Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for NOAA Restoration Center Programmatic Coastal Habitat Restoration Activities, 13095-13096 [2012-5310]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2012 / Notices with the regulations and the terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation. We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. Dated: February 27, 2012. Ronald K. Lorentzen, Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration. [FR Doc. 2012–5188 Filed 3–2–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XA986 Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for NOAA Restoration Center Programmatic Coastal Habitat Restoration Activities National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Announcement of public scoping; request for comments. AGENCY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and in compliance with the implementing regulations issued by the Council on Environmental Quality and procedures issued by NOAA Administrative Order 216–6, NOAA is providing notice of its intent to develop a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of different ranges of coastal and marine habitat restoration project types conducted and supported by the NOAA Restoration Center. DATES: Interested parties should provide written comments by May 31, 2012. ADDRESSES: Interested parties that wish to send questions, comments or requests for information may send an email to the following address: rc.compliance@noaa.gov. Interested parties that wish to send questions, comments or requests for information through regular mail may use the following mailing address: NOAA Restoration Center (F/HC3), ATTN: Restoration PEIS Scoping, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The NOAA Restoration Center Web site that contains information and updates relevant to this PEIS can be found at: https:// www.restoration.noaa.gov/ environmentalcompliance erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:06 Mar 02, 2012 Jkt 226001 Tom Barry at 301–427–8653 or via the following email address: rc.compliance@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NOAA Restoration Center is the only office within NOAA solely devoted to restoring the nation’s coastal, marine, and migratory fish habitat. Recognizing that the most successful environmental restoration projects are supported and implemented at the community-level, the Restoration Center creates and builds partnerships on local, regional and national scales to carry out habitat restoration projects within the coastal United States, Great Lakes region, and territories. Restoration projects use a number of priority habitat restoration approaches to positively impact fishery production. Most notably these approaches include, but are not limited to, opening rivers, reconnecting coastal wetlands, restoring corals, rebuilding shellfish populations, land and easement acquisition, erosion reduction, public outreach, restoration research, or a combination of these project types. The Restoration Center provides financial and technical assistance for implementing habitat restoration projects to partners primarily on a competitive basis through a number of programs and funding opportunities administered by the Restoration Center. These include the Community-based Restoration Program (CRP), the Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP), the Coastal Wetland Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Program, and the Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program (GLHRP). In 2002 the NOAA Restoration Center released the ‘‘NOAA Fisheries’ Implementation Plan for the Community-based Restoration Program’’ to document environmental compliance processes and procedures for the CRP. In 2006, the NOAA Restoration Center released a Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA) to update and further refine the environmental impact evaluation process for the CRP. Since that time, the Restoration Center has increased the scope and scale of the individual projects implemented by the CRP, as well as other Restoration Center programs. Therefore, the environmental impact analysis process under NEPA that uses the 2002 implementation plan and 2006 SPEA needs to be revised. Accordingly, NOAA is providing notice of its intent to develop a PEIS to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of proposed coastal and marine habitat restoration activities that the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 13095 NOAA Restoration Center may conduct and support through its funding programs and restoration partners. These activities include: (1) Technical Assistance (includes planning, permitting, monitoring, research and outreach); (2) Riverine/Riparian/ Associated Uplands Restoration (includes channel, bank and floodplain, buffer area and watershed revegetation); (3) Inter-tidal Restoration (includes saltmarsh and oyster restoration); (4) Sub-tidal Restoration (includes submerged aquatic vegetation and coral restoration); and (5) Land and Water Acquisition. Possible alternatives NOAA will explore during the scoping process include the following: • Alternative 1 (preferred): NOAA proposes to support a comprehensive range of restoration activities through a wide variety of project types. Under this alternative, the Restoration Center would carry out Activities 1–5 (Technical Assistance, Riverine/ Riparian/Associated Uplands Restoration, Sub-tidal Restoration, Intertidal Restoration, and Land and Water Acquisition). This alternative enables the Restoration Center to implement its programs and work toward its mission with the greatest efficiency and impact. • Alternative 2: Under this alternative NOAA would support a more limited range of project types, limited to Activities 1–4 (Technical Assistance, Riverine/Riparian/Associated Uplands Restoration, Sub-tidal Restoration, and Inter-tidal Restoration). This alternative, while not preferred, enables the Restoration Center to maintain a high level of efficiency and impact in implementing its programs. However, the exclusion of land and easement acquisition would steer program priorities toward on-the-ground restoration activities and technical support. • Alternative 3: Under this alternative NOAA would support a very limited range of project types, limited to Activity 1 (Technical Assistance). This alternative, while not preferred, enables the Restoration Center to support restoration activities conducted by partners. The publication date of this notice constitutes the start of the public scoping process under NEPA for the