Notice of Availability of an Alabama Trustee Implementation Group (Alabama TIG) Draft Recreational Use Restoration Plan I and Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities (RP/EIS), 91138-91140 [2016-29952]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 242 / Friday, December 16, 2016 / Notices
NOAA. The system protects more than
1.3 million acres of estuarine habitat for
long-term research, monitoring,
education and stewardship throughout
the coastal United States. Established by
the Coastal Zone Management Act of
1972, as amended, each reserve is
managed by a lead state agency or
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The He’eia Reserve Management Plan
addresses research, monitoring,
education, and stewardship/cultural
resources needs for the proposed
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organized with goals, objectives and
strategies that are based on an adaptive
management planning framework.
These goals, focusing on the He‘eia
estuary, traditional knowledge, coastal
resources, and management issues,
closely link the NERRS program sectors
of education, research and training, and
stewardship. The goals of the
Management Plan can be applied
beyond the five-year timeframe of the
Management Plan.
On September 2, 2016, NOAA issued
notice of a public hearing and a thirtyday public comment period for the
He‘eia Reserve Management Plan and a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
associated with the Proposed
Designation of the He’eia NERR (81 FR
60676). On October 13, 2016, NOAA
announced a 13-day extension to the
public comment period (81 FR 70666).
Responses to the relevant written and
oral comments on the Management Plan
have been incorporated into Appendix
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Estuarine Research Reserve. The final
Management Plan and final EIS,
including the Appendix D response to
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regulations.gov Web site by searching
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0114, and at https://coast.noaa.gov/
czm/compliance/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joelle Gore, Chief, Stewardship
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mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.420
Coastal Zone Management Program
Administration
Dated: December 13, 2016.
Keelin Kuipers,
Division Chief, Policy, Planning and
Communications, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016–30441 Filed 12–15–16; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XE201
Notice of Availability of an Alabama
Trustee Implementation Group
(Alabama TIG) Draft Recreational Use
Restoration Plan I and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement:
Provide and Enhance Recreational
Opportunities (RP/EIS)
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) and the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), the Deepwater Horizon Federal
and State natural resource trustee
agencies for the Alabama Trustee
Implementation Group (Alabama TIG)
have prepared a Draft Recreational Use
Restoration Plan I and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement:
Provide and Enhance Recreational
Opportunities (Draft RP/EIS). The Draft
RP/EIS describes the restoration project
alternatives considered by the Alabama
TIG to compensate for recreational
shoreline use lost as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The
Alabama TIG evaluated these
alternatives under criteria set forth in
the OPA natural resource damage
assessment regulations and evaluated
the environmental consequences of the
restoration alternatives in accordance
with NEPA. The purpose of this notice
is to inform the public of the availability
of the Draft RP/EIS and to seek public
comments on the document.
DATES: The Alabama TIG will consider
public comments received on or before
January 30, 2017.
Public Meetings: The Alabama TIG
will host two public meetings to
facilitate public review and comment on
the Draft RP/EIS. Both written and
verbal public comments will be taken at
each public meeting. The Alabama TIG
will hold an open house for each
meeting followed by a formal meeting
where the Alabama TIG will take verbal
public comments. Each public meeting
will include a presentation of the Draft
RP/EIS. Public meetings will be held on
January 17 and 18, 2017. The full public
meeting schedule is listed in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may
download the Draft RP/EIS at https://
SUMMARY:
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www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
Alternatively, you may request a CD of
the Draft RP/EIS (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT). You may also
view the document at any of the public
facilities listed at https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments on the Draft RP/EIS
by one of following methods:
• Via the Web: https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov or
• U.S. Mail: NOAA Gulf of Mexico
Disaster Response Center; attn: Alabama
Recreational Use Restoration Plan; 7344
Zeigler Blvd.; Mobile, AL 36608. Please
note that mailed comments must be
postmarked on or before the comment
deadline of January 30, 2017 to be
considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
• NOAA—Dan Van Nostrand,
dan.van-nostrand@noaa.gov.
