National Environmental Policy Act; Environmental Impact Statement on U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Operations, 14233-14236 [E6-4021]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 54 / Tuesday, March 21, 2006 / Notices (capable of interacting with its cognate receptor) and a toxin domain. This molecule has the capacity to interact with and kill IL–13 receptor expressing cells. The invention relates to a method of treating asthma or pulmonary fibrosis by administering a chimeric molecule comprising a toxin linked to an IL–13 targeting moiety (e.g., IL13–PE38). By administering the toxin in this form, cells involved in airway inflammation can be selectively targeted and killed, thereby alleviating the symptom of constricted breathing. The prospective exclusive license will be royalty bearing and will comply with the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless within sixty (60) days from the date of this published notice, the NIH receives written evidence and argument that establishes that the grant of the license would not be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. Applications for a license in the field of use filed in response to this notice will be treated as objections to the grant of the contemplated exclusive license. Comments and objections submitted to this notice will not be made available for public inspection and, to the extent permitted by law, will not be released under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552. Dated: March 14, 2006. Steven M. Ferguson, Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health. [FR Doc. E6–4078 Filed 3–20–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4140–01–P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard [USCG–2006–24163] National Environmental Policy Act; Environmental Impact Statement on U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Operations Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of intent; request for public comments. sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to review possible changes to the Coast Guard’s operations in the areas of responsibility for Coast Guard Districts 11 and 13 (California, Oregon and Washington) and requests public comments. The EIS VerDate Aug<31>2005 19:01 Mar 20, 2006 Jkt 208001 will analyze the environmental impacts of Coast Guard vessel and air operations when engaged in the following missions and activities: law enforcement, national security, search and rescue, aids to navigation, and oil pollution and vessel grounding response. Publication of this notice begins the official scoping process that will help identify alternatives and refine the scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS. This notice requests public participation in the scoping process for this Coast Guard action, provides information on how to participate, and identifies a set of preliminary alternatives to serve as a starting point for discussion. DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before May 5, 2006. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket number USCG–2006–24163 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one of the following methods: (1) Electronically through the Web site for the Docket Management System at https://dms.dot.gov. (2) By mail to the Docket Management Facility, (USCG–2006–24163), U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001. (3) By fax to the Docket Management Facility at 202–493–2251. (4) By delivery to room PL–401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202–366– 9329. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, contact Frank Esposito, Coast Guard, (fesposito@comdt.uscg.mil) or 2100 2nd St., SW., Washington, DC 20593. If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202–493–0402. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Request for Comments All comments received will be posted, without change, to https://dms.dot.gov and will include any personal information you have provided. We have an agreement with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to use the Docket Management Facility. Please see DOT’s ‘‘Privacy Act’’ paragraph below. Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your name and address, identify the docket number for PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 14233 this notice (USCG–2006–24163) and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your comments by electronic means, mail, fax, or delivery to the Docket Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES; but please submit your comments by only one means. If you submit them by mail or delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 81⁄2 by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would like to know that they reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments received during the comment period. Viewing comments and documents: To view comments, go to https:// dms.dot.gov at any time, click on ‘‘Simple Search,’’ enter the last five digits of the docket number for this rulemaking, and click on ‘‘Search.’’ You may also visit the Docket Management Facility in room PL–401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the Department of Transportation’s Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit https://dms.dot.gov. If you wish to be added to the mailing list for this project, you may make a request through the project Web site, by mail to the docket at Docket Management Facility, (USCG–2006– 24163), U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001, or by fax to the Docket Management Facility at 202–493–2251. Background The Coast Guard is one of the country’s five armed services and the nation’s oldest maritime agency. Positioned within the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard is the only maritime service with regulatory and law enforcement authority, military capabilities, and humanitarian operations. Coast Guard activities encompass critical elements of Homeland Security operations in littoral regions, including port security and safety, marine environmental response, maritime interception, coastal control, and maritime force protection. More than two centuries of littoral operations E:\FR\FM\21MRN1.SGM 21MRN1 14234 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 54 / Tuesday, March 21, 2006 / Notices sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES at home and overseas have honed the Coast Guard’s skills most needed to support the nation’s military and naval strategies for the 21st century. The Coast Guard has five primary missions, including: Maritime Safety, Maritime Mobility, Maritime Security, National Defense, Protection of Natural Resources. The Coast Guard has the authority under Federal laws to carry out programs, in consultation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), to protect and conserve threatened and endangered marine species and their habitats. In doing so, the Coast Guard must balance the increasing and competing demands of environmental protection and natural resource enhancement while meeting other mission