Boundary Expansion of Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries; Intent To Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Scoping Meetings, 75601-75602 [2012-30581]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 246 / Friday, December 21, 2012 / Proposed Rules
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Issued in Washington, DC, December 14,
2012.
John M. Allen,
Director, Flight Standards Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–30701 Filed 12–20–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
15 CFR Part 922
Boundary Expansion of Cordell Bank
and Gulf of the Farallones National
Marine Sanctuaries; Intent To Prepare
Draft Environmental Impact Statement;
Scoping Meetings
Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Consider
Expanding Sanctuary Boundaries; Intent
to Prepare Environmental Impact
Statement; Scoping Meetings.
AGENCY:
With this notice, NOAA
announces that it is considering
whether to expand the boundaries of
Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones
national marine sanctuaries. NOAA will
conduct this review pursuant to section
304(e) of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act, as amended, (NMSA)
(16 U.S.C. 1434(e)). As required by the
NMSA, the review will include public
processes outlined under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). NOAA anticipates
that the review and potential expansion
of existing sanctuary boundaries will be
completed within 18 to 24 months.
DATES: Comments must be received by
March 1, 2013. Dates for scoping
meetings are:
(1) January 24 2013 at the Bodega Bay
Grange Hall.
(2) February 12, 2013 at the Gualala
Community Center.
(3) February 13, 2013 at the Point
Arena High School.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with
SUMMARY:
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16:16 Dec 20, 2012
Jkt 229001
You may submit comments
on this document, identified by NOAA–
NOS–2012–0228, by any of the
following methods:
• Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NOS-20120228, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
• Mail: Maria Brown, Sanctuary
Superintendent, Gulf of the Farallones
National Marine Sanctuary, 991 Marine
Drive, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA
94129.
Instructions: Comments sent by any
other method, to any other address or
individual, or received after the end of
the comment period, may not be
considered by NOAA. All comments
received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted for public
viewing on www.regulations.gov
without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.),
confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. NOAA will
accept anonymous comments (enter
‘‘N/A’’ in the required fields if you wish
to remain anonymous). Attachments to
electronic comments will be accepted in
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF
file formats only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Maria Brown at Maria.Brown@noaa.gov
or 415–561–6622; or Dan Howard at
Dan.Howard@noaa.gov or 415–663–
0314.
ADDRESSES:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
Gulf of the Farallones National
Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS), designated
in 1981, and Cordell Bank National
Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS), designated
in 1989, are federally protected marine
areas along and offshore of California’s
north-central coast. Centered along an
important upwelling area, the
sanctuaries are able to support
important commercial and recreational
fisheries, tourism and recreation
industries, and coastal economies and
communities. Sanctuary personnel
contribute greatly to ocean and coastal
management by engaging in public
outreach and education to promote
stewardship, conducting scientific and
applied research initiatives, and
developing and supporting programs
that strengthen resource protection for
the long-term health of the region.
NOAA is considering expansion of
GFNMS and CBNMS to an area north of
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
75601
the existing sanctuaries that extends
from Bodega Bay in Sonoma County, to
Alder Creek in Mendocino County, and
west to the edge of the continental shelf.
This area encompasses the Point Arena
upwelling center that consistently
produces the most intense upwelling in
all of North America.
The nutrients brought to the surface
during upwelling events at Point Arena
are carried south into the sanctuaries by
the prevailing California Current; these
nutrients fuel an incredibly productive
ocean area protected by GFNMS and
CBNMS. The sanctuaries are destination
feeding areas for endangered blue
whales and humpback whales, sharks,
salmon, and seabirds like albatrosses
and shearwaters that travel tens of
thousands of miles. Food that results
from the Point Arena upwelling center
also supports the largest assemblage of
breeding seabirds in the contiguous
United States on the Farallon Islands.
Living reefs of corals, sponges and a
myriad of other invertebrates cover hard
bottom areas and these sessile
invertebrate communities are washed
with food rich water from the north.
These invertebrate reefs also provide
structure and habitat for many species
of juvenile and adult rockfish that
prosper in these productive waters.
Sanctuary waters also support valuable
commercial fisheries for salmon and
Dungeness crab. Local ports and coastal
communities all derive socioeconomic
benefits from these healthy ocean
habitats. The rich diversity and health
of this thriving marine ecosystem
depends on the cold nutrient rich
source water originating from the Point
Arena upwelling center.