• AL—Amy Hunter,
amy.hunter@dcnr.alabama.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On April 20, 2010, the mobile
offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon, which was being used to drill
a well for BP Exploration and
Production Inc. (BP), in the Macondo
prospect (Mississippi Canyon 252—
MC252), exploded, caught fire and
subsequently sank in the Gulf of
Mexico, resulting in an unprecedented
volume of oil and other discharges from
the rig and from the wellhead on the
seabed. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill
is the largest oil spill in U.S. history,
discharging millions of barrels of oil
over a period of 87 days. In addition,
well over one million gallons of
dispersants were applied to the waters
of the spill area in an attempt to
disperse the spilled oil. An
undetermined amount of natural gas
was also released to the environment as
a result of the spill.
The Deepwater Horizon State and
Federal natural resource trustees (DWH
Trustees) conducted the natural
resource damage assessment (NRDA) for
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill under
the Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA; 33
U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). Pursuant to OPA,
Federal and State agencies act as
trustees on behalf of the public to assess
natural resource injuries and losses and
to determine the actions required to
compensate the public for those injuries
and losses. OPA further instructs the
designated trustees to develop and
implement a plan for the restoration,
rehabilitation, replacement, or
acquisition of the equivalent of the
injured natural resources under their
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 242 / Friday, December 16, 2016 / Notices
trusteeship, including the loss of use
and services from those resources from
the time of injury until the time of
restoration to baseline (the resource
quality and conditions that would exist
if the spill had not occurred) is
complete.
The DWH Trustees are:
• U.S. Department of the Interior
(DOI), as represented by the National
Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS), and Bureau of
Land Management (BLM);
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), on behalf of
the U.S. Department of Commerce
(DOC);
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA);
• U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA);
• State of Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority,
Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office,
Department of Environmental Quality,
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries,
and Department of Natural Resources;
• State of Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality;
• State of Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources and
Geological Survey of Alabama;
• State of Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission; and
• For the State of Texas, Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department, Texas General
Land Office, and Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality.
Upon completion of the NRDA, the
DWH Trustees reached and finalized a
settlement of their natural resource
damage claims with BP in a Consent
Decree 1 approved by the United States
District Court for the Eastern District of
Louisiana. Pursuant to that Consent
Decree, restoration projects in Alabama
are now chosen and managed by the
Alabama TIG. The Alabama TIG is
composed of the following Trustees:
• U.S. Department of the Interior
(DOI), as represented by the National
Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS), and Bureau of
Land Management (BLM);
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), on behalf of
the U.S. Department of Commerce
(DOC);
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA);
• U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA);
• State of Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources;
and
1 https://www.justice.gov/enrd/file/838066/
download.
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• Geological Survey of Alabama.
This restoration planning activity is
proceeding in accordance with the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Final
Programmatic Damage Assessment and
Restoration Plan (PDARP) and Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS). Information on the
Restoration Type: Provide and Enhance
Recreational Opportunities, as well as
the OPA criteria against which project
ideas are being evaluated, can be found
in the PDARP/PEIS (https://www.gulf
spillrestoration.noaa.gov/restorationplanning/gulf-plan) and in the
Overview of the PDARP/PEIS (https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-planning/gulf-plan).
This restoration planning activity is
occurring, in part, in accordance with
the February 16, 2016, decision in Gulf
Restoration Network v. Jewell, Case
1:15–cv–00191–CB–C (S.D. Ala.), in
which the court enjoined the use of
Deepwater Horizon early restoration that
had been allocated to partially fund
construction of a lodge and conference
center at Alabama’s Gulf State Park
(GSP) as part of the GSP Enhancement
Project, pending additional analysis
under NEPA and OPA. This restoration
planning activity fulfills the Federal and
State natural resources trustees’
responsibilities under this court order
while looking more broadly at the
potential to provide restoration for lost
recreational shoreline use within
Alabama.
