Notice of Availability of the Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Draft 2016-2017 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment for Review and Public Comment, 95106-95108 [2016-31064]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 27, 2016 / Notices
prepare and update an operating plan
that governs day-to-day operations of
the authorized use. This information is
useful to the holder and the Forest
Service, because it specifies procedures
and policies for conducting the
authorized use. Typically, operating
plans contain daily operating
guidelines, fire abatement and control
procedures, monitoring guidelines,
maintenance standards, safety and
emergency plans, and inspection
standards. Operating plans are usually
necessary for complex operations,
commercial uses, and uses conducted in
environmentally sensitive areas.
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Category 5: Preparing and Updating
Maintenance Plans (No Designated
Form)
A permit or easement issued under
FLPMA or FRTA may require the holder
or grantee to submit and update a road
maintenance plan or information
necessary for the preparation of a road
maintenance plan. A road maintenance
plan governs the responsibility of the
holder or grantee to perform or pay for
maintenance of an NFS road.
Category 6: Compliance Reports and
Information Updates
1. FS–2700–1, Inspection form for
Special Uses, is used to document
onsite examination of an authorized
activity or facility to assess conditions
and inform a compliance review.
2. Compliance Reports and
Information Updates (no designated
form). Special use authorizations may
contain a clause requiring the holder to
provide the Forest Service with
compliance reports, information reports,
and other information required by
Federal law or to manage NFS lands to
ensure adequate protection of national
forest resources and public health and
safety. Examples of compliance and
information updates include dam
maintenance inspection reports and logs
required by the Reclamation Safety of
Dams Act of 1978; the Federal Dam
Safety Inspection Act of 1979; and the
Dam Safety Act of 1983; documentation
that authorized facilities passed safety
inspections; documentation showing
that the United States is named as an
additional insured in an insurance
policy issued to a holder; notifications
involving a change in ownership of
authorized improvements or a change in
control of the holder; and
documentation of compliance with Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Forest Service
Estimated Annual Burden: 2.9 burden
hours per response (This is an average
burden per form. This estimated annual
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:45 Dec 23, 2016
Jkt 241001
burden also includes data from the
Department of the Interior and the U.S.
Army Corp of Engineers.)
Type of Respondents: Individuals,
Businesses, Non-profit Organizations,
and Non-Federal Governmental entities.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 168,728 respondents (This
is a 3-year user rate average as tracked
by the Special Use Data System (SUDS).
This estimated annual number of
respondents also includes data from the
Department of the Interior and the U.S.
Army Corp of Engineers.)
Estimated Annual Number of
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 336,463.5 hours. (This is
an estimation based on a three year
usage rate as tracked by SUDS
multiplied by Burden Hours per Form.
This estimated annual burden on
respondents also includes data from the
Department of the Interior and the U.S.
Army Corp of Engineers.)
Department of the Interior—BLM, FWS,
NPS and BOR
Estimated Annual Burden: 25 burden
hours per response.
Type of Respondents: Individuals,
Businesses, Non-profit Organizations,
and State and Local and Federal
Government.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 5,254.
Estimated Annual Number of
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 131,051 hours.
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
Estimated Annual Burden: 25 burden
hours per response.
Type of Respondents: Individuals,
Businesses, Non-profit Organizations,
and State and Local and Federal
Government.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 32.
Estimated Annual Number of
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 800 hours.
Comment Is Invited
Comment is invited on: (1) Whether
this collection of information is
necessary for the stated purposes and
the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the
information will have practical or
scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4)
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ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology.
All comments received in response to
this notice, including names and
addresses when provided, will be a
matter of public record. Comments will
be summarized and included in the
submission request toward Office of
Management and Budget approval.
Dated: December 14, 2016.
Gregory C. Smith,
Director, Lands and Realty Management,
National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2016–31214 Filed 12–23–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation
Service
[Docket No. NRCS 2016–0013]
Notice of Availability of the Mississippi
Trustee Implementation Group Draft
2016–2017 Restoration Plan/
Environmental Assessment for Review
and Public Comment
Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS).
