Draft Revised Management Plan for the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 89406-89407 [2023-28523]
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89406
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2023 / Notices
(1) An explanation that the activities
to be conducted under the requested
renewal IHA are identical to the
activities analyzed under the initial
IHA, are a subset of the activities, or
include changes so minor (e.g.,
reduction in pile size) that the changes
do not affect the previous analyses,
mitigation and monitoring
requirements, or take estimates (with
the exception of reducing the type or
amount of take).
(2) A preliminary monitoring report
showing the results of the required
monitoring to date and an explanation
showing that the monitoring results do
not indicate impacts of a scale or nature
not previously analyzed or authorized.
Upon review of the request for
renewal, the status of the affected
species or stocks, and any other
pertinent information, NMFS
determines that there are no more than
minor changes in the activities, the
mitigation and monitoring measures
will remain the same and appropriate,
and the findings in the initial IHA
remain valid.
Dated: December 21, 2023.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–28514 Filed 12–26–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Office for Coastal Management,
National Ocean Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Request for comments.
AGENCY:
The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is
soliciting comments from the public
regarding a proposed revision of the
management plan for the Apalachicola
National Estuarine Research Reserve. A
management plan provides a framework
for the direction and timing of a
reserve’s programs; allows reserve
managers to assess a reserve’s success in
meeting its goals and to identify any
necessary changes in direction; and is
used to guide programmatic evaluations
of the reserve. Plan revisions are
required of each reserve in the National
Estuarine Research Reserve System at
least every five years. This revised plan
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:00 Dec 26, 2023
Jkt 262001
Matt
Chasse of NOAA’s Office for Coastal
Management by email at matt.chasse@
noaa.gov or by phone at (410) 570–1020.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to 15 CFR 921.33(c), Florida must revise
the management plan for the
Apalachicola Research Reserve at least
every five years. If approved by NOAA,
the Apalachicola Research Reserve’s
revised plan will replace the plan
previously approved in 2015.
Management plans outline a reserve’s
strategic goals and objectives;
administrative structure; programs for
conducting research and monitoring,
education, and training; resource
protection, restoration, and
manipulation plans; public access and
visitor use plans; consideration for
future land acquisition; and facility
development to support reserve
operations. In particular, this draft of
the revised management plan focuses on
addressing specific coastal management
issues including hydrological changes
in the Apalachicola River and
floodplain; coastal development; and
climate change and extreme events.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Draft Revised Management Plan for the
Apalachicola National Estuarine
Research Reserve
SUMMARY:
is intended to replace the plan approved
in 2015.
DATES: Comments must be received at
the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES)
on or before January 26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The draft revised
management plan can be downloaded or
viewed at: https://floridadep.gov/
ANERR. The document is also available
by sending a written request to the point
of contact identified below (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
You may submit comments by any of
the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments by email to
matt.chasse@noaa.gov. Include
‘‘Comments on draft Apalachicola
Management Plan’’ in the message’s
subject line. NOAA will accept
anonymous comments, however, the
written comments NOAA receives are
considered part of the public record,
and the entirety of the comment,
including the name of the commenter,
email address, attachments, and other
supporting materials, will be publicly
accessible. Sensitive personally
identifiable information, such as
account numbers and Social Security
numbers, should not be included with
the comment. Comments that are not
related to the Management Plan for the
Apalachicola National Estuarine
Research Reserve, or that contain
profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other
inappropriate language will not be
considered.
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In developing the strategic plan, the
reserve recognized that our natural
environment and the human
communities were inextricably linked.
Likewise, the reserve identified a
common theme, either prospective or
continuing, among the issues discussed
in the plan. This common theme
informs the planned actions related to
conservation or protection and
restoration. Resilience is another
common theme that is weaved
throughout the plan.
The Research and Monitoring
Program aims to expand its
understanding of the ecological
processes related to the Apalachicola
River and watershed. This will be
achieved through continuous
monitoring of weather, climate, sea
level, and water quality data to provide
and maintain baseline ecological status
for the Apalachicola estuary. The
program plans to develop new research
initiatives and monitoring projects to fill
gaps in the understanding of key
ecosystem functions related to
pollutants, habitats, and diversity. The
program plans to continue being a
central player in gathering and applying
scientific information regarding the
Apalachicola River and Bay system, and
its efforts have contributed to the
protection and management of this
unique and valuable ecosystem. The
program will also continue summarizing
existing scientific information related to
pollutants, habitats, and biological
diversity to improve our understanding
of the reserve and its ecology.
Stewardship of the reserve is
accomplished by actively managing
resources that the reserve is directly
responsible for, and by influencing the
activities of others within and adjacent
to reserve-managed areas. The reserve’s
key land and water habitats are
influenced by upstream water quality
and quantity issues, making the
Apalachicola Research Reserve
especially conscious of potential
environmental changes associated with
off-site activities. As a result, the reserve
works to ensure that the most effective
and efficient techniques are utilized in
reserve resource management activities.