requirements. A vital component of the Coast Guard’s natural resource protection program is Ocean Steward, its 1999 strategic plan for helping the nation recover and maintain healthy populations of marine protected species. Ocean Steward has two general emphases: enforcement and conservation. Coast Guard objectives include assisting in preventing the decline of marine protected species populations, promoting the recovery of marine protected species and their habitats, partnering with other agencies and organizations to enhance stewardship of marine ecosystems and ensuring internal compliance with appropriate legislation, regulations and management practices. Another important component of the Coast Guard’s natural resource protection program is Ocean Guardian, its strategic plan for fisheries management and enforcement. Its primary goal is to provide effective enforcement in support of the national goals for fisheries resource management and conservation. Ocean Steward and Ocean Guardian complement each other and provide a comprehensive framework for the Coast Guard’s efforts to ensure the nation’s waterways and their ecosystems remain productive by protecting all of the nation’s marine protected species and marine protected areas from degradation. Proposed Action The Coast Guard may be able to change some of its operations in order to better support conservation and recovery of marine protected species and marine protected areas within the maritime and coastal areas of Coast Guard Districts 11 and 13 (California, VerDate Aug<31>2005 19:01 Mar 20, 2006 Jkt 208001 Oregon, and Washington). The Coast Guard is preparing an EIS to review the effects of its PACAREA operations on the maritime and coastal environment in these two districts. If the EIS leads the USCG to conclude that there will be significant negative environmental impacts without changes to internal operations as they pertain to these missions and activities, the USCG proposes, consistent with national security concerns, to employ new measures and guidance to avoid or minimize these impacts. Specifically, the EIS will focus on the environmental impacts of Coast Guard vessel and air operations on marine protected species and marine protected areas when engaged in the following routine missions and activities: law enforcement, national security, search and rescue, aids to navigation, and oil pollution and vessel grounding response. These operations will be catalogued and evaluated to determine whether there is cause to augment or modify any Coast Guard process or procedure so as to avoid or minimize significant adverse impact on the indicated environment. As is standing policy for the Coast Guard, the agency is committed to conducting their operations in a manner that supports conservation and recovery of protected marine protected species and marine protected areas. Preparation of this EIS is a proactive measure that will provide the assessment necessary to enhance Coast Guard fulfillment of its marine resource protection mission, without compromising its ability to perform other missions. This action will further the Coast Guard environmental compliance mission while recognizing and supporting accomplishment of the missions assigned to the Coast Guard by Congress and the Executive Branch. Alternatives The Coast Guard will evaluate a range of alternatives in the Draft EIS based on a suite of mitigation measures, within its command authority, developed to minimize one or more of any determined environmental impacts incidental to Pacific Area operations within the last four years. Viable alternatives will include new measures and guidance, as well as modifications to existing PACAREA operational directives or operating procedures, which have the potential to enhance living marine resource protection by avoiding or minimizing the environmental impact of Coast Guard actions. Examples of viable alternatives include, but are not limited to, (1) No Action Alternative; (2) enhanced PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 protected species and area training for vessels; (3) enhanced protected species and area training for Air Station flight crews; (4) implementation of mandatory speed restrictions for Coast Guard vessels transiting within protected species migratory or high-use areas during non-emergency operations; and (5) implementation of a mandatory Whale Reporting Program for Coast Guard vessels and aircraft. These alternatives are described in more detail below. An array of specific alternatives will be developed based on issues raised during the public scoping period. The probable environmental, biological, cultural, social, and economic consequences of these alternatives and other activities under Coast Guard command that may cumulatively impact the environment are expected to be considered in the draft EIS. Alternative 1—No Action Alternative: Under this alternative, the Coast Guard would continue its existing operations, without augmentation or modification, to conserve protected marine protected species and marine protected areas by balancing its current level of effort with other mission responsibilities and operational tempo. Current protection efforts include: • Establishing and maintaining a Protected Living Marine Resource Program (PLMRP) at each District consisting of the following: Æ Descriptions of areas of special interest including designated critical habitat, marine mammal high-use areas, national marine sanctuaries, national wildlife refuges, and areas of special biological significance. Æ Enforcement procedures and guidance specific to the protected species concerns and areas within their area of responsibility (AOR). Æ Marine animal response protocols (including notification and reporting requirements) for entangled, stranded, injured or dead animals and corresponding contact information. Æ Operating procedures and directives for Coast Guard operation of its vessels and aircraft designed to minimize negative interactions with marine protected species and within marine protected areas. Æ Identification of local NMFSapproved stranding and disentanglement networks, and notification of protected species stranding, entanglement, injury or death. • Instituting HQ, Area, and District operating procedures and directives for Coast Guard operation of its vessels and aircraft designed to minimize negative interactions with marine protected species and within marine protected E:\FR\FM\21MRN1.SGM 21MRN1 sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 54 / Tuesday, March 21, 2006 / Notices areas, including formalized speed and approach guidance around marine mammals. • Enforcing the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), and other pertinent environmental regulations. • Participating in regional multiagency working groups, recovery teams, implementation teams, take reduction teams, sanctuary advisory councils and task forces. • Maintaining properly trained lookouts aboard vessels at all times. • Establishing Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) with National Marine Sanctuaries (NMSs) outlining procedures for