91139
Background
On July 6, 2016, the Alabama TIG
initiated a 30-day formal scoping and
public comment period for this Draft
RP/EIS (81 FR 44007–44008) through a
Notice of Intent to Prepare a RP/EIS, and
to Conduct Scoping. The Trustees
conducted the scoping in accordance
with OPA (15 CFR 990.14(d)), NEPA (40
CFR 1501.7), and State authorities. That
NOI requested public input to identify
and evaluate a range of restoration types
that could be used to compensate the
public for lost recreational use
opportunities in Alabama caused by the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico.
alternative, evaluated in accordance
with OPA and NEPA. One or more may
be selected for implementation to
compensate for lost recreational
shoreline use as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The ten alternatives under the Draft
RP/EIS are as follows:
• Alternative 1 (Preferred
Alternative): Gulf State Park Lodge and
Associated Public Access Amenities
• Alternative 2 (Preferred
Alternative): Fort Morgan Pier
Rehabilitation
• Alternative 3: Fort Morgan
Peninsula Public Access Improvements
• Alternative 4: Gulf Highlands Land
Acquisition and Improvements
• Alternative 5: (Preferred
Alternative) Laguna Cove Little Lagoon
Natural Resource Protection
• Alternative 6 (Preferred
Alternative): Bayfront Park Restoration
and Improvements
• Alternative 7 (Preferred
Alternative): Dauphin Island EcoTourism and Environmental Education
Area
• Alternative 8: Mid-Island Parks and
Public Beach Improvements (Parcels A,
B, and C)
• Alternative 9: (Preferred
Alternative): Mid-Island Parks and
Public Beach Improvements (Parcels B
and C)
• Alternative 10: No Action/Natural
Recovery
The Alabama TIG has examined and
assessed the extent of injury and the
restoration alternatives. In the Draft RP/
EIS, the Alabama TIG presents to the
public their plan for providing partial
compensation to the public for lost
recreational use in Alabama. In
particular, it considers restoration
approaches to help restore, replace,
rehabilitate, or acquire the equivalent of
the lost recreational shoreline use in
Alabama. The Alabama TIG believes
that the preferred alternatives in this
Draft RP/EIS are most appropriate for
addressing lost recreational shoreline
use in Alabama at this time. Additional
restoration planning for lost recreational
use in Alabama will occur at a later
time.
Overview of the Draft RP/EIS
The Draft RP/EIS is being released in
accordance with the OPA, NRDA
regulations found in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR part 990,
and the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
In the Draft RP/EIS, the Alabama TIG
presents to the public their plan for
compensating for lost recreational
shoreline use in Alabama. The Draft RP/
EIS proposes ten individual restoration
alternatives, including a no action
Next Steps
The public is encouraged to review
and comment on the Draft RP/EIS. As
described above, public meetings are
scheduled to facilitate the public review
and comment process. After the close of
the public comment period, the
Alabama TIG will consider and address
the comments received before issuing a
Final RP/EIS. A summary of comments
received, the Alabama TIG’s responses,
and any revisions to the document, as
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 242 / Friday, December 16, 2016 / Notices
appropriate, will be included in the
final document. After issuing the Final
RP/EIS, the Alabama TIG will prepare a
Record of Decision that formally selects
the restoration project alternatives.
PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE
Date
Time
(local times)
Location
January 17, 2017 .............
6 p.m. Open House ............................
6:30 p.m. Public Meeting.
6 p.m. Open House ............................
6:30 p.m. Public Meeting.
Shelby Auditorium, Shelby Fisheries Center, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101
Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL 36528.
Erie H. Meyer Civic Center, 1930 W. 2nd Street, Gulf Shores, AL 36542.
January 18, 2017 .............
Invitation to Comment
The Alabama TIG seeks public review
and comment on the Draft RP/EIS.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment, including your
personal identifying information, may
be publicly available at any time.
Administrative Record
The documents included in the
Administrative Record can be viewed
electronically at the following location:
https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/
adminrecord.
Authority
The authority of this action is the
OPA of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.)
and the implementing NRDA
regulations found at 15 CFR part 990.
Dated: December 8, 2016.
Carrie Selberg,
Deputy Director, Office of Habitat
Conservation, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016–29952 Filed 12–15–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35).
