[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 112 (Friday, June 11, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31528-31529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14717]
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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
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary; Intent To Prepare a 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 Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS or
Sanctuary) was designated in September 1980, and consists of 1,252
square nautical miles of open ocean and near shore habitat
approximately 25 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California,
encompassing the waters surrounding San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz,
Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands from mean high tide to six nautical
miles offshore. The present management plan for the Sanctuary was
completed in 1982. 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
[[Page 31529]]
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 weeks of June 21 and July 5, 1999, as detailed below.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before July 27, 1999.
Scoping meetings will be held:
(1) Monday, June 21, 1999, 6:30pm in Lompoc.
(2) Tuesday, June 22, 1999, 6:30pm in Santa Barbara.
(3) Wednesday, June 23, 1999, 6:30pm in Oxnard.
(4) Thursday, June 24, 1999, 6:30pm in Long Beach.
(5) Friday, June 25, 1999, 6:30pm in Ventura.
(6) Wednesday, July 14, 1999, 2:00pm in Washington, D.C.
addresses: Written comments may be sent to the Channel Islands National
Marine Sanctuary (Management Plan Review), 113 Harbor Way, Santa
Barbara, California 93109. Comments will be available for public review
at the same address.
Scoping meetings will be held at:
(1) Cabrillo High School, Room SS-5, 4350 Constellation Rd.,
Lompoc, CA 93456.
(2) Chase Palm Park Center, 323 East Cabrillo, Santa Barbara, CA
93103.
(3) Casa Sirena Hotel and Marina, 3605 Peninsula Rd., Oxnard, CA
93035.
(4) Long Beach Aquarium Theatre, Long Beach, CA 90802.
(5) Sheraton 4-Points, Windjammers Meeting Room, 1080 Navigation,
Ventura, CA 93001.
(6) Herbert C. Hoover Building, 14th & Constitution Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne Walton, Management Plan
Specialist, at (805) 884-1470.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. Section 1431 et seq.
(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary
Program)
Dated: June 4, 1999.
John Oliver,
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer, National Ocean
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-14717 Filed 6-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M