coordinating enforcement activities. • Conducting routine surveillance of NMSs concurrently with other Coast Guard operations, and providing specific targeted or dedicated law enforcement as appropriate. Sanctuary surveillance and enforcement is incorporated into routine patrols orders where feasible. • Providing other agencies with platforms to conduct critical marine protected species research and recovery efforts during stranding and recovery operations, subject to availability of resources. • Providing applicable marine mammal specific training through Coast Guard Regional Fisheries Training Centers to help prevent adverse interactions with marine mammals. • Participating in NMFS’ Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program as a Co-Investigator. Via this designation, Coast Guard personnel provide the following support to NMFS with regard to distressed marine mammals: (a) Temporarily restraining and/or holding in captivity, (b) disentangling, (c) transporting, (d) attaching tags, (e) euthanizing, and (f) collecting samples. • Implementing formal guidelines for disposal of animal carcasses. • Providing opportunistic marine mammal sighting information to the National Marine Mammal Laboratory’s Platforms of Opportunity Program (POP). • Investigating and modifying procedures as needed in response to all complaints and concerns regarding environmental disturbance incidental to operations. Alternative 2—Enhance protected species and area training for vessel crews: This alternative would include all of the actions of Alternative 1, as well as possible modifications for Coast Guard Officer on Deck (OOD), boat operator and look-out training for VerDate Aug<31>2005 19:01 Mar 20, 2006 Jkt 208001 protected species identification, behavioral characteristic recognition, spotting techniques, and vessel operation around protected species and in protected areas. The Coast Guard would continue to post a look-out on its vessels. Posting a look-out and identifying and avoiding objects in the water are standard operating procedures aboard Coast Guard vessels of all sizes. This measure ensures the safety of the crew, minimizes vessel damage, and protects wildlife in the area. However, marine mammals and turtles are often very difficult to spot, and collisions may still occur, especially at night or if weather conditions are adverse (e.g., foggy or windy). Spotting marine mammals and turtles, and maneuvering around them is an acquired skill that comes with experience and education. Alternative 3—Enhance protected species and area training for Air Station flight crews: This alternative would include all of the actions of Alternative 1, as well as possible modifications for Coast Guard Air Station flight crew training for protected species identification, behavioral characteristic recognition, spotting techniques, and aircraft operation around protected species and in protected areas. Alternative 4—Mandatory vessel speed restrictions for Coast Guard vessels transiting protected species migratory and high-use areas during non-emergency operations: In addition to all the actions under Alternative 1, this alternative would establish mandatory speed limits for Coast Guard vessels operating in known protected species migratory or high-use areas under normal circumstances (not to include emergency operations). Emergency operations are defined as those operations for which rapid response is required to avoid the loss of life and property (e.g., Search and Rescue). They include urgent law enforcement incidents and matters of national security, and are defined by operational commanders on a case-bycase basis. The mandatory speed limit would only apply during nonemergency operations such as area familiarization trips, routine law enforcement patrols, and training exercises. Alternative 5—Mandatory Whale Reporting Program for Coast Guard vessels and aircraft: In addition to all of the actions under Alternative 1, this alternative would establish a real-time web-based Whale Reporting Program within the Coast Guard. This program would be maintained centrally by the PACAREA Office and would collect vital information on real-time locations of live, dead, injured, or entangled PO 00000 Frm 00072 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 14235 whales. All units would be required to report the following information for any whale sighting: time and location of sighting, distinctive features of the animal and its estimated length, signs of injury or entanglement, description of behavior and injuries, condition of carcass for dead whales, and contact information of reporter. Reports could be provided via phone, email, or fax. The website would allow for regional sorting so that in preparation for (or during) a patrol, units would be able to log on to the website and receive vital real-time regional sighting information for the area in which they will be transiting/patrolling. Public Involvement and Scoping Meetings, Public scoping meetings will be held as follows: 1. Tuesday, April 4, 2006, Oakland, California—Informational Open House, 4–6 p.m., Scoping Comment Meeting, 7– 9 p.m., Waterfront Plaza Hotel, Ten Washington Street, Oakland, CA 94607, (415) 486–8148. 2. Thursday, April 6, 2006, 7–10 p.m., Seattle, WA—Informational Open House, 4–6 p.m., Scoping Comment Meeting, 7–9 p.m., Seattle Hilton, 1301 6th Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101, (206) 695–6060. Request for Comments: The Coast Guard provides this notice to advise the public and other agencies of the Coast Guard’s intentions, to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to include in the EIS, and to request comments from those parties that may be interested or affected by these proposed alternatives. Comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties to ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed action and all significant issues are identified. The Coast Guard requests that comments be as specific as possible. In particular, the agency requests information regarding: (1) Examples of positive and negative impacts of Coast Guard operations and activities on marine resources, species and areas within California, Oregon, and Washington, (2) suggested measures to avoided or reduce negative operational impacts on the environment (3) comments regarding alternatives already under consideration, (4) suggestions of additional alternatives to consider, and (5) maps, data sources and specific information regarding distribution and abundance of marine protected species within California, Oregon, and Washington, as well specific information about the status of or threats to these species. E:\FR\FM\21MRN1.SGM 21MRN1 14236 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 54 / Tuesday, March 21, 2006 / Notices Dated: March 14, 2006. S.D. Genovese, Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief, Office of Law Enforcement. [FR Doc. E6–4021 Filed 3–20–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–15–P DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR–4950–FA–05] Housing Counseling Program; Announcement of Funding Awards for Fiscal Year 2005 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner, HUD. ACTION: Announcement of funding awards. sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102(a)(4)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C 3545), this announcement notifies the public of funding decisions made by the Department in a Super Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) competition for funding of HUDapproved counseling agencies to provide counseling services. Appendix A contains the names and addresses of the agencies competitively selected for funding and the award amounts. Intermediaries are listed first and subsequent awards are grouped by their respective HUD Homeownership Center. Additionally, this announcement lists the noncompetitive housing counseling awards made by the Department. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: ´ Ruth Roman, Director, Program Support Division, Room 9274, Office of Single Family Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202) 708–0317. Hearing- or speech-impaired individuals may access this number by calling the Federal Information Relay Service on 800–877– 8339. (This is a toll free number.) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Housing Counseling Program is authorized by Section 106 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. 1701x). HUD enters into agreement with qualified public or private nonprofit organizations to provide housing counseling services to low- and moderate-income individuals and families nationwide. The services include providing information, advice and assistance to the homeless, renters, first-time homebuyers, homeowners, and senior citizens in areas such as prepurchase counseling, financial VerDate Aug<31>2005 19:01 Mar 20, 2006 Jkt 208001 management, property maintenance and other forms of housing assistance to help individuals and families improve their housing conditions and meet the responsibilities of tenancy and homeownership. HUD funding of approved housing counseling agencies is not guaranteed and when funds are awarded, a HUD grant does not cover all expenses incurred by an agency to deliver housing counseling services. Counseling agencies must actively seek additional funds from other sources such as city, county, state and federal agencies and from private entities to ensure that they have sufficient operating funds. The availability of Housing Counseling grants depends upon appropriations and the outcome of the award competition. The 2005 grantees announced in Appendix A of this notice were selected for funding through a competition announced in a NOFA published in the Federal Register on March 21, 2005 (70 FR 13806) for the Housing Counseling Program. Applications were scored and selected for funding on the basis of selection criteria contained in the NOFA. HUD awarded $41,706,033 in housing counseling grants to 383 housing counseling organizations nationwide: 349 local agencies, 18 intermediaries, and 16 State housing finance agencies. Included in this figure is: $2,535,135 awarded to six intermediaries, sixteen State housing finance agencies (SHFAs) and thirty-one local housing counseling agencies (LHCAs) for the purpose of combating predatory lending; $1,435,711 awarded to five intermediaries, two SHFAs and thirty-four LHCAs for counseling in conjunction with HUD’s Homeownership Voucher Program; and $394,000 awarded to three intermediaries, one SHFA and three local organizations for provision of counseling services to families and individuals living in the Colonias, unincorporated communities in the southwest border region of the United States; and $3,000,000 awarded to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to provide housing counseling services related to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Program. Additionally, HUD awarded a noncompetitive grant in the amount of $800,000 to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) to provide counseling services to senior citizens that are eligible for HECM counseling. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for the Housing Counseling Program is 14.169. PO 00000 Frm 00073 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Dated: March 3, 2006. Brian D. Montgomery, Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner. Appendix A—Fiscal Year 2005 Housing Counseling Grants Intermediary Organizations (18) Headquarters SF–HUD AARP Foundation 601 E. Street, NW, Washington, DC 20049, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $999,900. Acorn Housing Corporation, 846 N Broad St, 2nd floor, Philadelphia, PA 19130–2234, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $1,197,255. Catholic Charities USA, 1731 King St, Ste 200, Alexandria, VA 22314–2720, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $1,130,770. Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, Inc., 18 Tremont Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02108–, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $801,700. Homefree—USA, 318 Riggs Road NE, Washington, DC 20011–2534, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $997,804. Housing Opportunities, Inc., 303–305 E. 8th Avenue, Homestead, PA 15120–1517, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $997,804. Mission of Peace, Windmill Place, 877 East Fifth Ave., Flint, MI 48503–, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $826,729. Money Management International Inc., 9009 West Loop South, Suite 700, Houston, TX 77096–1719, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $718,000. National Association of Real Estate Brokers— Investment Division, Inc., 1301 85th Ave, Oakland, CA 94621–1605, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $931,320. National Council of La Raza, 1126 16th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20036–, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $1,150,000. National Credit Union Foundation, 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, South Building, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004–2601, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $701,383. National Foundation for Credit Counseling, Inc., 801 Roeder Road, Suite 900, Silver Spring, MD 20910–3372, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $1,443,593. National Urban League, 120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005–, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $997,804. Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, 1325 G St NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005–3104, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $1,370,440. Rural Community Assistance Corporation, 3120 Freeboard Drive, Suite 201, West Sacramento, CA 95691, Grant Type: Comprehensive, Amount Awarded: $513,364. Structured Employment Economic Development Co, 915 Broadway, 17th E:\FR\FM\21MRN1.SGM 21MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 21, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14233-14236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4021]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2006-24163]


