[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 222 (Wednesday, November 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 64063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30863]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Initiation of Review of Management Plan/Regulations of the
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary; Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement and Management Plan; Public Scoping
Meetings
AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM),
National Ocean Service (NOS) National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement;
notice of scoping meetings.
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SUMMARY: The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS or
Sanctuary) was designated in November 1992, and consists of 638 square
nautical miles of open ocean over and surrounding Stellwagen Bank,
occurring between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The present
management plan for the Sanctuary was completed in July 1993. In
accordance with Section 304(e) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act,
as amended, (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), the Marine Sanctuaries
Division (MSD) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) is initiating review of the management plan, to evaluate
substantive progress toward implementing goals for the Sanctuary, and
to make revisions to the plan and regulations as necessary to fulfill
the purposes and policies of the NMSA.
The revised management plan will likely involve changes to existing
policies and regulations of the Sanctuary, to address contemporary
issues and challenges, and to better protect and manage the Sanctuary's
resources and qualities. The review process is composed of four major
stages: information collection and characterization; preparation and
release of a draft management plan/environmental impact statement, and
any proposed amendments to the regulations; public review and comment;
and preparation and release of a final management plan/environmental
impact statement, and any final amendments to the regulations. NOAA
anticipates completion of the revised management plan and concomitant
documents will require approximately eighteen months.
NOAA will conduct public scoping meetings to gather information and
other comments from individuals, organizations, and government agencies
on the scope, types and significance of issues related to the
Sanctuary's management plan and regulations. The scoping meetings are
scheduled for the second week in December 1998, as detailed below. All
interested persons are invited to attend, and to provide oral comments.
Interested persons may also submit written comments at the scoping
meetings, or to the address below. Written comments should be received
by January 15, 1999.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: Scoping meetings will be held at:
(1) Cape Cod Community College, Commons Building, Upper Commons
Room, 2240 Iyanough Road, West Barnstable, MA, Tuesday, December 8,
1998, 7-9 p.m.;
(2) National Marine Fisheries Service (New England Region), 1st
Floor Conference Room, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA, Wednesday,
December 9, 1998, 7-9 p.m.; and
(3) New England Aquarium, Education Center, Central Wharf, Boston,
MA, Thursday, December 10, 1998, 7-9 p.m.
Written comments may be sent to Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary (Management Plan Review), Scituate Coast Guard Station, 175
Edward Foster Road, Scituate, MA 02066. Comments will be available for
public review at the same address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brad Barr, Sanctuary Manager, at (508) 747-1691. The Sanctuary office
is located at 14 Union Street, Plymouth, MA. Following December 15,
1998, the Sanctuary office will be located at the Scituate address
listed above.
(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary
Program)
Dated: November 13, 1998.
Capt Evelyn Fields,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone
Management.
[FR Doc. 98-30863 Filed 11-17-98; 8:45 am]
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