[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 210 (Monday, November 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63368-63369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24428]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


National Estuarine Research Reserve System

AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), 
National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement. Notice of public meetings in Austin, Port Aransas, and 
Rockport, Texas to conduct public scoping meetings on the proposed 
Texas National Estuarine Research Reserve System to solicit comments on 
significant issues related to the preparation of a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement/Draft Management Plan (DEIS/DMP). The DEIS/DMP will 
address research, education and stewardship needs of the proposed 
reserve.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management 
Act of 1972, as amended, the State of Texas and the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) intend to conduct public scoping 
meetings on November 16, 2004 in Austin, Texas and on November 17, 2004 
in Port Aransas and Rockport, Texas as part of NOAA's Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement/Draft Management Plan (DEIS/DMP) process 
to solicit comments for preparation of a DEIS/DMP.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: Tuesday, November 16, 2004 at 10 am, Hearing Room 
E2.014 in the Capitol Extension, Texas State Capitol, 1400 Congress 
Ave., Austin, TX 78701. (A visitor parking garage is located at 12th 
Street and San Jacinto Boulevard.)
    Wednesday, November 17, 2004 at 9 am, Auditorium in Visitors 
Center, University of Texas Marine Science Institute, 750 Channel View 
Dr., Port Aransas, TX 78373. (Parking is available at Marine Science 
Institute Visitor Center.)
    Wednesday, November 17, 2004 at 4 pm, Saltwater Pavilion, 810 
Seabreeze Drive, Rockport Beach Park, Rockport, TX 78383. (Parking is 
available at Rockport Beach Park.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The decision to be made by NOAA is whether 
or not to designate the proposed Texas reserve. University of Texas 
Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) and NOAA are working to determine what 
the boundaries of the reserve will be, how the reserve will be managed, 
and the policies of the proposed reserve. These decisions will be made 
through the analysis process and spelled out in the reserve management 
plan.
    The Mission-Aransas Estuary constitutes a relatively intact and 
minimally disturbed area, and is an excellent representative of the 
Western Gulf of Mexico with a high diversity of habitat types. The 
proposed site also has unique geologic and hydrological features that 
will attract a broad range of research interests from multiple 
scientific disciplines. Beginning in 2001, the State of Texas undertook 
a site selection process to determine appropriate areas of the Texas 
coast that might be nominated for inclusion in the National Estuarine 
Research Reserve (NERR) System. The extensive site selection process 
generated advice from public and private experts in estuarine science 
and input from the public.
    In March of 2004 the State of Texas nominated the Mission-Aransas 
Estuary for consideration as the Texas NERR. In September of 2004 NOAA 
approved the

[[Page 63369]]

site nomination document for the proposed Texas reserve and began 
working with UTMSI to develop a management plan and environmental 
impact statement for the proposed reserve.
    The Texas NERR is proposed to be administered by the UTMSI in 
cooperation with partner landholders including the Texas General Land 
Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Coastal Bend Land Trust, Fennessey Ranch, and The Nature 
Conservancy. UTMSI has developed an outline of a preliminary draft 
management plan. The outline specifies specific needs and priorities 
related to research, education and stewardship. At the public meetings, 
UTMSI and NOAA will provide a synopsis of the process for developing a 
DEIS/DMP and will solicit comments on significant environmental issues 
that will be incorporated into a DEIS.
    Interested parties who wish to submit suggestions or comments 
regarding the scope or content of the proposed DEIS/DMP are invited to 
attend any of the above meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Montagna, University of Texas at 
Austin Marine Science Institute at (361) 749-6779 or 
[email protected]. or Laurie McGilvray, Chief, Estuarine Reserves 
Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National 
Ocean Service, NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 
20910, (301) 713-3155 ext 158 or [email protected].

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

    Dated: October 28, 2004.
Eldon Hout,
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 04-24428 Filed 10-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M