National Environmental Policy Act; Environmental Impact Statement 
on U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Operations

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for public comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to review possible changes to the 
Coast Guard's operations in the areas of responsibility for Coast Guard 
Districts 11 and 13 (California, Oregon and Washington) and requests 
public comments. The EIS will analyze the environmental impacts of 
Coast Guard vessel and air operations when engaged in the following 
missions and activities: law enforcement, national security, search and 
rescue, aids to navigation, and oil pollution and vessel grounding 
response.
    Publication of this notice begins the official scoping process that 
will help identify alternatives and refine the scope of environmental 
issues to be addressed in the EIS. This notice requests public 
participation in the scoping process for this Coast Guard action, 
provides information on how to participate, and identifies a set of 
preliminary alternatives to serve as a starting point for discussion.

DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management 
Facility on or before May 5, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket 
number USCG-2006-24163 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. 
Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one 
of the following methods:
    (1) Electronically through the Web site for the Docket Management 
System at https://dms.dot.gov.
    (2) By mail to the Docket Management Facility, (USCG-2006-24163), 
U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (3) By fax to the Docket Management Facility at 202-493-2251.
    (4) By delivery to room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif 
Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
contact Frank Esposito, Coast Guard, (fesposito@comdt.uscg.mil) or 2100 
2nd St., SW., Washington, DC 20593. If you have questions on viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program 
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-493-0402.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    All comments received will be posted, without change, to https://
dms.dot.gov and will include any personal information you have 
provided. We have an agreement with the Department of Transportation 
(DOT) to use the Docket Management Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy 
Act'' paragraph below.
    Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your 
name and address, identify the docket number for this notice (USCG-
2006-24163) and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your 
comments by electronic means, mail, fax, or delivery to the Docket 
Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES; but please submit 
your comments by only one means. If you submit them by mail or 
delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 
inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit them 
by mail and would like to know that they reached the Facility, please 
enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will 
consider all comments received during the comment period.
    Viewing comments and documents: To view comments, go to https://
dms.dot.gov at any time, click on ``Simple Search,'' enter the last 
five digits of the docket number for this rulemaking, and click on 
``Search.'' You may also visit the Docket Management Facility in room 
PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street 
SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the 
Department of Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit 
https://dms.dot.gov.
    If you wish to be added to the mailing list for this project, you 
may make a request through the project Web site, by mail to the docket 
at Docket Management Facility, (USCG-2006-24163), U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 
20590-0001, or by fax to the Docket Management Facility at 202-493-
2251.

