[Federal Register: September 5, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 171)]
[Notices]
[Page 52322-52323]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05se06-22]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Announcement of South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
Revised Management Plan
AGENCY: Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of approval and availability of the final revised
management plan for the South Slough National Estuarine Research
Reserve.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Estuarine Reserves Division,
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S.
Department of Commerce has approved the revised management plan for the
South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (Reserve).
The Reserve was designated in 1974 pursuant to Section 315 of the
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1461 and has
been operating under the management plan revised in 1994. Pursuant to
15 CFR Section 921.33(c), a state must revise their management plan
every five years. The submission of this plan fulfills this requirement
for the period from 2006-2011 and sets a course for successful
implementation of the goals and objectives of the reserve.
The mission of the South Slough reserve management plan is to
improve the understanding and stewardship of Pacific Northwest
estuaries and coastal watersheds through site-based estuarine research,
stewardship and education. The management plan identifies nine priority
management issues that are addressed through reserve programs. These
priority issues are (1) invasive species, (2) water pollution, (3)
threatened and endangered species, (4) commercial oyster cultivation,
(5) vegetation and sediment management, (6) forest management and fire,
(7) harvests of secondary forest products, (8) disaster prevention and
response, and (9) archeological artifacts and historic structures.
South Slough reserve's management plan addresses these issues with
specific programs for resource management and protection, research and
monitoring, education and training, public access and visitor use,
program administration, and partnerships and regional coordination.
[[Page 52323]]
The plan identifies management goals, priority resource management
issues or threats that these goals must address, and specific
strategies to accomplish these goals. The resource management and
protection program addresses issues such as developing a systematic
process to assess ecological health of the reserve, implementing
resource management strategies, developing land use policies on the
reserve, implementing the reserve Cooperative Plan for Watershed
Conservation, assisting with the revision of the trail master plan,
enhancing the application of GIS to stewardship priorities, improving
restoration monitoring capacity, and enhancing community involvement in
coastal stewardship.
The research and monitoring program supports research focused on
estuarine ecology and assessments of functional biotic diversity,
investigation of links between land-margin ecosystem elements, and
evaluation of the effects of human disturbance within estuaries. Staff,
graduate students, and visiting researchers conduct monitoring and
research within the watersheds and boundaries of the reserve and use
GIS to map critical habitats and hydrology and hydrodynamic processes.
The education and training program at the reserve targets audiences
of all ages and backgrounds for traditional, experiential, training and
outreach opportunities. The education program is also upgrading and
expanding the Reserve's exhibitry to better interpret scientific data
collected by the research program, enhancing methods to engage middle
and high school audiences, evaluate program offerings, implement a
school-to-work educational experience, update information for visitors,
and enhance program participation.
The coastal Training Program will focus on identifying the needs of
coastal decision makers (CDM's), conducting training workshops for
CDM's, testing and adapting an Inquiry-Based Information Services model
to identify information gaps and develop demonstration projects,
conducting evaluations to measure the effectiveness of training and
outreach programs, and developing an internet-based training and
information program for CDM's.
The public access and facilities priorities at the reserve includes
assessing opportunities to enhance access to the southern end of the
reserve, establishing a visitor center/office in Charleston, revising
the facilities master plan, establishing a facilities maintenance and
replacement schedule, and reducing operations costs through innovative
energy oriented technologies. Visitor use policies are designed to
provide for compatible use and protection of valuable natural
resources.
The administration program ensures the staffing and budget is
adequate to carry out the goals and objectives of the plan. Situated
within its parent agency, Oregon Department of State Lands, the
administrative staff develops stable funding and grant match
opportunities and manages grants and cooperative agreements effectively
and efficiently. Priorities include developing a volunteer program, a
communication plan, a plan to enhance information and communication
technology, evaluating the need to revise the reserve's Administrative
Rules, and developing facility use policies.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nina Garfield at (301) 563-1171 or
Kate Barba, Acting Chief, Estuarine Reserves Division at (301) 563-1182
of NOAA's National Ocean Service, Estuarine Reserves Division, 1305
East-West Highway, N/ORM5, 10th floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Dated: August 29, 2005.
David M. Kennedy,
Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-14603 Filed 9-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P