[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 223 (Friday, November 19, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 63262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-30379]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
15 CFR Part 922
Initiation of Review of Management Plan/Regulations of the Gray's
Reef National Marine Sanctuary; Intent To Prepare Draft Environmental
Impact Statement and Management Plan; Scoping Meetings
AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM),
National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Initiation of review of management plan/regulations; intent to
prepare environmental impact statement; scoping meetings.
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SUMMARY: The Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS or Sanctuary)
was designated in January 1981, and consists of 17 square nautical
miles of open ocean and live bottom habitat approximately 17.5 nautical
miles east of Sapelo Island, Georgia. The present management plan for
the Sanctuary was completed in 1983. 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 a review of
the management plan, to evaluate substantive progress toward
implementing the 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 proposed 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; 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 to twenty-four 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 week of December 6-10, 1999, as detailed below.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before February 1,
2000.
Scoping meetings will be held at:
(1) Monday, December 6, 1999, 7:00 p.m. in Atlanta, GA.
(2) Tuesday, December 7, 1999, 6:00 p.m. in Brunswick, GA.
(3) Wednesday, December 8, 1999, 7:00 p.m. in Yulee, FL.
(4) Thursday, December 9, 1999, 7:00 p.m. in Richmond Hill, GA.
(5) Friday, December 10, 1999, 4:00 p.m. in Charleston, SC.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to the Gray's Reef National
Marine Sanctuary (Management Plan Review), 10 Ocean Science Circle,
Savannah, Georgia 31411. Comments will be available for public review
at the same address.
Scoping meetings will be held at:
(1) The Robert Ferst Center for the Arts, Georgia Tech, 349 Ferst
Drive, NW, Atlanta, GA 30332.
(2) University of Georgia Marine Extension Service, 715 Bay Street,
Brunswick, GA 31520.
(3) Betty P. Cook Nassau County Center, Florida Community College
of Jacksonville, 760 William Burgess Blvd., Yulee, FL 32097.
(4) Richmond Hill Holiday Inn, I-95 and Hwy. 17, Exit #14, Richmond
Hill, GA 31324.
(5) College of Charleston, Physicians Auditorium, George and Coming
Streets, Charleston, SC 29424.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Becky Shortland, Planning and Outreach
Coordinator, at 912/598-2381 or 2345; Becky.Shortland@noaa.gov.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. Section 1431 et seq.
(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary
Program)
Ted Lillestolen,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone
Management.
[FR Doc. 99-30379 Filed 11-17-99; 2:13 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M
