[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 23, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7466-7467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1948]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


National Estuarine Research Reserve System

AGENCY: Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal 
Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent to adopt the South Slough National Estuarine 
Research Reserve (NERR) Cooperative Conservation/Acquisition Plan as an 
amendment to the South Slough NERR Management Plan.

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SUMMARY: The National Ocean Service announces the availability of the 
Draft Cooperative Conservation/Acquisition Plan (Plan) as an amendment 
to the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) 
management plan adopted in 1994. The South Slough NERR is located in 
the Coos Bay Estuary in southern Oregon. The plan sets forth priorities 
and guidelines for acquisition and stewardship of properties within the 
South Slough watershed, Coos Bay watershed, and broader Columbian 
biogeographic region. The plan was developed to guide the use of the 
Gustafson bequest to the South Slough NERR which is to be used by the 
NERR for land acquisition purposes. An extensive public involvement 
process was pursued to develop the Plan.
    The Cooperative Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC), made up of 
representatives of local business, real estate, environmental, and 
county, state and federal government interests was created to guide the 
development of the Plan. Two public meetings were held to receive 
comments on the Plan which were integrated into the current draft Plan.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted through March 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Nina Garfield, NOAA-ERD, 
SSMC-4, 11th Floor, 1305 East West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND A COPY OF THE PLAN CONTACT: Craig Cornu, 
Stewardship Coordinator, South Slough National Estuarine Research 
Reserve, P.O. Box 5417, Charleston, Oregon 97420, 541-888-2581 x 301.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Located in Coos Bay's South Slough inlet, 
the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) was 
established in 1974 as the first in a nationwide system of coastal 
reserves dedicated to estuarine research, education and stewardship.
    The South Slough NERR Cooperative Plan for Watershed Conservation 
(Plan) is intended to advance the stewardship goals of the South Slough 
NERR Management Plan (SSNERR, 1974) by guiding the Reserve's 
acquisition of new land management responsibilities. The cornerstone of 
the 1994 South Slough NERR Management Plan stewardship goal is ``to 
ensure that the Reserves ecosystems will continue to be available for 
long-term estuarine research, education and interpretation.'' The 
stewardship mission of the South Slough NERR also focuses on providing 
``stewardship for key examples of estuarine ecosystem types of the 
lower Columbian biogeographic region.'' The proposed acquisition plan, 
therefore, looks at three geographic perspectives: (1) Estuarine 
ecosystems within or integrally linked to the present South Slough NERR 
administrative lands; (2) estuarine ecosystems associated with the Coos 
Bay watershed; and (3) estuarine ecosystems within the larger 
biogeographic region (the coastal area between the mouth of the 
Columbia River to the north and Cape Mendocino to the south).
    The two driving forces behind the development of the proposed Plan 
are: (1) The findings of the Reserve's 1994 Management Plan, and (2) a 
$1.6 million bequest from a local Coos Bay resident, Chalmer Gustafson, 
for the sole purpose of acquiring additional land to be added to the 
South Slough NERR.
    The proposed Plan is a program in which ``acquisition'' is defined 
to include a variety of actions, including fee simple purchase, 
easements, land donations, land exchanges, stewardship partnerships and 
others. It is strictly a ``willing seller'' program.
    Upon approval by the South Slough NERR Management Commission, the 
proposed Plan will become part of the South Slough NERR Management Plan 
and the NERR Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA). To approve changes to the existing management 
plan, an opportunity for public comment must be provided. An extensive 
process of public input and comment has been undertaken for the 
development and review of the proposed plan. This Federal Register 
Notice provides additional opportunity for public comment.
    Central to the development of the proposed Plan was the formation 
of the Cooperative Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC), made up of 
representatives of local business, real estate, environmental, and 
county, state and federal government interests. The CPAC had six 
meetings over an eight-month period in 1998-99, and presided over two 
public open house meetings. The CPAC, South Slough NERR staff, and the 
consultants worked together as a team to develop the foundation of the 
proposed Plan.
    Through an iterative process involving South Slough NERR staff and 
the general public the CPAC developed acquisition goals to guide the 
proposed Plan development that resulted in the identification of an 
acquisition Planning Area comprised of seven Areas of Interest. Each 
Area of Interest was also assigned a level of effort or allocation of 
time and budget resources and property selection criteria.
    Three principal acquisition goals led to the identification of the 
Areas of Interest and development of selection criteria: Goal (1) 
protect the lands within the current Reserve administrative boundary, 
emphasizing the need to acquire key landscape features within the South 
Slough watershed; Goal (2) provide diversity of