Background

    The Coast Guard is one of the country's five armed services and the 
nation's oldest maritime agency. Positioned within the Department of 
Homeland Security, the Coast Guard is the only maritime service with 
regulatory and law enforcement authority, military capabilities, and 
humanitarian operations. Coast Guard activities encompass critical 
elements of Homeland Security operations in littoral regions, including 
port security and safety, marine environmental response, maritime 
interception, coastal control, and maritime force protection. More than 
two centuries of littoral operations

[[Page 14234]]

at home and overseas have honed the Coast Guard's skills most needed to 
support the nation's military and naval strategies for the 21st 
century. The Coast Guard has five primary missions, including: Maritime 
Safety, Maritime Mobility, Maritime Security, National Defense, 
Protection of Natural Resources.
    The Coast Guard has the authority under Federal laws to carry out 
programs, in consultation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), to protect and conserve threatened 
and endangered marine species and their habitats. In doing so, the 
Coast Guard must balance the increasing and competing demands of 
environmental protection and natural resource enhancement while meeting 
other mission requirements.
    A vital component of the Coast Guard's natural resource protection 
program is Ocean Steward, its 1999 strategic plan for helping the 
nation recover and maintain healthy populations of marine protected 
species. Ocean Steward has two general emphases: enforcement and 
conservation. Coast Guard objectives include assisting in preventing 
the decline of marine protected species populations, promoting the 
recovery of marine protected species and their habitats, partnering 
with other agencies and organizations to enhance stewardship of marine 
ecosystems and ensuring internal compliance with appropriate 
legislation, regulations and management practices. Another important 
component of the Coast Guard's natural resource protection program is 
Ocean Guardian, its strategic plan for fisheries management and 
enforcement. Its primary goal is to provide effective enforcement in 
support of the national goals for fisheries resource management and 
conservation. Ocean Steward and Ocean Guardian complement each other 
and provide a comprehensive framework for the Coast Guard's efforts to 
ensure the nation's waterways and their ecosystems remain productive by 
protecting all of the nation's marine protected species and marine 
protected areas from degradation.

Proposed Action

    The Coast Guard may be able to change some of its operations in 
order to better support conservation and recovery of marine protected 
species and marine protected areas within the maritime and coastal 
areas of Coast Guard Districts 11 and 13 (California, Oregon, and 
Washington). The Coast Guard is preparing an EIS to review the effects 
of its PACAREA operations on the maritime and coastal environment in 
these two districts. If the EIS leads the USCG to conclude that there 
will be significant negative environmental impacts without changes to 
internal operations as they pertain to these missions and activities, 
the USCG proposes, consistent with national security concerns, to 
employ new measures and guidance to avoid or minimize these impacts. 
Specifically, the EIS will focus on the environmental impacts of Coast 
Guard vessel and air operations on marine protected species and marine 
protected areas when engaged in the following routine missions and 
activities: law enforcement, national security, search and rescue, aids 
to navigation, and oil pollution and vessel grounding response. These 
operations will be catalogued and evaluated to determine whether there 
is cause to augment or modify any Coast Guard process or procedure so 
as to avoid or minimize significant adverse impact on the indicated 
environment.
    As is standing policy for the Coast Guard, the agency is committed 
to conducting their operations in a manner that supports conservation 
and recovery of protected marine protected species and marine protected 
areas. Preparation of this EIS is a proactive measure that will provide 
the assessment necessary to enhance Coast Guard fulfillment of its 
marine resource protection mission, without compromising its ability to 
perform other missions. This action will further the Coast Guard 
environmental compliance mission while recognizing and supporting 
accomplishment of the missions assigned to the Coast Guard by Congress 
and the Executive Branch.