The Education and Outreach Program
efforts include on-site and off-site
education activities that prioritize infield studies for students and teachers;
development and distribution of various
media; dissemination of information at
local events; recruitment and
management of volunteers; and training
workshops for local citizens and
decision-makers. Programs target
participants from all ages and walks of
life while recognizing the local
community as key stakeholders. The
E:\FR\FM\27DEN1.SGM
27DEN1
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2023 / Notices
reserve is able to offer programming for
K–12 students that provides for a
continuity of content across the entire
academic experience of local students.
The reserve’s Coastal Training
Program works with decision-makers,
appointed leaders, and their staff to
preserve the Apalachicola Bay and River
by offering formal trainings, skillbuilding opportunities, tools, and
technical assistance. These resources
enable these groups to continue to
implement sound policies based on
science that protect the environment.
Regular engagement with decisionmakers strengthens partnerships,
furthers the reserve’s assessment of
needs, and forges positive working
relationships to increase stewardship
and resilience throughout the reserve.
The Apalachicola Research Reserve is
a complex of independently managed
subunits that support an array of
recreational and commercial activities
and are impacted by water use policies
of three states. This updated
management plan aligns with similar
plans being implemented by the landmanaging partners within and adjacent
to the reserve boundaries. Although the
reserve boundaries are not changing in
this management plan update, a
possible future boundary expansion is
in preliminary discussions with
partners. Also, in 2020, the reserve
completed the redesignation process for
the Apalachicola Biosphere region as
part of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere
program. The revised management plan,
once approved, would serve as the
guiding document for the 234,715-acre
(950 sq. km) research reserve for the
next five years.
NOAA’s Office for Coastal
Management analyzes the
environmental impacts of the proposed
approval of this draft revised
management plan in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq., and the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions
of NEPA (40 CFR 1500–1508). The
public is invited to comment on the
draft revised management plan. NOAA
will take these comments into
consideration in deciding whether to
approve the draft revised management
plan in whole or in part.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:00 Dec 26, 2023
Jkt 262001
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15
CFR 921.33.
Keelin S. Kuipers,
Deputy Director, Office for Coastal
Management, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023–28523 Filed 12–26–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Resident Perceptions of
Offshore Wind Energy Development
Off the Oregon Coast and Along the
Gulf of Mexico
National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection,
request for comment.
AGENCY:
The Department of
Commerce, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to comment on
proposed and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the
impact of our information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public
comment preceding submission of the
collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
on or before February 26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648–
0744 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection
activities should be directed to Dr.
Theresa L Goedeke, Supervisory Social
Scientist, 1305 East-West Hwy., SSMC
4, Silver Spring, MD 2091, Email:
theresa.goedeke@noaa.gov, Ph: (240)
653–9143.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
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89407
I. Abstract
This is a request for revision to an
existing information collection.
Pursuant to E.O. 14057 (Executive Order
on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries
and Jobs Through Federal
Sustainability), the Outer Continental
Shelf Land Act, the National
Environmental Policy Act, and the
Coastal Zone Management Act, the
requested revision will expand the
existing data collection, which is
currently focused on coastal Oregon, by
adding a new geographical location,
specifically, coastal Texas and
Louisiana along the Gulf of Mexico.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM) held its first
leasing auction for the Gulf of Mexico in
August 2023. BOEM finalized four Wind
Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of
Mexico in October 2023. Outside of
official public engagement forums,
preferences about offshore wind energy
development generally remain unknown
for members of the public, as well as for
groups who may not perceive
themselves as stakeholders. Failure to
gain the perspective of communities
regarding potential benefits or impacts
is problematic, particularly when latent
stakeholders to local projects emerge
late in the planning process.
The National Ocean Service (NOS)
proposes to expand collection of data on
the opinions, values, and attitudes
relative to offshore wind energy
development to coastal residents of
Texas and Louisiana along the Gulf of
Mexico in addition to coastal Oregon.
Respondents (age 18 years and older)
will be randomly sampled from
households in 39 coastal counties in
Texas and Louisiana. This information
will be used by NOAA, BOEM, and
others to understand what is important
to communities; understand how
differing values and perceptions across
communities influence local receptivity
to proposed development; and improve
communication efforts targeted to
residents, enabling agencies to more
effectively and efficiently direct
outreach and community inclusion
activities. NOAA has a vested interest in
offshore wind energy development,
from many perspectives, including as it
relates to the resilience, well-being, and
sustainability of coastal communities.
II. Method of Collection
Information will be collected with a
combination of mail recruitment with
push-to-web and mail-back survey
instruments.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0744.
E:\FR\FM\27DEN1.SGM
27DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89406-89407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28523]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Draft Revised Management Plan for the Apalachicola National
Estuarine Research Reserve
AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is
soliciting comments from the public regarding a proposed revision of
the management plan for the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research
Reserve. A management plan provides a framework for the direction and
timing of a reserve's programs; allows reserve managers to assess a
reserve's success in meeting its goals and to identify any necessary
changes in direction; and is used to guide programmatic evaluations of
the reserve. Plan revisions are required of each reserve in the
National Estuarine Research Reserve System at least every five years.