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 Mississippi Trustee
Implementation Group (MS TIG) have
prepared a Draft 2016–2017 Restoration
Plan/Environmental Assessment (Draft
RP/EA). The Draft RP/EA describes and
proposes restoration project alternatives
and proposed projects considered by the
MS TIG to restore natural resources and
ecological services injured or lost as a
result of the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill. The proposed projects are
consistent with the restoration
alternatives selected in the Final
Programmatic Damage Assessment and
Restoration Plan/Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement
(PDARP/PEIS). The purpose of this
notice is to inform the public of the
availability of the Draft RP/EA and to
seek public comments on the document.
DATES: Effective Date: This is effective
December 27, 2016. Comments Date:
Submit comments on or before February
10, 2017.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\27DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 27, 2016 / Notices
Obtaining Documents: You
may download the Draft RP/EA at
https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
Alternatively, you may request a CD of
the Draft RP/EA (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT). Also, you may
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/EA by
one of following methods:
• Via the Web: https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov or
• Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 49567,
Atlanta, Georgia 30345. Please note that
mailed comments must be postmarked
on or before the comment deadline of
February 10, 2017 to be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mississippi—Tabatha Baum,
mississippiTIG@deq.state.ms.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Introduction
On April 20, 2010, the mobile
offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon that 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 maritime oil spill in United
States (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
also was 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
trusteeship, including the loss of use
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:45 Dec 23, 2016
Jkt 241001
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. Department of Defense
(DOD); 1
• 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 2 approved by the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of
Louisiana. Pursuant to that Consent
Decree, restoration projects in the
Mississippi Restoration Area are now
chosen and managed by MS TIG.
MS TIG is composed of the following
Trustees:
• Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality;
• DOI, as represented by NPS,
USFWS, and BLM;
• NOAA, on behalf of the U.S. DOC;
• USDA;
• EPA;
This restoration planning activity is
proceeding in accordance with the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Final
1 Although a trustee under OPA by virtue of the
proximity of its facilities to the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill, DOD is not a member of the Trustee
Council and does not participate in DWH Trustee
decision-making.
2 https://www.justice.gov/enrd/file/838066/
download.
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95107
Programmatic Damage Assessment and
Restoration Plan (PDARP) and Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS). Information on the
restoration types being considered in
the Draft RP/EA, as well as the OPA
criteria against which project ideas are
being evaluated, can be viewed 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).
Background
On May 27, 2016, MS TIG published
a notice to invite public input regarding
natural resource restoration
opportunities in the Mississippi
Restoration Area for the 2016–2017
planning years. The notice indicated a
focus on the following range of potential
restoration types that may have benefits
to living coastal and marine resources:
Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal and
Nearshore Habitats, restoration of water
quality through Nutrient Reduction
(Nonpoint source), restoration of Birds,
and restoration of Oysters. Because
there are several ongoing or completed
projects benefitting oysters and
secondary productivity in the
Mississippi Restoration Area, MS TIG
chose not to prioritize the oyster
restoration type in this Draft RP/EA.
On October 31, 2016, MS TIG
published a Notice of Initiation for
Restoration Plan Drafting in Mississippi
indicating its intent to focus on the
following restoration types:
• Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore
Habitats
• Nutrient Reduction (nonpoint source)
• Birds
Overview of the Draft RP/EA
The Draft RP/EA is being released in
accordance with the OPA, NRDA
regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR part 990,
and the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
For the Draft RP/EA, MS TIG proposes
moving forward with the following two
preferred alternatives and proposed
projects within the Wetlands, Coastal
and Nearshore Habitat and Birds
Restoration Types: (1) Graveline Bay
Land Acquisition and Management and
(2) Grand Bay Land Acquisition and
Habitat Management. MS TIG also
proposes the following preferred
alternative and proposed project within
the Nutrient Reduction (Nonpoint
Source) Restoration Type: Upper
Pascagoula River Water Quality
Enhancement. RP/EA also evaluates a
no action alternative. One or more
E:\FR\FM\27DEN1.SGM
27DEN1
95108
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 27, 2016 / Notices
alternatives may be selected for
implementation by MS TIG.
MS TIG has examined and assessed
the extent of injury and the restoration
alternatives. In the Draft RP/EA, MS TIG
presents to the public its draft plan for
providing partial compensation to the
public for natural resources and
ecological services in the Mississippi
Restoration Area. The proposed projects
are intended to continue the process of
restoring natural resources and
ecological services injured or lost as a
result of the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill. Additional restoration planning
for the Mississippi Restoration Area will
continue.
