National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 20, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), propose to designate critical habitat for the U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), which was listed as endangered on April 1, 2003, under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed critical habitat consists of two units: the Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit, which comprises approximately 221,459 acres of coastal habitat; and the Ten Thousand Islands/Everglades Unit (TTI/E), which comprises approximately 619,013 acres of coastal habitat. The two units are located along the southwestern coast of Florida between Charlotte Harbor and Florida Bay.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is issuing final revised management plans and revised regulations for the Gulf of the Farallones, Cordell Bank, and Monterey Bay national marine sanctuaries (GFNMS, CBNMS, and MBNMS respectively). This final rule updates the existing regulations for these three sanctuaries and establishes new regulatory prohibitions for them. New prohibitions contained in this final rule include restrictions on: the introduction of introduced species; discharges from cruise ships and other vessels; attracting or approaching white sharks in GFNMS; anchoring vessels in seagrass in Tomales Bay; deserting vessels; motorized personal watercraft use in the MBNMS (definition revision); and, possessing, moving, or injuring historic resources. This final rule also codifies three dredge disposal sites in the MBNMS that existed prior to the MBNMS designation in 1992 and expands the boundaries of the MBNMS to include the Davidson Seamount and surrounding area.