[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 56 (Monday, March 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14198-14199]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6878]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Initiation of the Public Scoping Process for the Preparation of a 
Seagrass Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) 
for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) and a Coral Reef 
Restoration PEIS for FKNMS and Flower Garden Banks National Marine 
Sanctuary (FGBNMS)

AGENCY: National Marine Sanctuaries Program (NMSP) and the Office of 
Response and Restoration (OR&R), National Ocean Service (NOS), National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of public scoping process.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Sancturaries Program (NMSP) and hte Office 
of Response and Restoration (OR&R) intend to prepare a Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the restoration of seagrass 
communities in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) as 
well as a PEIS for the restoration of coral reef communities in FKNMS 
and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). A 
Notice of Intent (NOI) for the Coral PEIS was previously published on 
February 17, 2000, but document preparation has been delayed until now. 
The PEISs will describe and address physical injury to, loss of, and 
destruction of these communities that result from anthropogenic 
activities, such as vessel groundings and anchoring within the National 
Marine Sanctuaries. The PEISs will also describe and characterize the 
different approaches and methodologies that may be implemented to 
restore, replace, or acquire the equivalent of such injured, destroyed, 
or lost resources. This notice is being published in the Federal 
Register to advise other agencies and the public of the intent to 
prepare PEISs, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope 
of issues to include in the document.

DATES: Written comments from all interested parties must be received on 
or before April 15, 2003. Two scoping meetings were held on March 6, 
2003, in Marathon, Florida. Local media and targeted electronic mail 
listings are being used to notify those interested in development of 
the PEISs. The Final PEISs are expected to be completed by March 2004.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests for information should be sent 
to Harriet Sopher, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries Program, SSMC-4, 
1305 East-West Highway, 11th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910, phone 301-
713-3145 x109, [email protected].
    Comments and materials received in response to this notice will be 
available for public inspection, by appointment, at the address above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Marine Sanctuary System was 
established under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA; previously 
known as title III of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries 
Act), 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq. The NMSA

[[Page 14199]]

authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to identify and designate certain 
areas of the marine environment which are of special national 
significance as National Marine Sanctuaries, and provides authority for 
comprehensive and coordinated conservation and management of these 
marine areas, and activities affecting them, in a manner that 
complements existing regulatory authorities. Further, section 312 of 
the NMSA (16 U.S.C. 1443) provides that any person who destroys, causes 
the loss of, or injures any Sanctuary resource is liable to the United 
States for response costs and damages. Monies received are used to 
reimburse the Secretary for response actions and damage assessments and 
to fund the restoration, replacement, or acquisition of the equivalent 
of injured, destroyed, or lost Sanctuary resources.
    To help protect and manage the ecological, historical, educational, 
recreational, and aesthetic qualities of the National Marine 
Sanctuaries, the National Marine Sanctuaries Program (NMSP) and OR&R 
will prepare a seagrass restoration PEIS for Florida Keys National 
Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) and a coral reef restoration PEIS for the 
FKNMS and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. The PEISs, 
among other objectives, will set forth methodologies and guidelines for 
restoration actions arising out of injuries to Sanctuary resources. It 
is NMSP's intent to prepare these PEISs such that a tiered process can 
be used in the preparation of future environmental documents concerning 
restoration actions within National Marine Sanctuaries. Accordingly, 
the PEISs will facilitate the development of both subsequent 
environmental assessments (EAs) and individual restoration plans 
designed to restore Sanctuary resources.
    Public scoping meetings were held in Marathon, FL, on March 6, 
2003. Extensive local media and notification through targeted 
electronic mail listings are being used prior to the preparation of the 
Draft PEISs for those persons, agencies, and/or organizations 
interested in contributing comments for the development of the Draft 
PEISs. Public meetings will also be held concurrent with the public 
comment period to accept comments on the Draft PEIS. Notice of these 
subsequent meetings will be published in the Federal Register. All 
substantive comments provided during the public comment period, both 
written and oral, will be considered in the preparation of the Final 
PEIS and will become part of the public record (i.e., names, addresses, 
letters of comment, comment provided during public meetings). Comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties to ensure that 
the full range of issues related to this proposed action and all 
significant issues are identified. Comments and/or questions concerning 
the preparation of these PEISs should be directed to Harriet Sopher at 
the address or phone listed above.
    The following draft outlines will form the basis for the scoping 
discussion.
    Proposed draft outline for the Coral Reef Restoration PEIS:

1. Executive Summary
    1. Overview
    1.1.1 Introduction
    1.1.2 Background
    1.1.3 Purpose and need for action
    1.1.4 Summary and scope of programmatic environmental impact 
statement
2. Restoration Alternatives
    2.1 No Action
    2.2 Physical Restoration
    2.2.1 Debris, Sediment and Rubble Removal
    2.2.2 Emergency Stabilization
    2.2.3 Framework and Rubble Stabilization
    2.2.3.1 Limestone boulders and tremie concrete
    2.2.3.2 Preformed concrete/limestone units
    2.2.3.3 In situ formation of semi-artificial substrate
    2.2.3.4 Concrete pillows, geotextile mattresses, tubes filled 
with concrete
    2.2.3.5 Gabions, prefabricated steel or tenser grid cages 
containing loose rubble
    2.3.6 Revetment mats
    2.3 Biological Restoration
    2.3.1 Emergency Triage
    2.3.2 Transplantation
    2.3.3 Enhancement of Recruitment
    2.3.4 Community Modification
    2.4 Acquisition of Equivalent Natural Resources and Services
    2.5 Criteria for Determining Environmentally Appropriate 
Alternative(s)
    2.5.1 Recovery Time Horizons
    2.5.2 Potential for Collateral Injury
    2.5.3 Susceptibility to additional injury from natural 
disturbance events
    2.5.4 Susceptibility to additional injury from human-caused 
disturbances
    2.5.5 Technical feasibility
    2.5.6 Likelihood of success
    2.5.7 Significance of the injured resource
3. Affected Environment
    3.1 Habitat Types
    3.2 Florida Keys, Florida
    3.2.1 Physical Environment
    3.2.2 Biological Resources
    3.2.3 Cultural Resources
    3.2.4 Social and Economic Environment
    3.2.5 Existing Jurisdictional Responsibilities and Institutional 
Arrangements
    3.3 Flower Gardens and Stetson Bank, Gulf of Mexico
    3.3.1 Physical Environment
    3.3.2 Biological Resources
    3.3.3 Cultural Resources
    3.3.4 Social and Economic Environment
    3.3.5 Existing Jurisdictional Responsibilities and Institutional 
Arrangements
4. Environmental Consequences
    4.1 Environmental Impacts
    4.2 Cumulative Effects
    4.3 Mitigation Measures
    Proposed draft outline for the Seagrass Restoration PEIS:
1. Purpose of and Need for Action
    1.1 Purpose
    1.2 Need for Proposed Action
2. Seagrass Restoration Alternatives
    2.1 Seagrass Restoration Selection Alternatives
    2.2 Seagrass Restoration Options
    2.2.1 No-Action
    2.2.2 Seagrass Transplants
    2.2.3 Bird Stakes
    2.2.4 Fertilizer Spikes
    2.2.5 Sediment Fill
    2.2.6 Sediment Tubes
    2.2.7 Berm Redistribution
    2.2.8 Channel Markers
    2.3 Proposed Actions
3. Affected Environment
    3.1 Location and Area Uses
    3.2 Surrounding Land Use
    3.3 Climate
    3.4 Air Quality
    3.5 Noise
    3.6 Geology
    3.7 Water Quality
    3.8 Physical Parameters
    3.9 Biological Resources
    3.10 Cultural Resources
    3.11 Hazardous and Toxic Substances
    3.12 Socioeconomics
    3.13 Quality of Life
4. Environmental and Socioeconomic Consequences
    4.1 Introduction
    4.2 No Action Alternative
    4.3 Seagrass Transplant Alternative
    4.4 Bird Stakes Alternative
    4.5 Fertilizer Spikes
    4.6 Sediment Fill Alternative
    4.7 Sediment Tubes
    4.8 Berm Redistribution Alternative
    4.9 Channel Markers
    4.10 Cumulative Effects
    4.11 Mitigation Measures
    4.12 Conclusions
5. Implementation of the Regional Restoration Plan
6. Relationship to Other Laws and Programs


    Dated: March 3, 2003.
Jamison S. Hawkins,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone 
Management.
[FR Doc. 03-6878 Filed 3-21-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M