Alternatives

    The Coast Guard will evaluate a range of alternatives in the Draft 
EIS based on a suite of mitigation measures, within its command 
authority, developed to minimize one or more of any determined 
environmental impacts incidental to Pacific Area operations within the 
last four years. Viable alternatives will include new measures and 
guidance, as well as modifications to existing PACAREA operational 
directives or operating procedures, which have the potential to enhance 
living marine resource protection by avoiding or minimizing the 
environmental impact of Coast Guard actions.
    Examples of viable alternatives include, but are not limited to, 
(1) No Action Alternative; (2) enhanced protected species and area 
training for vessels; (3) enhanced protected species and area training 
for Air Station flight crews; (4) implementation of mandatory speed 
restrictions for Coast Guard vessels transiting within protected 
species migratory or high-use areas during non-emergency operations; 
and (5) implementation of a mandatory Whale Reporting Program for Coast 
Guard vessels and aircraft. These alternatives are described in more 
detail below. An array of specific alternatives will be developed based 
on issues raised during the public scoping period. The probable 
environmental, biological, cultural, social, and economic consequences 
of these alternatives and other activities under Coast Guard command 
that may cumulatively impact the environment are expected to be 
considered in the draft EIS.
    Alternative 1--No Action Alternative: Under this alternative, the 
Coast Guard would continue its existing operations, without 
augmentation or modification, to conserve protected marine protected 
species and marine protected areas by balancing its current level of 
effort with other mission responsibilities and operational tempo. 
Current protection efforts include:
     Establishing and maintaining a Protected Living Marine 
Resource Program (PLMRP) at each District consisting of the following:
    [cir] Descriptions of areas of special interest including 
designated critical habitat, marine mammal high-use areas, national 
marine sanctuaries, national wildlife refuges, and areas of special 
biological significance.
    [cir] Enforcement procedures and guidance specific to the protected 
species concerns and areas within their area of responsibility (AOR).
    [cir] Marine animal response protocols (including notification and 
reporting requirements) for entangled, stranded, injured or dead 
animals and corresponding contact information.
    [cir] Operating procedures and directives for Coast Guard operation 
of its vessels and aircraft designed to minimize negative interactions 
with marine protected species and within marine protected areas.
    [cir] Identification of local NMFS-approved stranding and 
disentanglement networks, and notification of protected species 
stranding, entanglement, injury or death.
     Instituting HQ, Area, and District operating procedures 
and directives for Coast Guard operation of its vessels and aircraft 
designed to minimize negative interactions with marine protected 
species and within marine protected

[[Page 14235]]