PEIS. Through public comment, the scoping process will help identify and determine the environmental issues that the PEIS will address. This notice provides information on how the public may participate. NOAA encourages all parties with an interest in or who are affected by habitat restoration activities to provide suggestions, comments and input on the alternatives, scope of E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM 05MRN1 13096 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 43 / Monday, March 5, 2012 / Notices analysis and issues relevant to the activities presented in this notice. All interested parties who wish to provide comment may submit written comments to the NOAA Restoration Center electronically or by original hard copy to the address provided above. For more detailed background information, including program descriptions, restoration project types, and the aforementioned environmental assessment documents, please visit the NOAA Restoration Center Web site. NOAA will update the information on the Web site periodically throughout the public scoping process as needed. Authority The authority for these actions include the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1891a), and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661). Dated: February 28, 2012. Brian Pawlak, Acting Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2012–5310 Filed 3–2–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XB057 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. AGENCY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene Scoping Meetings on a proposed generic amendment addressing dealer permits and electronic logbook reporting, as well as two amendments to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan (CMP FMP): one that addresses sale of bag limit caught fish and permit requirements and the other that addresses boundaries and transit provisions. erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: The scoping meetings will be held from March 19, 2012 through April 3, 2012 at nine locations throughout the Gulf of Mexico. The scoping meetings will begin at 6 p.m. and will conclude no later than 9 p.m. For specific dates, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. DATES: VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:06 Mar 02, 2012 Jkt 226001 The scoping meetings will be held in the following locations: Destin, Key West and Fort Myers, FL; Kenner and Grand Isle, LA; Biloxi, MS; Mobile, AL; Galveston and Port Aransas, TX. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 N. Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607. ADDRESSES: Dr. Richard Leard, Deputy Executive Director/Senior Fishery Biologist; Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 348–1630. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has scheduled Scoping Meetings on a proposed generic amendment that would consider changes to the current requirements for dealer permits and the potential for electronic reporting requirements. A potential Amendment 19 to the CMP FMP would consider limits or prohibition on sale of bag limit caught king and Spanish mackerel, as well as cobia. It also considers potential changes to regulations regarding maintaining and renewing commercial fishing permits and adding a commercial permit requirement to sell cobia. A potential Amendment 20 to the CMP FMP would consider potential changes to the existing commercial boundaries and zones along with their associated quotas and trip limits along with possible allowance for transit through closed fishing zones. The nine scoping meetings will begin at 6 p.m. and conclude at the end of public testimony or no later than 9 p.m. at the following locations: Monday, March 19, 2012, Hilton Galveston, 5400 Seawall Boulevard, Galveston Island, TX 77551; telephone: (409) 744–5000. Tuesday, March 20, 2012, Four Points by Sheraton, 940 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS 39530–4138; telephone: (228) 546–3100. Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Plantation Suites & Conference Center, 1909 Highway 361, Port Aransas, TX 78373; telephone: (361) 749–3866; and Courtyard Marriott, 1000 West I–65 Service Road South, Mobile, AL 36609; telephone: (251) 344–5200. Thursday, March 22, 2012, Courtyard Marriott, 100 Grand Boulevard, Destin, FL 32550; telephone: (850) 650–7411. Monday, March 26, 2012, Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West, FL 33040; telephone: (305) 295–5000. Wednesday, March 28, 2012, Hyatt Place, 2600 Champion Ring Road, Fort Myers, Florida 33905; telephone: (239) 418–1844. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Monday, April 2, 2012, Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport—2829 Williams Boulevard, Kenner, LA 70062; telephone: (504) 467–5611. Tuesday, April 3, 2012, Wildlife & Fisheries Department Lab, 195 Ludwig Lane, Grand Isle, LA 70358; telephone: (985) 787–2163. Copies of the scoping documents can be obtained by calling (813) 348–1630 or by visiting the Council’s Web site at www.gulfcouncil.org. Special Accommodations These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Kathy Pereira at the Council (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 working days prior to the meeting. Dated: February 28, 2012. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2012–5182 Filed 3–2–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XB054 Endangered Species; File No. 16598 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that Inwater Research Group, Inc. (Responsible Party and Principal Investigator: Michael Bresette), 4160 NE Hyline Drive, Jensen Beach, FL 34957, has applied in due form for a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles for scientific research. DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or before April 4, 2012. ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for review by selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public Comment’’ from the Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species (APPS) home page, https:// apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File No. 16598 from the list of available applications. These documents are also available upon written request or by appointment in the following offices: SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM 05MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 43 (Monday, March 5, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13095-13096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5310]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA986


