[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74553-74554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31662]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Evaluation of Coastal Zone Management Programs and National 
Estuarine Research Reserves

AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean 
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), DOC.

ACTION: Notice of intent to evaluate and notice of availability of 
final evaluation findings.

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SUMMARY: The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management 
(OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performance of the Texas 
Coastal Management Program; the North Carolina National Estuarine 
Research Reserve; the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 
Mississippi; and the Guana/Tolomato/Matanzas National Estuarine 
Research Reserve, Florida.
    The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluation will be conducted 
pursuant to section 312 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 
(CZMA), as amended, and regulations at 15 CFR part 923, subpart L. The 
National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluations will be conducted 
pursuant to sections 312 and 315 of the CZMA and regulations at 15 CFR 
part 921, subpart E and part 923, subpart L.
    The CZMA requires continuing review of the performance of states 
with respect to coastal program implementation. Evaluation of Coastal 
Zone Management Programs and National Estuarine Research Reserves 
requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has met the 
national objectives, adhered to its Coastal Management Program document 
or Reserve final management plan approved by the Secretary of Commerce, 
and adhered to the terms of financial assistance awards funded under 
the CZMA.
    The evaluations will include a site visit, consideration of public 
comments, and consultations with interested Federal, state and local 
agencies and members of the public. Public meetings will be held as 
part of the site visits.
    Notice is hereby given of the dates of the site visits for the 
listed evaluations, and the dates, local times, and locations of the 
public meetings during the site visits.
    The Guana/Tolomato/Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, 
Florida, evaluation site visit will be held February 9-12, 2004. One 
public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be 
on Monday, February 9, 2004, at 6 p.m., at the Reserve's offices at 
9741 Ocean Shore Boulevard, Marineland, Florida.
    The Texas Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be 
held March 22-26, 2004. One public meeting will be held during the 
week. The public meeting will be on Thursday, March, 25, 2004, at 1 
p.m., at the Carlos F. Truan Natural Resources Center, Conference Room 
1003, Texas

[[Page 74554]]

A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, Texas.
    The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, 
evaluation site visit will be held March 24-26, 2004. One public 
meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be on 
Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 6:30 p.m., at the East Jackson County/
Orange Grove Community Center, 9313 Old Stage Road, Moss Point, 
Mississippi.
    The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve evaluation 
site visit will be held March 29-April 2, 2004. Three public meetings 
will be held during the week. The first public meeting will be on 
Tuesday, March 30, 2004, at 7 p.m., at the Currituck County Satellite 
Office, 1123 Ocean Trail, Corolla, North Carolina. The second public 
meeting will be on Wednesday, March 31, 2004, at 7 p.m., at the Duke 
University Marine Laboratory Auditorium, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, 
Beaufort, North Carolina. The third public meeting will be held on 
Thursday, April 1, 2004, at 7 p.m., at the King Hall Auditorium, 
University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 601 South College Road, 
Wilmington, North Carolina.
    Copies of states' most recent performance reports, as well as 
OCRM's notifications and supplemental request letters to the states, 
are available upon request from OCRM. Written comments from interested 
parties regarding these Programs are encouraged and will be accepted 
for each Program until 15 days after the last public meeting held for 
that Program. Please direct written comments to: Ralph Cantral, Chief, 
National Policy and Evaluation Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal 
Resource Management, NOS/NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM7, 10th 
Floor, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. When the evaluations are 
completed, OCRM will place a notice in the Federal Register announcing 
the availability of the Final Evaluation Findings.
    Notice is hereby given of the availability of the final evaluation 
findings for the Connecticut and Rhode Island Coastal Management 
Programs. Sections 312 and 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 
1972 (CZMA), as amended, require a continuing review of the performance 
of coastal states with respect to approval of coastal management 
programs, and the operation and management of NERRs.
    The states of Connecticut and Rhode Island were found to be 
implementing and enforcing their federally approved coastal management 
programs, addressing the national coastal management objectives 
identified in CZMA Section 303(2)(A)-(K), and adhering to the 
programmatic terms of their financial assistance awards. Copies of 
these final evaluation findings may be obtained upon written request 
from: Ralph Cantral, Chief, National Policy and Evaluation Division, 
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS/NOAA, 1305 East-
West Highway, N/ORM7, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph Cantral, Chief, National Policy 
and Evaluation Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource 
Management, NOS/NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM7, 10th Floor, 
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, (301) 713-3155, Extension 118.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419; Coastal Zone Management 
Program Administration)

    Dated: December 17, 2003.
Richard W. Spinrad,
Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management.
[FR Doc. 03-31662 Filed 12-23-03; 8:45 am]
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