Agency: National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Title: Western Alaska Community
Development Quota (CDQ) Program.
OMB Control Number: 0648–0269.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular (extension of
a currently approved information
collection).
Number of Respondents: 13.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:11 Dec 15, 2016
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Average Hours per Response: 5
minutes to register and 5 minutes to
print letter for CDQ Vessel Registration
System; 35 minutes for Groundfish/
Halibut CDQ or Prohibited Species
Quota (PSQ) Transfer Request; 5 hours
for Application for Approval of Use of
Non-CDQ Harvest Regulations; and 4
hours for Appeals.
Burden Hours: 25.
Needs and Uses: This request is for
extension of a current information
collection.
The Western Alaska Community
Development Quota (CDQ) Program is
an economic development program
associated with federally managed
fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian
Islands Management Area (BSAI). The
CDQ Program receives apportionments
of the annual catch limits for a variety
of commercially valuable species in the
BSAI, which are in turn allocated
among six different non-profit managing
organizations representing different
affiliations of communities (CDQ
groups). The CDQ Program redistributes
a portion of commercially important
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communities. There are 65 communities
participating in the program. CDQ
groups use the revenue derived from the
harvest of their fisheries allocations as
a basis both for funding economic
development activities and for
providing employment opportunities.
Thus, the successful harvest of CDQ
Program allocations is integral to
achieving the goals of the program.
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) manages the groundfish
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone
off Alaska. NMFS manages the
groundfish and crab fisheries of the
BSAI under the Fishery Management
Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands Management Area
and the Fishery Management Plan for
Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and
Tanner Crabs (FMPs). The North Pacific
Fishery Management Council prepared
the FMPs under the authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation & Management Act (16
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) as amended in 2006.
The International Pacific Halibut
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Commission and NMFS manage fishing
for Pacific halibut through regulations
established under the authority of the
Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982.
Regulations implementing the FMPs
appear at 50 CFR parts 300, 679, and
680.
Affected Public: Not for profit
institutions; business or other for-profit
organizations.
Frequency: On occasion.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain benefits.
This information collection request
may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow
the instructions to view Department of
Commerce collections currently under
review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to OIRA_Submission@
omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
Dated: December 12, 2016.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016–30217 Filed 12–15–16; 8:45 am]
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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM
PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR
SEVERELY DISABLED
Procurement List; Proposed Additions
And Deletions
Committee for Purchase From
People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled.
ACTION: Proposed additions to and
deletions from the Procurement List.
AGENCY:
The Committee is proposing
to add products and a service to the
Procurement List that will be furnished
by nonprofit agencies employing
persons who are blind or have other
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products and a service previously
furnished by such agencies.
DATES: Comments must be received on
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ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase
From People Who Are Blind or Severely
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 242 (Friday, December 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 91138-91140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29952]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XE201
Notice of Availability of an Alabama Trustee Implementation Group
(Alabama TIG) Draft Recreational Use Restoration Plan I and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement: Provide and Enhance Recreational
Opportunities (RP/EIS)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) and the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Deepwater Horizon Federal
and State natural resource trustee agencies for the Alabama Trustee
Implementation Group (Alabama TIG) have prepared a Draft Recreational
Use Restoration Plan I and Draft Environmental Impact Statement:
Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities (Draft RP/EIS). The
Draft RP/EIS describes the restoration project alternatives considered
by the Alabama TIG to compensate for recreational shoreline use lost as
a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Alabama TIG evaluated
these alternatives under criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource
damage assessment regulations and evaluated the environmental
consequences of the restoration alternatives in accordance with NEPA.
The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of the availability
of the Draft RP/EIS and to seek public comments on the document.
DATES: The Alabama TIG will consider public comments received on or
before January 30, 2017.
Public Meetings: The Alabama TIG will host two public meetings to
facilitate public review and comment on the Draft RP/EIS. Both written
and verbal public comments will be taken at each public meeting. The
Alabama TIG will hold an open house for each meeting followed by a
formal meeting where the Alabama TIG will take verbal public comments.
