[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16563-16564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7707]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 031400D]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Generic Amendment to the Fishery Management Plans for the Gulf of 
Mexico to Establish the Tortugas Marine Reserve

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmosphere Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft supplemental environmental 
impact statement (DSEIS); request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the intent of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council (Council) to prepare a DSEIS for a Generic Amendment 
to the Fishery Management Plans for the Gulf of Mexico to Establish the 
Tortugas Marine Reserve (Generic Amendment). The Generic Amendment 
would amend all of the Council's fishery management plans (FMPs) in a 
manner necessary to establish a marine reserve in the exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ) in the vicinity of the Dry Tortugas, Florida, along 
with appropriate fishing restrictions. The purpose of this document is 
to solicit public comments on the scope of the issues to be addressed 
in the DSEIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the DSEIS must be received on 
or before April 28, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the DSEIS and requests for 
additional information on the Generic Amendment should be sent to Wayne 
Swingle, Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 
3018 U.S. Highway 301, North, Suite 1000, Tampa, Florida 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Swingle, 813-228-2815, or 
Michael Barnette, 727-570-5305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At the Council's November 1999 meeting, 
representatives of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) 
requested the Council to draft fishing regulations, under authority of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act), for the EEZ for a proposed ecological reserve (marine 
reserve) in the Tortugas region. The proposed marine reserve is 
approximately 70 miles west of Key West, Florida.
    Currently, the Council is considering proposed measures for the 
Generic Amendment that would prohibit all fishing (i.e., fishing for 
all species managed under its FMPs as well as fishing for Atlantic 
highly migratory species (HMS)) and anchoring of fishing vessels in the 
marine reserve. The expected benefits include: (1) Protection and 
conservation of essential fish habitat, including critical coral reef 
resources, as mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Act; (2) establishment 
of a refuge and biological resource replenishment area to conserve

[[Page 16564]]

and to enhance the abundance and diversity of reef resources; (3) 
protection of critical spawning stock and fishing size-class recruits 
from overfishing, thus helping to ensure the continued abundance of 
fishery resources; and (4) improvement of opportunities for research on 
and monitoring of a coral reef ecosystem reference site. Disadvantages 
include displacement of fishing effort to other areas with associated 
crowding and possible short-term loss of revenues for commercial 
fishermen. The Generic Amendment would amend, as necessary, the 
Council's FMPs for stone crab, shrimp, corals, spiny lobster, coastal 
migratory pelagics, reef fish, and red drum.
    The Council intends to prepare a DSEIS covering the expected 
environmental impacts of the Generic Amendment. The DSEIS would 
supplement the environmental reviews conducted previously by the 
Council and NMFS for each of the Council's FMPs. It is noted that the 
Council intends to assess, within its DSEIS, the expected environmental 
impacts of a management alternative prohibiting all fishing, including 
fishing for HMS.

Scoping Process

    The FKNMS established a working group (Tortugas 2000) in 1998 
consisting of representatives of various user groups that may be 
impacted by the establishment of a marine reserve in the Tortugas 
region. This working group conducted several public meetings in 1998 
and 1999. Furthermore, the FKNMS held public hearings on the proposed 
marine reserve in 1998 and 1999 throughout Florida and in Washington, 
DC. Because of these previous opportunities for public input, the 
Council has scheduled no scoping meetings for the DSEIS for the Generic 
Amendment. However, the Council is requesting written comments on the 
scope of the issues to be addressed in the DSEIS.

Timetable for DSEIS Preparation and Decisionmaking Schedule

    The Council intends to accept public comments on the completed 
DSEIS, prepare a final supplemental environmental impact statement 
(FSEIS), and submit the FSEIS to NMFS when it submits the final Generic 
Amendment for agency review, approval, and implementation, as provided 
by procedures of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The Council intends to hold 
public hearings on the Draft Generic Amendment/DSEIS in June 2000; the 
specific times and locations for these hearings will be announced 
through publication of a separate Federal Register notice.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: March 23, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-7707 Filed 3-28-00; 8:45 am]
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