Next Steps
The public is encouraged to review
and comment on the Draft RP/EA. After
the close of the public comment period,
MS TIG will consider and address the
comments received before issuing a
final RP/EA. A summary of comments
received and MS TIG’s responses will be
included in the final document.
Invitation to Comment
MS TIG seeks public review and
comment on the Draft RP/EA. Before
including your address, telephone
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.
BILLING CODE 3510–33–P
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
BILLING CODE P
Economics and Statistics
Administration
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request; Entity List
Requests
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
Economics and Statistics
Administration (ESA), Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of charter renewal of the
Commerce Data Advisory Council
(CDAC).
The Economics and Statistics
Administration (ESA) announces the
SUMMARY:
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Sfmt 4703
charter renewal of the Commerce Data
Advisory Council (CDAC) by the
Secretary, Department of Commerce.
The renewed charter can be found on
the CDAC’s Web site at the following
link: https://www.esa.gov/cdac/facadocumentation.html.
The CDAC is a Federal Advisory
Committee established by the Secretary
of Commerce to provide advice and
recommendations to the Secretary, DOC,
on ways to make Commerce data easier
to find, access, use, combine, and
disseminate, and on other such matters
as the Secretary determines. With the
exception of the limitations set out in 41
CFR part 102–3, the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, on behalf of the
Secretary, Department of Commerce,
will execute the functions and
implement the provisions of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act and its
implementing regulation.
The Charter will be effective for two
years from the date it is filed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Burton Reist, Designated Federal Officer
of the CDAC, Director of External
Affairs, Economics and Statistics
Administration, Department of
Commerce, at (202) 482–3331 or email
BReist@doc.gov, also at 1401
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington,
DC 20230.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
notice is provided in accordance with
the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(Pub. L. 92–463, 5 U.S.C. App. 2). As
noted above, the CDAC is a Federal
Advisory Committee established to
provide advice and recommendations to
the Secretary, DOC, on ways to make
Commerce data easier to find, access,
use, combine, and disseminate, and on
other such matters as the Secretary
determines.
Dated: December 19, 2016.
Burton Reist,
Director of External Affairs, Economics &
Statistics Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016–31224 Filed 12–23–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
AGENCY:
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Jkt 241001
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Notice of Charter Renewal of
Commerce Data Advisory Council
(CDAC)
[FR Doc. 2016–31064 Filed 12–23–16; 8:45 am]
20:45 Dec 23, 2016
Sheleen Dumas,
PRA Departmental Lead, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016–31162 Filed 12–23–16; 8:45 am]
Signed this 20th day of December 2016, in
Washington, DC.
Jason A. Weller,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation
Service.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35).
Agency: Bureau of Industry and
Security.
Title: Entity List Requests.
Form Number(s): N/A.
OMB Control Number: 0694–0134.
Type of Request: Regular.
Burden Hours: 105 hours.
Number of Respondents: 7
respondents.
Average Hours Per Response: 15
hours per response.
Needs and Uses: This collection is
needed to provide a procedure for
persons or organizations listed on the
Entity List to request removal or
modification of the entry that affects
them. The Entity List appears at 15 CFR
part 744, Supp. No. 4. The Entity List
is used to inform the public of certain
parties whose presence in a transaction
that is subject to the Export
Administration Regulations (15 CFR
730–799) requires a license from the
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
Affected Public: Businesses and other
for-profit and not-for-profit institutions.
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.
Bureau of Industry and Security
Proposed Information Collection;
Comment Request; Five-Year Records
Retention Requirement for Export
Transactions and Boycott Actions
Bureau of Industry and
Security.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of
Commerce, as part of its continuing
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\27DEN1.SGM
27DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95106-95108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31064]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
[Docket No. NRCS 2016-0013]
Notice of Availability of the Mississippi Trustee Implementation
Group Draft 2016-2017 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment for
Review and Public Comment
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
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 Mississippi Trustee
Implementation Group (MS TIG) have prepared a Draft 2016-2017
Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (Draft RP/EA). The Draft RP/
EA describes and proposes restoration project alternatives and proposed
projects considered by the MS TIG to restore natural resources and
ecological services injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill. The proposed projects are consistent with the
restoration alternatives selected in the Final Programmatic Damage
Assessment and Restoration Plan/Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PDARP/PEIS). The purpose of this notice is to inform the
public of the availability of the Draft RP/EA and to seek public
comments on the document.