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for NOAA 
Restoration Center Programmatic Coastal Habitat Restoration Activities

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Announcement of public scoping; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 and in compliance with the implementing regulations issued by the 
Council on Environmental Quality and procedures issued by NOAA 
Administrative Order 216-6, NOAA is providing notice of its intent to 
develop a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to 
evaluate the potential environmental impacts of different ranges of 
coastal and marine habitat restoration project types conducted and 
supported by the NOAA Restoration Center.

DATES: Interested parties should provide written comments by May 31, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties that wish to send questions, comments or 
requests for information may send an email to the following address: 
rc.compliance@noaa.gov.
    Interested parties that wish to send questions, comments or 
requests for information through regular mail may use the following 
mailing address: NOAA Restoration Center (F/HC3), ATTN: Restoration 
PEIS Scoping, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    The NOAA Restoration Center Web site that contains information and 
updates relevant to this PEIS can be found at: https://www.restoration.noaa.gov/environmentalcompliance

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Barry at 301-427-8653 or via the 
following email address: rc.compliance@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NOAA Restoration Center is the only 
office within NOAA solely devoted to restoring the nation's coastal, 
marine, and migratory fish habitat. Recognizing that the most 
successful environmental restoration projects are supported and 
implemented at the community-level, the Restoration Center creates and 
builds partnerships on local, regional and national scales to carry out 
habitat restoration projects within the coastal United States, Great 
Lakes region, and territories. Restoration projects use a number of 
priority habitat restoration approaches to positively impact fishery 
production. Most notably these approaches include, but are not limited 
to, opening rivers, reconnecting coastal wetlands, restoring corals, 
rebuilding shellfish populations, land and easement acquisition, 
erosion reduction, public outreach, restoration research, or a 
combination of these project types. The Restoration Center provides 
financial and technical assistance for implementing habitat restoration 
projects to partners primarily on a competitive basis through a number 
of programs and funding opportunities administered by the Restoration 
Center. These include the Community-based Restoration Program (CRP), 
the Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP), the 
Coastal Wetland Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) 
Program, and the Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program (GLHRP).
    In 2002 the NOAA Restoration Center released the ``NOAA Fisheries' 
Implementation Plan for the Community-based Restoration Program'' to 
document environmental compliance processes and procedures for the CRP. 
In 2006, the NOAA Restoration Center released a Supplemental 
Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA) to update and further 
refine the environmental impact evaluation process for the CRP. Since 
that time, the Restoration Center has increased the scope and scale of 
the individual projects implemented by the CRP, as well as other 
Restoration Center programs. Therefore, the environmental impact 
analysis process under NEPA that uses the 2002 implementation plan and 
2006 SPEA needs to be revised.
    Accordingly, NOAA is providing notice of its intent to develop a 
PEIS to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of proposed 
coastal and marine habitat restoration activities that the NOAA 
Restoration Center may conduct and support through its funding programs 
and restoration partners. These activities include: (1) Technical 
Assistance (includes planning, permitting, monitoring, research and 
outreach); (2) Riverine/Riparian/Associated Uplands Restoration 
(includes channel, bank and floodplain, buffer area and watershed 
revegetation); (3) Inter-tidal Restoration (includes saltmarsh and 
oyster restoration); (4) Sub-tidal Restoration (includes submerged 
aquatic vegetation and coral restoration); and (5) Land and Water 
Acquisition. Possible alternatives NOAA will explore during the scoping 
process include the following:
     Alternative 1 (preferred): NOAA proposes to support a 
comprehensive range of restoration activities through a wide variety of 
project types. Under this alternative, the Restoration Center would 
carry out Activities 1-5 (Technical Assistance, Riverine/Riparian/
Associated Uplands Restoration, Sub-tidal Restoration, Inter-tidal 
Restoration, and Land and Water Acquisition). This alternative enables 
the Restoration Center to implement its programs and work toward its 
mission with the greatest efficiency and impact.
     Alternative 2: Under this alternative NOAA would support a 
more limited range of project types, limited to Activities 1-4 
(Technical Assistance, Riverine/Riparian/Associated Uplands 
Restoration, Sub-tidal Restoration, and Inter-tidal Restoration). This 
alternative, while not preferred, enables the Restoration Center to 
maintain a high level of efficiency and impact in implementing its 
programs. However, the exclusion of land and easement acquisition would 
steer program priorities toward on-the-ground restoration activities 
and technical support.
     Alternative 3: Under this alternative NOAA would support a 
very limited range of project types, limited to Activity 1 (Technical 
Assistance). This alternative, while not preferred, enables the 
Restoration Center to support restoration activities conducted by 
partners.
    The publication date of this notice constitutes the start of the 
public scoping process under NEPA for the PEIS. Through public comment, 
the scoping process will help identify and determine the environmental 
issues that the PEIS will address. This notice provides information on 
how the public may participate. NOAA encourages all parties with an 
interest in or who are affected by habitat restoration activities to 
provide suggestions, comments and input on the alternatives, scope of

[[Page 13096]]

analysis and issues relevant to the activities presented in this 
notice. All interested parties who wish to provide comment may submit 
written comments to the NOAA Restoration Center electronically or by 
original hard copy to the address provided above. For more detailed 
background information, including program descriptions, restoration 
project types, and the aforementioned environmental assessment 
documents, please visit the NOAA Restoration Center Web site. NOAA will 
update the information on the Web site periodically throughout the 
public scoping process as needed.

Authority

    The authority for these actions include the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1891a), and the Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661).

    Dated: February 28, 2012.
Brian Pawlak,
Acting Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-5310 Filed 3-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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