Each public meeting will include a presentation of the Draft RP/EIS.
Public meetings will be held on January 17 and 18, 2017. The full
public meeting schedule is listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may download the Draft RP/EIS at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov. Alternatively, you may request a CD
of the Draft RP/EIS (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). You may also
view the document at any of the public facilities listed at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft RP/EIS by
one of following methods:
Via the Web: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov or
U.S. Mail: NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center;
attn: Alabama Recreational Use Restoration Plan; 7344 Zeigler Blvd.;
Mobile, AL 36608. Please note that mailed comments must be postmarked
on or before the comment deadline of January 30, 2017 to be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
NOAA--Dan Van Nostrand, dan.van-nostrand@noaa.gov.
AL--Amy Hunter, amy.hunter@dcnr.alabama.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon, which was being used to drill a well for BP Exploration and
Production Inc. (BP), in the Macondo prospect (Mississippi Canyon 252--
MC252), exploded, caught fire and subsequently sank in the Gulf of
Mexico, resulting in an unprecedented volume of oil and other
discharges from the rig and from the wellhead on the seabed. The
Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the largest oil spill in U.S. history,
discharging millions of barrels of oil over a period of 87 days. In
addition, well over one million gallons of dispersants were applied to
the waters of the spill area in an attempt to disperse the spilled oil.
An undetermined amount of natural gas was also released to the
environment as a result of the spill.
The Deepwater Horizon State and Federal natural resource trustees
(DWH Trustees) conducted the natural resource damage assessment (NRDA)
for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill under the Oil Pollution Act 1990
(OPA; 33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). Pursuant to OPA, Federal and State
agencies act as trustees on behalf of the public to assess natural
resource injuries and losses and to determine the actions required to
compensate the public for those injuries and losses. OPA further
instructs the designated trustees to develop and implement a plan for
the restoration, rehabilitation, replacement, or acquisition of the
equivalent of the injured natural resources under their
[[Page 91139]]
trusteeship, including the loss of use and services from those
resources from the time of injury until the time of restoration to
baseline (the resource quality and conditions that would exist if the
spill had not occurred) is complete.
The DWH Trustees are:
U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), as represented by
the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS),
and Bureau of Land Management (BLM);
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on
behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC);
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA);
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
State of Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration
Authority, Oil Spill Coordinator's Office, Department of Environmental
Quality, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Department of
Natural Resources;
State of Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality;
State of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources and Geological Survey of Alabama;
State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection
and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and
For the State of Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, Texas General Land Office, and Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality.
Upon completion of the NRDA, the DWH Trustees reached and finalized
a settlement of their natural resource damage claims with BP in a
Consent Decree \1\ approved by the United States District Court for the
Eastern District of Louisiana. Pursuant to that Consent Decree,
restoration projects in Alabama are now chosen and managed by the
Alabama TIG. The Alabama TIG is composed of the following Trustees:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://www.justice.gov/enrd/file/838066/download.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), as represented by
the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS),
and Bureau of Land Management (BLM);
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on
behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC);
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA);
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
State of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources; and
Geological Survey of Alabama.
This restoration planning activity is proceeding in accordance with
the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Final Programmatic Damage Assessment
and Restoration Plan (PDARP) and Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (PEIS). Information on the Restoration Type: Provide
and Enhance Recreational Opportunities, as well as the OPA criteria
against which project ideas are being evaluated, can be found in the
PDARP/PEIS (https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan) and in the Overview of the PDARP/PEIS (https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan).
This restoration planning activity is occurring, in part, in
accordance with the February 16, 2016, decision in Gulf Restoration
Network v. Jewell, Case 1:15-cv-00191-CB-C (S.D. Ala.), in which the
court enjoined the use of Deepwater Horizon early restoration that had
been allocated to partially fund construction of a lodge and conference
center at Alabama's Gulf State Park (GSP) as part of the GSP
Enhancement Project, pending additional analysis under NEPA and OPA.
This restoration planning activity fulfills the Federal and State
natural resources trustees' responsibilities under this court order
while looking more broadly at the potential to provide restoration for
lost recreational shoreline use within Alabama.