areas, including formalized speed and approach guidance around marine 
mammals.
     Enforcing the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA), National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), and 
other pertinent environmental regulations.
     Participating in regional multi-agency working groups, 
recovery teams, implementation teams, take reduction teams, sanctuary 
advisory councils and task forces.
     Maintaining properly trained look-outs aboard vessels at 
all times.
     Establishing Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) with National 
Marine Sanctuaries (NMSs) outlining procedures for coordinating 
enforcement activities.
     Conducting routine surveillance of NMSs concurrently with 
other Coast Guard operations, and providing specific targeted or 
dedicated law enforcement as appropriate. Sanctuary surveillance and 
enforcement is incorporated into routine patrols orders where feasible.
     Providing other agencies with platforms to conduct 
critical marine protected species research and recovery efforts during 
stranding and recovery operations, subject to availability of 
resources.
     Providing applicable marine mammal specific training 
through Coast Guard Regional Fisheries Training Centers to help prevent 
adverse interactions with marine mammals.
     Participating in NMFS' Marine Mammal Health and Stranding 
Response Program as a Co-Investigator. Via this designation, Coast 
Guard personnel provide the following support to NMFS with regard to 
distressed marine mammals: (a) Temporarily restraining and/or holding 
in captivity, (b) disentangling, (c) transporting, (d) attaching tags, 
(e) euthanizing, and (f) collecting samples.
     Implementing formal guidelines for disposal of animal 
carcasses.
     Providing opportunistic marine mammal sighting information 
to the National Marine Mammal Laboratory's Platforms of Opportunity 
Program (POP).
     Investigating and modifying procedures as needed in 
response to all complaints and concerns regarding environmental 
disturbance incidental to operations.
    Alternative 2--Enhance protected species and area training for 
vessel crews: This alternative would include all of the actions of 
Alternative 1, as well as possible modifications for Coast Guard 
Officer on Deck (OOD), boat operator and look-out training for 
protected species identification, behavioral characteristic 
recognition, spotting techniques, and vessel operation around protected 
species and in protected areas. The Coast Guard would continue to post 
a look-out on its vessels. Posting a look-out and identifying and 
avoiding objects in the water are standard operating procedures aboard 
Coast Guard vessels of all sizes. This measure ensures the safety of 
the crew, minimizes vessel damage, and protects wildlife in the area. 
However, marine mammals and turtles are often very difficult to spot, 
and collisions may still occur, especially at night or if weather 
conditions are adverse (e.g., foggy or windy). Spotting marine mammals 
and turtles, and maneuvering around them is an acquired skill that 
comes with experience and education.
    Alternative 3--Enhance protected species and area training for Air 
Station flight crews: This alternative would include all of the actions 
of Alternative 1, as well as possible modifications for Coast Guard Air 
Station flight crew training for protected species identification, 
behavioral characteristic recognition, spotting techniques, and 
aircraft operation around protected species and in protected areas.
    Alternative 4--Mandatory vessel speed restrictions for Coast Guard 
vessels transiting protected species migratory and high-use areas 
during non-emergency operations: In addition to all the actions under 
Alternative 1, this alternative would establish mandatory speed limits 
for Coast Guard vessels operating in known protected species migratory 
or high-use areas under normal circumstances (not to include emergency 
operations). Emergency operations are defined as those operations for 
which rapid response is required to avoid the loss of life and property 
(e.g., Search and Rescue). They include urgent law enforcement 
incidents and matters of national security, and are defined by 
operational commanders on a case-by-case basis. The mandatory speed 
limit would only apply during non-emergency operations such as area 
familiarization trips, routine law enforcement patrols, and training 
exercises.
    Alternative 5--Mandatory Whale Reporting Program for Coast Guard 
vessels and aircraft: In addition to all of the actions under 
Alternative 1, this alternative would establish a real-time web-based 
Whale Reporting Program within the Coast Guard. This program would be 
maintained centrally by the PACAREA Office and would collect vital 
information on real-time locations of live, dead, injured, or entangled 
whales. All units would be required to report the following information 
for any whale sighting: time and location of sighting, distinctive 
features of the animal and its estimated length, signs of injury or 
entanglement, description of behavior and injuries, condition of 
carcass for dead whales, and contact information of reporter. Reports 
could be provided via phone, email, or fax. The website would allow for 
regional sorting so that in preparation for (or during) a patrol, units 
would be able to log on to the website and receive vital real-time 
regional sighting information for the area in which they will be 
transiting/patrolling.

Public Involvement and Scoping Meetings,

    Public scoping meetings will be held as follows:
    1. Tuesday, April 4, 2006, Oakland, California--Informational Open 
House, 4-6 p.m., Scoping Comment Meeting, 7-9 p.m., Waterfront Plaza 
Hotel, Ten Washington Street, Oakland, CA 94607, (415) 486-8148.
    2. Thursday, April 6, 2006, 7-10 p.m., Seattle, WA--Informational 
Open House, 4-6 p.m., Scoping Comment Meeting, 7-9 p.m., Seattle 
Hilton, 1301 6th Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101, (206) 695-6060.
    Request for Comments: The Coast Guard provides this notice to 
advise the public and other agencies of the Coast Guard's intentions, 
to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to include 
in the EIS, and to request comments from those parties that may be 
interested or affected by these proposed alternatives. Comments and 
suggestions are invited from all interested parties to ensure that the 
full range of issues related to this proposed action and all 
significant issues are identified. The Coast Guard requests that 
comments be as specific as possible. In particular, the agency requests 
information regarding: (1) Examples of positive and negative impacts of 
Coast Guard operations and activities on marine resources, species and 
areas within California, Oregon, and Washington, (2) suggested measures 
to avoided or reduce negative operational impacts on the environment 
(3) comments regarding alternatives already under consideration, (4) 
suggestions of additional alternatives to consider, and (5) maps, data 
sources and specific information regarding distribution and abundance 
of marine protected species within California, Oregon, and Washington, 
as well specific information about the status of or threats to these 
species.


[[Page 14236]]


    Dated: March 14, 2006.
S.D. Genovese,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief, Office of Law Enforcement.
 [FR Doc. E6-4021 Filed 3-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P
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