In 2008, the joint management plan
review for CBNMS and GFNMS
determined that managers in these
sanctuaries would facilitate a public
process in the next five years to ensure
that ‘‘current boundaries were inclusive
of the area’s natural resource and
ecological qualities, including the
biogeographic representation of the
area.’’ Sanctuary advisory councils from
both sites have regularly discussed the
boundary expansion alternative and
have expressed support for boundary
expansion when proposed by local
congressional members.
In accordance with Section 304(e) of
the NMSA, NOAA is now initiating a
review of the boundaries for CBNMS
and GFNMS to evaluate and assess a
proposed expansion of the sanctuaries.
As noted above, NOAA is considering
extending the boundaries of the two
sanctuaries to add the northern area
from Bodega Bay, Sonoma County to
Alder Creek, Mendocino County, and
west to the edge of the continental shelf
E:\FR\FM\21DEP1.SGM
21DEP1
75602
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 246 / Friday, December 21, 2012 / Proposed Rules
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with
(for a map of the area considered and
other relevant information, see https://
farallones.noaa.gov/manage/northern_
area.html). In doing so, NOAA is
considering extending, and as necessary
amending, the regulations and
management plan for GFNMS and
CBNMS to this area and is specifically
requesting public comment on issues
that would arise in doing so. This
expansion would protect the upwelling
source waters of the sanctuaries as well
as nationally-significant seascapes,
wildlife, and shipwrecks, and would
promote ecotourism and sustainable
fishing practices. Although no decision
has been made yet regarding this
possible action, expanded sanctuary
boundaries could protect up to an
additional 2,771 square statute miles.
Review Process
The review process for the proposed
expansion of the sanctuary boundaries
is composed of four stages:
1. Determine the scope of issues to be
addressed and identify significant issues
related to any proposed expansion;
2. Prepare and release a draft
environmental impact statement (DEIS)
that identifies boundary expansion
alternatives, together with all other
documents required by the NMSA
including a resource assessment, revised
management plans, and a notice of
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend
the sanctuary regulations;
3. Allow public review and comment
on the DEIS, NPRM, and related
documents; and
4. Prepare and release a final
environmental impact statement and
related documents, including a response
to public comments, with a final rule if
appropriate.
NOAA anticipates that completing the
review and process for potentially
expanding sanctuary boundaries will
take approximately 18–24 months.
At this time, NOAA is soliciting
public comments to:
1. Gather information and comments
from individuals, organizations, and
government agencies on: (a) Whether
NOAA should expand GFNMS and
CBNMS boundaries; and (b) what, if
any, potential effects might result from
a boundary expansion; and
2. Help determine the scope of issues,
including alternatives to be considered,
in the preparation of an environmental
impact statement (EIS) pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) (43 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), if
warranted.
Public Scoping Meetings: NOAA
intends to conduct a series of public
scoping meetings to collect public
comments. These meetings will be held
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:16 Dec 20, 2012
Jkt 229001
on the following dates and at the
following locations and times:
1. Bodega Bay, CA
Date: January 24, 2013.
Location: Bodega Bay Grange Hall.
Address: 1370 Bodega Avenue,
Bodega Bay, CA 94923.
Time: 6 p.m.
2. Gualala, CA
Date: February 12, 2013.
Location: Gualala Community Center.
Address: 47950 Center Street, Gualala,
CA 95445
Time: 6 p.m.
3. Pt. Arena, CA
Date: February 13, 2013.
Location: Point Arena High School.
Address: 185 Lake Street, Point
Arena, CA 95468.
Time: 6 p.m.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.; 16 U.S.C.
470.
Dated: December 12, 2012.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director for the Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. 2012–30581 Filed 12–20–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P
(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov.
(2) Fax: 202–493–2251.
(3) Mail or Delivery: Docket
Management Facility (M–30), U.S.
Department of Transportation, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20590–0001. Deliveries
accepted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The telephone number is 202–
366–9329.
