Port Access Route Study: The Pacific Coast From Washington to California, 36607 [2023-11878]

Agencies

• Coast Guard
• DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 107 (Monday, June 5, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 36607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11878]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2021-0345]


Port Access Route Study: The Pacific Coast From Washington to 
California

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of study.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of the study 
results of the Pacific Coast Port Access Route Study. This study 
evaluated safe access routes for the movement of vessel traffic 
proceeding to or from ports or places along the western seaboard of the 
United States. As a result of the study data and public input, the 
Coast Guard recommends the establishment of voluntary shipping fairways 
(``fairway'') for coastwise and nearshore vessel traffic to promote the 
safe, unobstructed navigation of vessels in the study area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document 
call or email LCDR Sara Conrad, Coast Guard Pacific Area (PAC-54), U.S. 
Coast Guard; telephone (510) 437-3813, email [email protected] or 
Mr. Tyrone Conner, Eleventh Coast Guard District (dpw), U.S. Coast 
Guard; telephone (510) 437-2968, email [email protected] or Mr. 
John Moriarty, Thirteenth Coast Guard District (dpw), U.S. Coast Guard; 
telephone (206) 220-7274, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Ports and Waterways Safety Act, (PWSA)(46 U.S.C. 70003(c)(1)), 
authorizes the Commandant of the Coast Guard to designate necessary 
fairways and traffic separations schemes (TSSs) to provide safe access 
routes for vessels proceeding to and from United States ports. The 
designation of fairways and TSSs recognizes the paramount right of 
navigation over all other uses in the designated areas.
    Before establishing or adjusting fairways, 46 U.S.C. 70003(c)(1) 
requires the Coast Guard to study potential traffic density and assess 
the need for safe access routes for vessels. During this process, the 
Coast Guard considers the views of the maritime community, 
environmental groups, and other stakeholders to reconcile the need for 
safe access routes with reasonable waterway uses. See 46 U.S.C. 
70003(c)(3).
    On July 28, 2021, the Coast Guard announced that the Coast Guard 
Pacific Area Command would conduct a Pacific Coast Port Access Route 
Study (PAC-PARS). 86 FR 40791. The study area encompassed all vessel 
traffic patterns approaching and departing major ports along the west 
coast to include all current Traffic Separation Schemes and vessel 
maneuvering along the Pacific Coast from Washington to California and 
all federal navigable waters out to the EEZ. The PAC-PARS was focused 
on vessel traffic and navigation mitigation techniques to improve and 
support safe navigation transits within the major Pacific Coast Ports 
and the United States EEZ.
    The PAC-PARS aimed to enhance navigational safety by examining 
existing shipping routes and waterway uses and, to the extent 
practicable, reconciling the paramount right of navigation within 
designated port access routes with other waterway uses such as the 
development of aquaculture farms, offshore renewable energy, commercial 
space ports/re-entry sites, marine sanctuaries, ports supporting 
Panamax vessels, potential LNG ports and additional commercial vessel 
traffic.
    On August 26, 2022, the Coast Guard published a draft study 
containing recommended routing measures and requested public comments. 
After examining stakeholder responses to the draft recommendations, 
analyzing current and historical vessel traffic, fishing vessel 
information, agency and stakeholder experience in vessel traffic 
management, navigation, ship handling, and effects of weather, the 
study determined that there is a need to establish voluntary fairways 
for coastwise and nearshore vessel traffic to promote safety of 
navigation in the study area. As part of the PAC-PARS Final Report, 
which is available for public review in this docket, charts of the 
recommended fairways are included as Appendices I, II, and III. 
Examples of public notice and outreach documents are included in 
Appendices IV-X. Two vessel traffic analyses, for coastal waters and 
port approaches, are included as Enclosures 1 and 2, respectively. 
Earlier Federal Register announcements associated with this effort are 
included as Enclosures 3-5. Enclosure 6 contains the Public Comments 
adjudication included in the Draft Study. Finally, the three 
recommendation memorandums from each Coast Guard command involved in 
this study are provided in Enclosures 7, 8, and 9.
    The Final Study, appendices, and enclosures can also be found at 
the Coast Guard Navigation Center website Port Access Route Studies 
[bond] Navigation Center (uscg.gov).
    This notice is issued under authority of 46 U.S.C. 70003(c)(1).

    Dated: May 25, 2023.
A.J. Tiongson,
Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Pacific Area.
[FR Doc. 2023-11878 Filed 6-2-23; 8:45 am]
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