Background
On July 6, 2016, the Alabama TIG initiated a 30-day formal scoping
and public comment period for this Draft RP/EIS (81 FR 44007-44008)
through a Notice of Intent to Prepare a RP/EIS, and to Conduct Scoping.
The Trustees conducted the scoping in accordance with OPA (15 CFR
990.14(d)), NEPA (40 CFR 1501.7), and State authorities. That NOI
requested public input to identify and evaluate a range of restoration
types that could be used to compensate the public for lost recreational
use opportunities in Alabama caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico.
Overview of the Draft RP/EIS
The Draft RP/EIS is being released in accordance with the OPA, NRDA
regulations found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR
part 990, and the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
In the Draft RP/EIS, the Alabama TIG presents to the public their
plan for compensating for lost recreational shoreline use in Alabama.
The Draft RP/EIS proposes ten individual restoration alternatives,
including a no action alternative, evaluated in accordance with OPA and
NEPA. One or more may be selected for implementation to compensate for
lost recreational shoreline use as a result of the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill.
The ten alternatives under the Draft RP/EIS are as follows:
Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative): Gulf State Park
Lodge and Associated Public Access Amenities
Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative): Fort Morgan Pier
Rehabilitation
Alternative 3: Fort Morgan Peninsula Public Access
Improvements
Alternative 4: Gulf Highlands Land Acquisition and
Improvements
Alternative 5: (Preferred Alternative) Laguna Cove Little
Lagoon Natural Resource Protection
Alternative 6 (Preferred Alternative): Bayfront Park
Restoration and Improvements
Alternative 7 (Preferred Alternative): Dauphin Island Eco-
Tourism and Environmental Education Area
Alternative 8: Mid-Island Parks and Public Beach
Improvements (Parcels A, B, and C)
Alternative 9: (Preferred Alternative): Mid-Island Parks
and Public Beach Improvements (Parcels B and C)
Alternative 10: No Action/Natural Recovery
The Alabama TIG has examined and assessed the extent of injury and
the restoration alternatives. In the Draft RP/EIS, the Alabama TIG
presents to the public their plan for providing partial compensation to
the public for lost recreational use in Alabama. In particular, it
considers restoration approaches to help restore, replace,
rehabilitate, or acquire the equivalent of the lost recreational
shoreline use in Alabama. The Alabama TIG believes that the preferred
alternatives in this Draft RP/EIS are most appropriate for addressing
lost recreational shoreline use in Alabama at this time. Additional
restoration planning for lost recreational use in Alabama will occur at
a later time.
Next Steps
The public is encouraged to review and comment on the Draft RP/EIS.
As described above, public meetings are scheduled to facilitate the
public review and comment process. After the close of the public
comment period, the Alabama TIG will consider and address the comments
received before issuing a Final RP/EIS. A summary of comments received,
the Alabama TIG's responses, and any revisions to the document, as
[[Page 91140]]
appropriate, will be included in the final document. After issuing the
Final RP/EIS, the Alabama TIG will prepare a Record of Decision that
formally selects the restoration project alternatives.
Public Meeting Schedule
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Date Time (local times) Location
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January 17, 2017........................ 6 p.m. Open House.......... Shelby Auditorium, Shelby Fisheries
6:30 p.m. Public Meeting... Center, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101
Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL
36528.
January 18, 2017........................ 6 p.m. Open House.......... Erie H. Meyer Civic Center, 1930 W. 2nd
6:30 p.m. Public Meeting... Street, Gulf Shores, AL 36542.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invitation to Comment
The Alabama TIG seeks public review and comment on the Draft RP/
EIS. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying
information, may be publicly available at any time.
Administrative Record
The documents included in the Administrative Record can be viewed
electronically at the following location: https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord.
Authority
The authority of this action is the OPA of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et
seq.) and the implementing NRDA regulations found at 15 CFR part 990.
Dated: December 8, 2016.
Carrie Selberg,
Deputy Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-29952 Filed 12-15-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
