Bureau of Ocean Energy Management May 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given of the availability of certain NAD 27- based Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Official Protraction Diagrams (OPDs) and Supplemental Official OCS Block Diagrams (SOBDs) depicting geographic areas located in the Gulf of Mexico. BOEM, in accordance with its authority and responsibility under the OCS Lands Act, is announcing the availability of maps used for the description of renewable energy, mineral, and oil and gas lease sales in the geographic areas they represent. The following twelve (12) OPDs (dated October 1, 2014) have been revised to reflect coast line data of the Gulf Coast of Florida that was originally approved by the U.S. Baseline Committee in 1999. Specifically, the coast line, Submerged Lands Act boundary, and the OCS Lands Act ``Section 8(g) Zone'' boundary have been revised. Eight (8) SOBDs (dated October 1, 2014) located within OPD NH16-05 (Pensacola) have been revised to reflect the intersection of the Submerged Lands Act and Section 8(g) Zone boundaries for the States of Florida and Alabama (known as the ``Florida wrap-around''). Two (2) SOBDs (dated October 1, 2014) also located within OPD NH16-05 (Pensacola) have been revised to reflect the intersection of the Submerged Lands Act and Section 8(g) Zone boundaries with the ``Military Mission Line.'' BOEM is also publishing a total of six hundred ninety-two (692) SOBDs that were generated by the Minerals Management Service (a predecessor bureau of BOEM) using coast line data that was originally approved by the U.S. Baseline Committee in 1999. These SOBDs (dated March 1, 1999) reflect the Submerged Lands Act and the Section 8(g) Zone boundaries adjacent to the Gulf Coast of Florida. In 2000, the SOBDs were submitted to the State of Florida for signature, indicating their concurrence with the MMS depiction of the boundaries. Although Florida did not sign the SOBDs, the diagrams reflect the current Federal position of these boundaries, and will eventually be superseded by diagrams with an updated format and BOEM logo. BOEM will continue working with Florida to resolve any areas of boundary discrepancy.