DATES: Effective Date: This is effective December 27, 2016. Comments
Date: Submit comments on or before February 10, 2017.
[[Page 95107]]
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may download the Draft RP/EA at
https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov. Alternatively, you may
request a CD of the Draft RP/EA (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Also, you may 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/EA by
one of following methods:
Via the Web: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov or
Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box
49567, Atlanta, Georgia 30345. Please note that mailed comments must be
postmarked on or before the comment deadline of February 10, 2017 to be
considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mississippi--Tabatha Baum,
mississippiTIG@deq.state.ms.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon that 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 maritime oil spill in United
States (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 also
was 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 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. Department of Defense (DOD); \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Although a trustee under OPA by virtue of the proximity of
its facilities to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, DOD is not a
member of the Trustee Council and does not participate in DWH
Trustee decision-making.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 \2\ approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern
District of Louisiana. Pursuant to that Consent Decree, restoration
projects in the Mississippi Restoration Area are now chosen and managed
by MS TIG.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ https://www.justice.gov/enrd/file/838066/download.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MS TIG is composed of the following Trustees:
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality;
DOI, as represented by NPS, USFWS, and BLM;
NOAA, on behalf of the U.S. DOC;
USDA;
EPA;
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 types being
considered in the Draft RP/EA, as well as the OPA criteria against
which project ideas are being evaluated, can be viewed 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).
Background
On May 27, 2016, MS TIG published a notice to invite public input
regarding natural resource restoration opportunities in the Mississippi
Restoration Area for the 2016-2017 planning years. The notice indicated
a focus on the following range of potential restoration types that may
have benefits to living coastal and marine resources: Restoration of
Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitats, restoration of water quality
through Nutrient Reduction (Nonpoint source), restoration of Birds, and
restoration of Oysters. Because there are several ongoing or completed
projects benefitting oysters and secondary productivity in the
Mississippi Restoration Area, MS TIG chose not to prioritize the oyster
restoration type in this Draft RP/EA.
On October 31, 2016, MS TIG published a Notice of Initiation for
Restoration Plan Drafting in Mississippi indicating its intent to focus
on the following restoration types:
Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitats
Nutrient Reduction (nonpoint source)
Birds
Overview of the Draft RP/EA
The Draft RP/EA is being released in accordance with the OPA, NRDA
regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR part
990, and the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
For the Draft RP/EA, MS TIG proposes moving forward with the
following two preferred alternatives and proposed projects within the
Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitat and Birds Restoration Types:
(1) Graveline Bay Land Acquisition and Management and (2) Grand Bay
Land Acquisition and Habitat Management. MS TIG also proposes the
following preferred alternative and proposed project within the
Nutrient Reduction (Nonpoint Source) Restoration Type: Upper Pascagoula
River Water Quality Enhancement. RP/EA also evaluates a no action
alternative. One or more
[[Page 95108]]
alternatives may be selected for implementation by MS TIG.
MS TIG has examined and assessed the extent of injury and the
restoration alternatives. In the Draft RP/EA, MS TIG presents to the
public its draft plan for providing partial compensation to the public
for natural resources and ecological services in the Mississippi
Restoration Area. The proposed projects are intended to continue the
process of restoring natural resources and ecological services injured
or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Additional
restoration planning for the Mississippi Restoration Area will
continue.
Next Steps
The public is encouraged to review and comment on the Draft RP/EA.
After the close of the public comment period, MS TIG will consider and
address the comments received before issuing a final RP/EA. A summary
of comments received and MS TIG's responses will be included in the
final document.
Invitation to Comment
MS TIG seeks public review and comment on the Draft RP/EA. Before
including your address, telephone 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.
Signed this 20th day of December 2016, in Washington, DC.
Jason A. Weller,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-31064 Filed 12-23-16; 8:45 am]
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