This revised plan is intended to replace the plan approved in 2015.
DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see
ADDRESSES) on or before January 26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The draft revised management plan can be downloaded or
viewed at: https://floridadep.gov/ANERR. The document is also available
by sending a written request to the point of contact identified below
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments by
email to [email protected]. Include ``Comments on draft Apalachicola
Management Plan'' in the message's subject line. NOAA will accept
anonymous comments, however, the written comments NOAA receives are
considered part of the public record, and the entirety of the comment,
including the name of the commenter, email address, attachments, and
other supporting materials, will be publicly accessible. Sensitive
personally identifiable information, such as account numbers and Social
Security numbers, should not be included with the comment. Comments
that are not related to the Management Plan for the Apalachicola
National Estuarine Research Reserve, or that contain profanity,
vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate language will not be
considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Chasse of NOAA's Office for
Coastal Management by email at [email protected] or by phone at
(410) 570-1020.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(c), Florida must
revise the management plan for the Apalachicola Research Reserve at
least every five years. If approved by NOAA, the Apalachicola Research
Reserve's revised plan will replace the plan previously approved in
2015.
Management plans outline a reserve's strategic goals and
objectives; administrative structure; programs for conducting research
and monitoring, education, and training; resource protection,
restoration, and manipulation plans; public access and visitor use
plans; consideration for future land acquisition; and facility
development to support reserve operations. In particular, this draft of
the revised management plan focuses on addressing specific coastal
management issues including hydrological changes in the Apalachicola
River and floodplain; coastal development; and climate change and
extreme events.
In developing the strategic plan, the reserve recognized that our
natural environment and the human communities were inextricably linked.
Likewise, the reserve identified a common theme, either prospective or
continuing, among the issues discussed in the plan. This common theme
informs the planned actions related to conservation or protection and
restoration. Resilience is another common theme that is weaved
throughout the plan.
The Research and Monitoring Program aims to expand its
understanding of the ecological processes related to the Apalachicola
River and watershed. This will be achieved through continuous
monitoring of weather, climate, sea level, and water quality data to
provide and maintain baseline ecological status for the Apalachicola
estuary. The program plans to develop new research initiatives and
monitoring projects to fill gaps in the understanding of key ecosystem
functions related to pollutants, habitats, and diversity. The program
plans to continue being a central player in gathering and applying
scientific information regarding the Apalachicola River and Bay system,
and its efforts have contributed to the protection and management of
this unique and valuable ecosystem. The program will also continue
summarizing existing scientific information related to pollutants,
habitats, and biological diversity to improve our understanding of the
reserve and its ecology.
Stewardship of the reserve is accomplished by actively managing
resources that the reserve is directly responsible for, and by
influencing the activities of others within and adjacent to reserve-
managed areas. The reserve's key land and water habitats are influenced
by upstream water quality and quantity issues, making the Apalachicola
Research Reserve especially conscious of potential environmental
changes associated with off-site activities. As a result, the reserve
works to ensure that the most effective and efficient techniques are
utilized in reserve resource management activities.
The Education and Outreach Program efforts include on-site and off-
site education activities that prioritize in-field studies for students
and teachers; development and distribution of various media;
dissemination of information at local events; recruitment and
management of volunteers; and training workshops for local citizens and
decision-makers. Programs target participants from all ages and walks
of life while recognizing the local community as key stakeholders. The
[[Page 89407]]
reserve is able to offer programming for K-12 students that provides
for a continuity of content across the entire academic experience of
local students.
The reserve's Coastal Training Program works with decision-makers,
appointed leaders, and their staff to preserve the Apalachicola Bay and
River by offering formal trainings, skill-building opportunities,
tools, and technical assistance. These resources enable these groups to
continue to implement sound policies based on science that protect the
environment. Regular engagement with decision-makers strengthens
partnerships, furthers the reserve's assessment of needs, and forges
positive working relationships to increase stewardship and resilience
throughout the reserve.
The Apalachicola Research Reserve is a complex of independently
managed subunits that support an array of recreational and commercial
activities and are impacted by water use policies of three states. This
updated management plan aligns with similar plans being implemented by
the land-managing partners within and adjacent to the reserve
boundaries. Although the reserve boundaries are not changing in this
management plan update, a possible future boundary expansion is in
preliminary discussions with partners. Also, in 2020, the reserve
completed the redesignation process for the Apalachicola Biosphere
region as part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere program. The
revised management plan, once approved, would serve as the guiding
document for the 234,715-acre (950 sq. km) research reserve for the
next five years.
NOAA's Office for Coastal Management analyzes the environmental
impacts of the proposed approval of this draft revised management plan
in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., and the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508). The public is invited to comment
on the draft revised management plan. NOAA will take these comments
into consideration in deciding whether to approve the draft revised
management plan in whole or in part.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15 CFR 921.33.
Keelin S. Kuipers,
Deputy Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-28523 Filed 12-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