[[Page 7467]]

habitat, emphasizing the Reserve's need to represent bioregional 
habitat types as required by NOAA; and Goal (3) address specific 
projects, emphasizing acquisitions that allow Reserve staff to respond 
to opportunities that will advance South Slough NERR research, 
education and stewardship objectives.
    The Areas of Interest in which future acquisition efforts will be 
focused are described as follows:
    Area of Interest 1--the Winchester Creek watershed. The Winchester 
Creek watershed was identified as the most critical property to 
protecting the South Slough mission and addressing the CPAC's goals and 
selection criteria because of its large size and landscape relationship 
to the South Slough NERR. Only 10% of the acquisition resources were 
recommended for targeting this Area of Interest due to the existing 
solid partnership between Coos County (major property owner) and the 
South Slough NERR.
    Area of Interest 2--watersheds of the east-west streams which are 
tributary watersheds feeding into the existing South Slough NERR 
boundaries. The decision was reached that controlling the headwaters of 
creeks draining into Reserve bottomlands is a relatively high priority 
for protecting Reserve habitats and for enhancing opportunities for 
research initiatives. Therefore, the CPAC recommended that up to 30% of 
the acquisition resources be available to achieve the acquisition goals 
for this Area of Interest.
    Area of Interest 3--the north watersheds of South Slough, including 
several tributaries, ocean inputs, and shorelines outside the South 
Slough watershed. Activities in the watershed tributary to South Slough 
outside the NERR boundaries, and in the waters of the Coos Bay and 
ocean immediately outside South Slough can have impacts on conditions 
inside the South Slough NERR boundary. Because of small parcel sizes 
and numerous owners, 25% of the acquisition resources were allocated by 
the CPAC to this Area of Interest.
    Area of Interest 4--the town of Charleston, Oregon; This Area of 
Interest is identified in order to seek and respond to opportunities 
for a South Slough NERR presence in the town, such as an interpretive 
facility. Up to 15% of the acquisition resources were recommended by 
the CPAC for this Area of Interest.
    Area of Interest 5--the existing South Slough NERR ownership. These 
lands are identified as an Area of Interest based on the finding that 
water and mineral rights associated with some of these parcels are 
owned by parties other than the State of Oregon, and these should be 
dealt with either through acquisition or agreement. A resource 
allocation level of 5% was identified for this Area of Interest.
    Area of Interest 6--Coos Bay Estuary. Within this Area of Interest, 
the SSNERR will dedicate resources to negotiating partnerships on lands 
outside the immediate South Slough area, but within the Coos Estuary. 
This does not preclude fee simple purchases. A resource allocation of 
10% is dedicated to this Area of Interest.
    Area of Interest 7--biogeographic regional opportunities. Resources 
will be dedicated to negotiating partnerships on public lands outside 
the South Slough watershed, but within the greater biogeographic region 
for purposes of adding under-represented habitat types to the South 
Slough NERR program. Only 5% of the acquisition resources as 
recommended by the CPAC for this Area of Interest.
    The Cooperative Plan presents information gathered on the Planning 
Area, including general property valuation and ownership. Mineral and 
water rights of the existing Reserve lands are also summarized. A 
landscape assessment is provided for the Planning Area, with 
information on the occurrence of habitat types that are not presently 
represented in the Reserve.
    The Cooperative Plan recognizes the need to leverage the Gustafson 
bequest using grant or other funds.

Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.420 (Coastal Zone 
Management) Research Reserves

    Dated: January 17, 2001.
Ted I. Lillestolen,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone 
Management.
[FR Doc. 01-1948 Filed 1-22-01; 8:45 am]
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