[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 99 (Thursday, May 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27989-27990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12815]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Announcement of Intent To Initiate the Process To Consider Marine 
Reserves in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary; Intent To 
Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Marine Sanctuaries Division (MSD), National Ocean Service 
(NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, as 
amended, (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), NOAA's National Marine 
Sanctuary Program (NMSP) is considering the establishment of a network 
of marine reserves within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary 
(CINMS or Sanctuary) to maintain the natural biological communities, 
and to protect, and, where appropriate, restore and enhance natural 
habitats, populations, and ecological processes.
    Marine reserves are one of a variety of resource management tools 
used to manage and protect marine resources. This action is being 
considered to complement the State of California's recent establishment 
of a network of marine reserves and protected areas within the State 
waters of the CINMS.
    The NMSP will prepare an environmental impact statement which will 
examine a range of management and regulatory alternatives associated 
with consideration of marine reserves within the Sanctuary. The NMSP 
will conduct three public scoping meetings during the scoping period to 
gather information and other comments from individuals, organizations, 
and government agencies on the scope, types and significance of issues 
related to consideration of marine reserves in the Sanctuary. The dates 
and locations of the public scoping meetings are listed below.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before July 23, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to the Channel Islands National 
Marine Sanctuary, attn. Sean Hastings, 113 Harbor Way, Suite 150, Santa 
Barbara, California 93109, by fax to (805) 568-1582, or by electronic 
mail to [email protected]. Comments will be available for public 
review at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sean Hastings, (805) 966-7107, Ext. 
472.

[[Page 27990]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Sanctuary was designated in September 
1980, and consists of 1,252 square nautical miles of open ocean and 
near shore habitat approximately 25 miles off the coast of Santa 
Barbara, California, encompassing the waters surrounding San Miguel, 
Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands from mean 
high tide to six nautical miles offshore. The NMSP's primary goal is 
the protection of the Sanctuary's natural and cultural resources 
contained within its boundaries. The NMSP uses a variety of non-
regulatory and regulatory management measures to protect its resources. 
The Sanctuary is an area of national significance because of its 
exceptional natural beauty and marine and cultural resources.
    In April 1999, the Sanctuary and the California Department of Fish 
and Game (CDFG) developed a joint Federal and State partnership to 
consider establishing marine reserves within the Sanctuary. Marine 
reserves are one of a variety of resource management tools used to 
manage and protect marine resources. The Channel Islands Marine 
Reserves Process was initiated in July of 1999, when the Sanctuary 
Advisory Council (SAC) created a multi-stakeholder Marine Reserves 
Working Group (MRWG) to seek agreement on the potential establishment 
of marine reserves within the Sanctuary. Included in the Channel 
Islands Marine Reserves Process were a SAC designated Science Advisory 
Panel and a NOAA led Socio-economic Team made up of blue ribbon 
scientists, academics and practitioners. Extensive scientific and 
socioeconomic data were collected in support of the reserves process. 
From July 1999 to May 2001, the MRWG met monthly to receive, weigh, and 
integrate advice from technical advisors and the public and to develop 
a recommendation for the SAC. In May 2001, the results of the Channel 
Islands Marine Reserves Process were forwarded to the SAC, including 
the MRWG consensus agreements, areas of disagreement, Science Panel 
advice and socio-economic analysis. A composite map with two reserve 
network options ranging from 12 to 29 percent of the Sanctuary was also 
forwarded. In June 2001, the SAC transmitted the full public record of 
the MRWG and the SAC to the CINMS and CDFG, and charged the agencies 
with crafting a final recommendation for the California Fish and Game 
Commission (FGC).
    Sanctuary and CDFG staff continued to work with stakeholders in 
crafting a recommendation. On August 24, 2001 the Sanctuary and CDFG 
forwarded the results of the Channel Islands Reserves Process and 
recommended to the FGC a network of reserves and protected areas that 
would include approximately 25% of the Sanctuary.
    The CDFG prepared environmental review documents pursuant to the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which included an analysis 
of a range of alternative reserves networks, including identifying the 
Sanctuary and CDFG recommended option as the preferred alternative. On 
October 23, 2002, the FGC approved the preferred alternative and the 
establishment of a network of marine reserves and protected areas 
within State waters of the Sanctuary (approximately 10%). The FGC 
decision was made based on the culmination of the Channel Islands 
Marine Reserves Process and the CDFG and NOAA supported alternative for 
a network of marine reserves in the Sanctuary. The State's network went 
into effect on April 9, 2003.
    The NMSP is initiating a process to consider the establishment of 
marine reserves within the Sanctuary to complement the State's network 
of reserves and protected areas. This review process will build upon 
the nearly four years of work to date on this matter, including the 
information and analyses contained in the State's CEQA environmental 
documents. The NMSP anticipates completion of the environmental review 
process and concomitant documents will require approximately eighteen 
to twenty-four months.
    The NMSP will prepare an environmental impact statement, proposed 
regulations, and any proposed modifications to the Sanctuary's 
designation document, as warranted. The environmental impact statement 
will examine a range of management and regulatory alternatives 
associated with consideration of marine reserves within the Sanctuary. 
Any change to the Sanctuary's terms of designation will be pursuant to 
the requirements of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, including 
necessary consultations with Federal and State agencies, the Pacific 
Fishery Management Council (PFMC), and others, and submission of the 
environmental impact statement, proposed regulations and any proposed 
changes to the designation document to Congress, the Governor of the 
State of California, and the public for comment. Further, the PFMC will 
be provided the opportunity to prepare draft Sanctuary fishing 
regulations for the Exclusive Economic Zone portion of the Sanctuary 
for any marine reserve proposal. Finally, any change to a term of 
designation would not apply to State waters if the Governor objects 
during the requisite review period.
    For a complete history of the Channel Islands Marine Reserves 
Process and the State's Environmental Documents please see http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/channel_islands/ and/or http://www.cinms.nos.noaa.gov/marineres/main.html. The same information can 
also be obtained by contacting John Ugoretz with California Department 
of Fish and Game, (805) 560-6758 and/or the contact information below.
    The Sanctuary is also revising its 1983 Management Plan. A Final 
EIS and Management Plan are expected by the end of 2003. Please see 
http://www.cinms.nos.noaa.gov/marineres/manplan.html for more 
information on this independent process.

Public Scoping Meetings: Dates and Locations

    The NMSP will conduct three public scoping meetings to gather 
information and other oral or written comments from individuals, 
organizations, and government agencies on the scope, types and 
significance of issues related to consideration of marine reserves in 
the Sanctuary. These meetings will be conducted in a format to maximize 
the opportunity for all attendees to provide public comment. The dates, 
times and location of the meetings are as follows:
    (1) Thursday, June 5, 2003, 6:30-9 p.m., Orvene S. Carpenter 
Community Center, 550 Park Avenue Pt. Hueneme, CA.
    (2) Thursday, June 12, 2003, 6:30-9 p.m., Santa Barbara Public 
Library, Faulkner Gallery, 40 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA.
    (3) Friday, July 18, 2003, 1:30-4 p.m., Four Points by Sheraton, 
1050 Schooner Drive, Ventura, CA. This meeting will be held with the 
Sanctuary Advisory Council.

    Dated: May 16, 2003.
Jamison S. Hawkins,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone 
Management.
[FR Doc. 03-12815 Filed 5-21-03; 8:45 am]
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