Evaluation of State Coastal Management Programs and National Estuarine Research Reserves, 5178 [E8-1537]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 5178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1537]


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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 performance of the South 
Carolina Coastal Management Program.
    The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluation 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 CZMA 
requires continuing review of the performance of states with respect to 
coastal program implementation. Evaluation of a Coastal Management 
Program requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has 
met the national objectives, adhered to its Coastal Management Program 
document 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 
visit for the listed evaluation, and the date, local time, and location 
of the public meeting during the site visit.
    Dates and Times: The South Carolina Coastal Management Program 
evaluation site visit will be held March 10-14, 2008. One public 
meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held 
on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, at 6 p.m., at the South Carolina 
Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Research Institute 
Auditorium, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, South Carolina.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the state's most recent performance reports, as 
well as OCRM's evaluation notification and supplemental information 
request letters to the state, are available upon request from OCRM. 
Written comments from interested parties regarding this Program are 
encouraged and will be accepted until 15 days after the public meeting. 
Please direct written comments to Kate Barba, 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 evaluation is completed, OCRM 
will place a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability 
of the Final Evaluation Findings.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given of the availability 
of the final evaluation findings for the New Jersey and Guam Coastal 
Management Programs (CMPs) and the Guana Tolomato Matanzas (Florida) 
National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM NERR). 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 State of New Jersey and the Territory of Guam 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 GTM NERR 
was found to be adhering to programmatic requirements of the NERR 
System.
    Copies of these final evaluation findings may be obtained upon 
written request from: Kate Barba, 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 Kate.Barba@noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Barba, 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) 563-1182.

    Dated: January 17, 2008.
David M. Kennedy,
Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National 
Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419 Coastal Zone Management 
Program Administration)
 [FR Doc. E8-1537 Filed 1-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-P