National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May 31, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) announces availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) and Final Findings of Approvability (Findings) for OCRM's Approval of Amendments to the Washington Coastal Zone Management Program (WCZMP) final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). On October 6, 2004, OCRM received the State of Washington's request to incorporate the State's new Shoreline Master Program Guidelines (Guidelines), Chapter 173-26 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) as an amendment to the WCZMP. The new Guidelines replace the previously repealed Chapter 173-16 of the WAC, the Shoreline Management Act Guidelines for Development of Shoreline Master Programs. The final EIS was released to the public for a 45-day comment period after the publication of a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on November 12, 2010 (75 FR 69434). The ROD documents the selection of Alternative 1 (the NOAA preferred alternative) in the final EIS. The Findings make a final determination that the WCZMP, as amended by the October 6, 2004 WCZMP Amendment Document, still constitutes an approvable program and that procedural requirements of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) and its implementing regulations have been met. The ROD and Findings were signed by the Assistant Administrator, National Ocean Service (NOS) on May 16, 2011. Federal consistency applies to the revised WCZMP enforceable policies as of May 16, 2011.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a joint public meeting of its Skate Committee and Advisory Panel, in June, 2011, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.