See the ‘‘Public Participation and
Request for Comments’’ portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
below for further instructions on
submitting comments. To avoid
duplication, please use only one of
these three methods.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions on this rule, call or
email CWO4 Joseph M. Edge, U.S. Coast
Guard Sector North Carolina; telephone
252–247–4525, email
Joseph.M.Edge@uscg.mil. If you have
questions on viewing or submitting
material to the docket, call Renee V.
Wright, Program Manager, Docket
Operations, telephone (202) 366–9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Acronyms
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 165
[Docket Number USCG–2012–1062]
RIN 1625–AA00
Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal
Waterway; Oak Island, NC
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Coast Guard proposes to
extend the temporary safety zone
established on the waters of the Atlantic
Intracoastal Waterway at Oak Island,
North Carolina. The safety zone is
necessary to provide for the safety of
mariners on navigable waters during
maintenance on the NC 133 Fixed
Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal
Waterway, mile 311.8, at Oak Island,
North Carolina. The safety zone
extension will temporarily restrict
vessel movement within the designated
area starting on February 14, 2013
through June 15, 2013.
DATES: Comments and related material
must be received by the Coast Guard on
or before January 7, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by docket number using any
one of the following methods:
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
NPRM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
A. Public Participation and Request for
Comments
We encourage you to participate in
this rulemaking by submitting
comments and related materials. All
comments received will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov and will include
any personal information you have
provided.
1. Submitting Comments
If you submit a comment, please
include the docket number for this
rulemaking, indicate the specific section
of this document to which each
comment applies, and provide a reason
for each suggestion or recommendation.
You may submit your comments and
material online at https://
www.regulations.gov, or by fax, mail, or
hand delivery, but please use only one
of these means. If you submit a
comment online, it will be considered
received by the Coast Guard when you
successfully transmit the comment. If
you fax, hand deliver, or mail your
comment, it will be considered as
having been received by the Coast
Guard when it is received at the Docket
Management Facility. We recommend
that you include your name and a
E:\FR\FM\21DEP1.SGM
21DEP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 246 (Friday, December 21, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 75601-75602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30581]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
15 CFR Part 922
Boundary Expansion of Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones
National Marine Sanctuaries; Intent To Prepare Draft Environmental
Impact Statement; Scoping Meetings
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Consider Expanding Sanctuary Boundaries;
Intent to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement; Scoping Meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: With this notice, NOAA announces that it is considering
whether to expand the boundaries of Cordell Bank and Gulf of the
Farallones national marine sanctuaries. NOAA will conduct this review
pursuant to section 304(e) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, as
amended, (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1434(e)). As required by the NMSA, the
review will include public processes outlined under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). NOAA
anticipates that the review and potential expansion of existing
sanctuary boundaries will be completed within 18 to 24 months.
DATES: Comments must be received by March 1, 2013. Dates for scoping
meetings are:
(1) January 24 2013 at the Bodega Bay Grange Hall.
(2) February 12, 2013 at the Gualala Community Center.
(3) February 13, 2013 at the Point Arena High School.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NOS-2012-0228, by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NOS-2012-0228, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Mail: Maria Brown, Sanctuary Superintendent, Gulf of the
Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, 991 Marine Drive, The Presidio,
San Francisco, CA 94129.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NOAA. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NOAA will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Brown at Maria.Brown@noaa.gov or
415-561-6622; or Dan Howard at Dan.Howard@noaa.gov or 415-663-0314.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS),
designated in 1981, and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS),
designated in 1989, are federally protected marine areas along and
offshore of California's north-central coast. Centered along an
important upwelling area, the sanctuaries are able to support important
commercial and recreational fisheries, tourism and recreation
industries, and coastal economies and communities. Sanctuary personnel
contribute greatly to ocean and coastal management by engaging in
public outreach and education to promote stewardship, conducting
scientific and applied research initiatives, and developing and
supporting programs that strengthen resource protection for the long-
term health of the region.
NOAA is considering expansion of GFNMS and CBNMS to an area north
of the existing sanctuaries that extends from Bodega Bay in Sonoma
County, to Alder Creek in Mendocino County, and west to the edge of the
continental shelf. This area encompasses the Point Arena upwelling
center that consistently produces the most intense upwelling in all of
North America.
