96-16676. Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary: Petition to Ban the Use of Motorized Personal Watercraft Within the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 127 (Monday, July 1, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 33876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16676]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

15 CFR Part 922


Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary: Petition to Ban 
the Use of Motorized Personal Watercraft Within the Gulf of the 
Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

AGENCY: Sanctuaries and Reserves Division (SRD), 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 receipt of a petition.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has 
received a petition from the Environmental Action Committee of West 
Marin County to ban the use of motorized personal watercraft within the 
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 Ed Ueber at 415-556-3509 or Elizabeth Moore at 301-713-3141.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine 
Sanctuary (GFNMS) was designated in January 1981, and encompasses 948 
square nautical miles of ocean and coastal waters off the coast of San 
Francisco. The GFNMS presently has no regulations restricting the use 
of motorized personal watercraft.
    The Sanctuaries and Reserves Division within NOAA's National Ocean 
Service (NOS) received a petition on April 18, 1996, from the 
Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, California (EAC) to ban 
the use of motorized personal watercraft in the GFNMS. EAC believes 
that ``the use of motorized personal watercraft * * * is completely 
incompatible with the existence of a marine sanctuary,'' and gives such 
reasons as the danger of such craft to biological resources; danger to 
other human users; noise, water, and air pollution; and incompatibility 
with other Sanctuary uses such as mariculture and small non-motorized 
watercraft. NOS is reviewing the petition and will notify the 
petitioner of its decision whether or not to proceed with a rulemaking 
to ban the use of motorized personal watercraft in the GFNMS. If NOS 
decides to initiate rulemaking proceedings, then the public will be 
provided with an opportunity to comment on the proposed rulemaking in 
accordance with the procedures of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act 
and the Administrative Procedures Act.

    Dated: June 25, 1996.
David L. Evans,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal 
Zone Management.
[FR Doc. 96-16676 Filed 6-28-96; 8:45 am]
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