[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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