[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 199 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55365-55366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27643]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
and Notice of Scoping Meetings for the Proposed Tortugas Ecological 
Reserve in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

AGENCY: Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Ocean 
and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), Sanctuaries and Reserves 
Division (SRD).

ACTION: Notice of intent; Notice of scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: SRD has initiated the process to establish an Ecological 
Reserve within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS or 
Sanctuary) west of the Dry Tortugas National Park. The Sanctuary 
intends to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) 
and hold scoping meetings to receive public input.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written 
comments by December 17, 1998, to assure full consideration during the 
scoping process. Written comments may be sent to Billy D. Causey, 
Superintendent,

[[Page 55366]]

Florid Key National Marine Sanctuary, Post Office Box 500368, Marathon, 
Florida 33050. Comments will be available for public review at the 
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary office at 5550 Overseas Highway 
in Marathon during normal business hours.
    Scoping meetings are being held as follows:

October 27, 1998: 2-5 p.m.--Washington D.C., Department of Commerce 
Main Auditorium, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue.
October 29: 3-8 p.m.--Ft. Myers Convention Center.
November 9: 3-8 p.m.--Key West Holiday Inn Beachside.
November 10: 3-8 p.m.--Marathon High School.
November 17: 3-8 p.m.--Miami, location to be determined and announced 
through local media outlets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Billy D. Causey at (305) 743-2437 ext. 
26.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary 
was designated by an act of Congress entitled the Florida Keys National 
Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act (FKNMSPA, Pub. L. 101-605) which 
was signed into law on November 16, 1990. The Sanctuary was designated 
to protect the 2800 square nautical mile ecosystem surrounding the 
Florida Keys, including the third largest barrier reef system in the 
world. A Final Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Sanctuary was issued in 1996 and final regulations to implement the 
plan went into effect in July 1997.

    The Final Management Plan and regulations established one 
Ecological Reserve (ER) in the Middle Keys (Western Sambo Ecological 
Reserve). An ER is defined as an area of the Sanctuary consisting of 
contiguous, diverse habitats, within which uses are subject to 
conditions, restrictions and prohibitions, including access 
restrictions, intended to minimize human influences, to provide natural 
spawning, nursery, and permanent residence areas for the replenishment 
and genetic protection of marine life, and also to protect and preserve 
natural assemblages of habitats and species within areas representing a 
broad diversity of resources and habitats found within the Sanctuary 
(15 CFR 922.162). Consumptive uses such as removing, taking or damaging 
coral, fish or seagrass are prohibited in an ER. During the development 
of the Draft Management Plan, NOAA had proposed an additional ER in the 
Tortugas area within the Sanctuary but deferred the process to 
establish a boundary or regulations for the Tortugas ER until after 
implementation of the Final Management Plan. This process, estimated to 
take approximately two years and referred to as ``Tortugas 2000,'' will 
include coordination with the National Park Service, fishing 
representatives, scientists, and others. There will also be extensive 
opportunity for public input.
    This notice announces NOAA's intent to prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement and hold scoping meetings on the 
proposed project. Formal scoping meetings are scheduled as detailed 
above. The public is invited to attend the scoping meetings to provide 
oral or written comments. Interested persons may also submit wirtten 
comments to the address above.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary 
Program)

    Dated: October 8, 1998.
John Oliver,
Policy, Management, and Information Officer National Ocean Service.
FR Doc. 98-27643 Filed 10-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M