The nutrients brought to the surface during upwelling events at
Point Arena are carried south into the sanctuaries by the prevailing
California Current; these nutrients fuel an incredibly productive ocean
area protected by GFNMS and CBNMS. The sanctuaries are destination
feeding areas for endangered blue whales and humpback whales, sharks,
salmon, and seabirds like albatrosses and shearwaters that travel tens
of thousands of miles. Food that results from the Point Arena upwelling
center also supports the largest assemblage of breeding seabirds in the
contiguous United States on the Farallon Islands. Living reefs of
corals, sponges and a myriad of other invertebrates cover hard bottom
areas and these sessile invertebrate communities are washed with food
rich water from the north. These invertebrate reefs also provide
structure and habitat for many species of juvenile and adult rockfish
that prosper in these productive waters. Sanctuary waters also support
valuable commercial fisheries for salmon and Dungeness crab. Local
ports and coastal communities all derive socioeconomic benefits from
these healthy ocean habitats. The rich diversity and health of this
thriving marine ecosystem depends on the cold nutrient rich source
water originating from the Point Arena upwelling center.
In 2008, the joint management plan review for CBNMS and GFNMS
determined that managers in these sanctuaries would facilitate a public
process in the next five years to ensure that ``current boundaries were
inclusive of the area's natural resource and ecological qualities,
including the biogeographic representation of the area.'' Sanctuary
advisory councils from both sites have regularly discussed the boundary
expansion alternative and have expressed support for boundary expansion
when proposed by local congressional members.
In accordance with Section 304(e) of the NMSA, NOAA is now
initiating a review of the boundaries for CBNMS and GFNMS to evaluate
and assess a proposed expansion of the sanctuaries. As noted above,
NOAA is considering extending the boundaries of the two sanctuaries to
add the northern area from Bodega Bay, Sonoma County to Alder Creek,
Mendocino County, and west to the edge of the continental shelf
[[Page 75602]]
(for a map of the area considered and other relevant information, see
https://farallones.noaa.gov/manage/northern_area.html). In doing so,
NOAA is considering extending, and as necessary amending, the
regulations and management plan for GFNMS and CBNMS to this area and is
specifically requesting public comment on issues that would arise in
doing so. This expansion would protect the upwelling source waters of
the sanctuaries as well as nationally-significant seascapes, wildlife,
and shipwrecks, and would promote ecotourism and sustainable fishing
practices. Although no decision has been made yet regarding this
possible action, expanded sanctuary boundaries could protect up to an
additional 2,771 square statute miles.
Review Process
The review process for the proposed expansion of the sanctuary
boundaries is composed of four stages:
1. Determine the scope of issues to be addressed and identify
significant issues related to any proposed expansion;
2. Prepare and release a draft environmental impact statement
(DEIS) that identifies boundary expansion alternatives, together with
all other documents required by the NMSA including a resource
assessment, revised management plans, and a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the sanctuary regulations;
3. Allow public review and comment on the DEIS, NPRM, and related
documents; and
4. Prepare and release a final environmental impact statement and
related documents, including a response to public comments, with a
final rule if appropriate.
NOAA anticipates that completing the review and process for
potentially expanding sanctuary boundaries will take approximately 18-
24 months.
At this time, NOAA is soliciting public comments to:
1. Gather information and comments from individuals, organizations,
and government agencies on: (a) Whether NOAA should expand GFNMS and
CBNMS boundaries; and (b) what, if any, potential effects might result
from a boundary expansion; and
2. Help determine the scope of issues, including alternatives to be
considered, in the preparation of an environmental impact statement
(EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (43
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), if warranted.
Public Scoping Meetings: NOAA intends to conduct a series of public
scoping meetings to collect public comments. These meetings will be
held on the following dates and at the following locations and times:
1. Bodega Bay, CA
Date: January 24, 2013.
Location: Bodega Bay Grange Hall.
Address: 1370 Bodega Avenue, Bodega Bay, CA 94923.
Time: 6 p.m.
2. Gualala, CA
Date: February 12, 2013.
Location: Gualala Community Center.
Address: 47950 Center Street, Gualala, CA 95445
Time: 6 p.m.
3. Pt. Arena, CA
Date: February 13, 2013.
Location: Point Arena High School.
Address: 185 Lake Street, Point Arena, CA 95468.
Time: 6 p.m.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 470.
Dated: December 12, 2012.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. 2012-30581 Filed 12-20-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P