperation among resource management agencies is required to improve
planning, monitoring and adaptive management to address this
phenomenon.
Ocean Literacy--Enhancing the public's awareness and appreciation
of marine, socio-economic, and cultural resources is a cornerstone of
the sanctuary's mission. Recent regional initiatives offer
opportunities for the sanctuary, in conjunction with IPC and other
entities, to expand educational contributions and reach a larger
audience.
Marine Debris--Coastal marine debris is a persistent and poorly
diagnosed problem within the sanctuary that negatively impacts natural
and socioeconomic resources and qualities.
Condition Report
In preparation for management plan review, NOAA has produced an
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary 2008 Condition Report. The
Condition Report provides a summary of resources in OCNMS, pressures on
those resources, the current condition and trends, and management
responses to the pressures that threaten the integrity of the marine
environment. Specifically, the Condition Report includes information on
the status and trends of water quality, habitat, living resources and
maritime archaeological resources and the human activities that affect
them. The report serves as a supporting document for the Management
Plan Review Process, to inform constituents who desire to participate
in that process.
Additionally, the Olympic Coast Intergovernmental Policy Council
(IPC) has requested that an IPC authored addendum be distributed with
the Condition Report. The IPC is composed of the state of Washington,
the Hoh, Makah, Quileute Indian Tribes and Quinault Indian Nation, and
was formed to provide a forum for resource managers to exchange
information, coordinate policies, and develop recommendations for
resource management within the sanctuary.
The Hoh, Makah, Quileute Indian Tribes and Quinault Indian Nation
signed treaties with the U.S. government and exist as domestic
sovereigns. Since the affirmation of treaty fishing rights in U.S. v.
Washington, tribal, state and federal governments developed a unique
management approach for fisheries in western Washington. This addendum
explains this co-management approach, its underlying legal framework,
and Washington Coastal Treaty Tribes' historic and present use of
marine resources.
The condition report and the IPC addendum will be made available to
the general public in advance of scoping meetings and on the Internet
at: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/welcome.html.
Scoping Comments
Scoping meetings provide an opportunity to make direct comments to
NOAA on the management of the sanctuary's natural and cultural
resources, including administrative programs. We encourage the public
to participate and welcome any comments related to the sanctuary. In
particular, we are interested in hearing about the public's view on:
The sanctuary's potential management priorities for the
next five to ten years.
Effectiveness of the existing management plan in
protecting sanctuary resources.
Sanctuary programs, activities and needs, including but
not limited to resource protection programs, research and monitoring
programs, education, volunteer, and outreach programs.
Implementation of regulations and permits.
Adequacy of existing boundaries to protect sanctuary
resources.
Assessment of the existing operational and administrative
framework (staffing, offices, vessels, etc.).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.
(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary
Program).
Dated: September 4, 2008.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. E8-21489 Filed 9-12-08; 8:45 am]
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