[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57399-57400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-28228]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Estuarine Research Reserve System
AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM),
National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting in Moss Point, Mississippi on the site
selection process for the nomination of a candidate site for the
National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management
Act of 1972, as amended, the State of Mississippi and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) intend to conduct a
public meeting on November 30, 1995 in Moss Point, Mississippi as part
of NOAA's site selection process for the nomination of a candidate site
for the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) System.
DATES: Thursday, November 30, 1995, at 7:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: East Jackson County Community Center--Orange Grove, 9313 Old
State Road, Moss Point, Mississippi 39581.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mark W. LaSalle, MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center at (601)
388-4710 or Nathalie Peter, Program Specialist, Sanctuaries and
Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management,
NOAA, at (301) 713-3132, ext. 119.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NERR System is dedicated to fostering a
system of estuarine reserves that represents the wide range of coastal
and estuarine habitats found in the United States. NOAA has developed a
classification scheme and typology of national estuarine areas that
places the coastlines of the United States into biogeographic regions
and subareas.
Site selection criteria are based on ecological representativeness,
value for research and education, and practical coastal management
considerations. The site ultimately designated will be used by
researchers, educators, and the general public to study estuarine
ecology and coastal issues that can aid in coastal policy making and
management decisions.
During the past year, the State of Mississippi in consultation with
NOAA has undertaken a process to identify a site which adequately
represents the
[[Page 57400]]
major estuarine characteristics of the Mississippi delta coastal
ecosystem. An estuary located in Mississippi would be the first site to
represent the Mississippi Delta subarea of the Louisianian
Biogeographic Region.
After consideration of several possible sites along the Mississippi
Gulf coast, the Mississippi National Estuarine Research Reserve Site
Selection and Advisory Committee has selected the Grand Bay area of
southeast Mississippi as its candidate site for nomination as a
potential NERR. The public meeting is being held to provide details and
solicit comments on this proposed site.
At the public meeting, the Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources and Mississippi State University (MSU) will provide an
overview of the national NERR Program; a summary of the Mississippi
NERR initiative, including the site selection process and a description
of the proposed site; and an open question and answer period.
Following the public meeting, a site nomination document will be
developed based on existing research documents and literature, and
comments received from NOAA, the Mississippi National Estuarine
Research Reserve Site Selection and Advisory Committee, and the general
public. The final site selection document will then be sent to the
Governor of Mississippi for approval. If approved, the Governor will
forward the site selection package and a nomination letter to NOAA for
final clearance. A draft and final Environmental Impact Statement and
Management Plan must be prepared prior to final site designation.
The public meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday November
30, 1995, at the East Jackson County Community Center--Orange Grove,
9313 Old Stage Road, Moss Point, Mississippi 39581.
Interested parties who wish to comment on the site selection are
invited to attend. For more information, contact Mark W. LaSalle, MSU
Coastal Research and Extension Center at (601) 388-4710 or Nathalie
Peter, Program Specialist, Sanctuaries and Reserves Division, Office of
Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOAA, at (301) 713-3132, ext.
119.
Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.420 (Coastal Zone
Management) Research Reserves
Dated: November 9, 1995.
David L. Evans,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal
Zone Management.
[FR Doc. 95-28228 Filed 11-14-95; 8:45 am]
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