[Federal Register: December 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 246)]
[Notices]
[Page 76252-76253]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23de05-33]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Evaluation of State Coastal Management Programs and National
Estuarine Research Reserves
AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office
of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service,
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Evaluate and Notice of Availability of
Final Findings.
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SUMMARY: The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
(OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performances of the
Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto (ACE) Basin (South Carolina) National Estuarine
Research Reserve, the Jobos Bay (Puerto Rico) National Estuarine
Research Reserve, the North Carolina Coastal Management Program, and
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Coastal
Management Program.
The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluations will be conducted
pursuant to section 312 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as
amended (CZMA) and regulations at 15 CFR Part 923, Subpart L. The
National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluations will be conducted
pursuant to sections 312 and 315 of the CZMA and regulations at 15 CFR
Part 921, Subpart E and Part 923, Subpart L. The CZMA requires
continuing review of the performance of states with respect to coastal
program implementation. Evaluation of Coastal Management Programs and
National Estuarine Research Reserves requires findings concerning the
extent to which a state has met the national objectives, adhered to its
Coastal Management Program document or Reserve final management plan
approved by the Secretary of Commerce, and adhered to the terms of
financial assistance awards funded under the CZMA.
Each evaluation will include a site visit, consideration of public
comments, and consultations with interested Federal, state, and local
agencies and members of the public. A public meeting will be held as
part of the site visit. Notice is hereby given of the dates of the site
visits for the listed evaluations, and the dates, local times, and
locations of the public meeting during the site visits.
The ACE Basin (South Carolina) National Estuarine Research Reserve
evaluation site visit will be held January 30-February 3, 2006. One
public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be
held on Tuesday, January 31, 2006, at 6:30 p.m. at the Edisto
Interpretive Center, Edisto Beach State Park, 8377 State Cabin Road,
Edisto Island, South Carolina.
The Jobos Bay (Puerto Rico) National Estuarine Research Reserve
(NERR) evaluation site visit will be held January 30-February 3, 2006.
One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting
will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2006, at 5 p.m. at the Jobos Bay
NERR Visitors' Center, Road 705, Kilometer 2.3, Main Street, Aguirre,
Puerto Rico.
The North Carolina Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit
will be held February 6-10, 2006. Three public meetings will be held
during the week. The first public meeting will be held on Monday,
February 6, 2006, at 6 p.m. at the North Carolina Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, Wilmington Regional Office, Room
200, 127 Cardinal Drive Extension, Wilmington, North Carolina. The
second public meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2006, at 6
p.m. at the Carteret County Courthouse, Commissioners Boardroom, One
Courthouse Square, Beaufort, North Carolina. The third public meeting
will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2006, at 6 p.m. at the Dare
County Commissioners Office, 204 Ananias Dare Street, Manteo, North
Carolina.
The CNMI Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be
held February 13-17, 2006. One public meeting will be held during the
week. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 14, 2006, at
5 p.m. at the Coastal Resource Management Office, First Floor
Conference Room, Morgen Building, San Jose, Saipan.
Copies of states' most recent performance reports, as well as
OCRM's evaluation notification and supplemental information request
letters to the states, are available upon request from OCRM. Written
comments from interested parties regarding these Programs are
encouraged and will be accepted until 15 days after the public meeting
held for a Program. Please
[[Page 76253]]
direct written comments to Ralph Cantral, Chief, National Policy and
Evaluation Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management,
NOS/NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, 10th Floor, N/ORM7, Silver Spring,
Maryland 20910. When the evaluations are completed, OCRM will place a
notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Final
Evaluation Findings.
Notice is hereby given of the availability of the final evaluation
findings for the Hawaii and Louisiana Coastal Management Programs
(CMPs); and the Great Bay (New Hampshire) and Hudson River (New York)
National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs). Sections 312 and 315 of
the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA), as amended, require a
continuing review of the performance of coastal states with respect to
approval of CMPs and the operation and management of NERRs.
The states of Hawaii and Louisiana were found to be implementing
and enforcing their federally approved coastal management programs,
addressing the national coastal management objectives identified in
CZMA Section 303(2)(A)-(K), and adhering to the programmatic terms of
their financial assistance awards. The Great Bay (New Hampshire) and
Hudson River (New York) NERRs were found to be adhering to programmatic
requirements of the NERR System.
Copies of these final evaluation findings may be obtained upon
written request from: Ralph Cantral, Chief, National Policy and
Evaluation Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management,
NOS/NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, 10th Floor, N/ORM7, Silver Spring,
Maryland 20910, or Ralph.Cantral@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph Cantral, Chief, National Policy
and Evaluation Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource
Management, NOS/NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, 10th Floor, N/ORM7,
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, (301) 563-7118.
Dated: December 16, 2005.
Mitchell Luxenberg,
Acting Chief Financial Officer.
Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419 Coastal Zone Management
Program Administration
[FR Doc. 05-24391 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am]
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