[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 246 (Friday, December 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76252-76253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24391]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Evaluation of State Coastal Management Programs and National 
Estuarine Research Reserves

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Evaluate and Notice of Availability of 
Final Findings.

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SUMMARY: The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management 
(OCRM) announces its intent to evaluate the performances of the 
Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto (ACE) Basin (South Carolina) National Estuarine 
Research Reserve, the Jobos Bay (Puerto Rico) National Estuarine 
Research Reserve, the North Carolina Coastal Management Program, and 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Coastal 
Management Program.
    The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluations will be conducted 
pursuant to section 312 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as 
amended (CZMA) 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 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.
    Each evaluation will include a site visit, consideration of public 
comments, and consultations with interested Federal, state, and local 
agencies and members of the public. A public meeting will be held as 
part of the site visit. 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 meeting during the site visits.
    The ACE Basin (South Carolina) National Estuarine Research Reserve 
evaluation site visit will be held January 30-February 3, 2006. One 
public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be 
held on Tuesday, January 31, 2006, at 6:30 p.m. at the Edisto 
Interpretive Center, Edisto Beach State Park, 8377 State Cabin Road, 
Edisto Island, South Carolina.
    The Jobos Bay (Puerto Rico) National Estuarine Research Reserve 
(NERR) evaluation site visit will be held January 30-February 3, 2006. 
One public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting 
will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2006, at 5 p.m. at the Jobos Bay 
NERR Visitors' Center, Road 705, Kilometer 2.3, Main Street, Aguirre, 
Puerto Rico.
    The North Carolina Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit 
will be held February 6-10, 2006. Three public meetings will be held 
during the week. The first public meeting will be held on Monday, 
February 6, 2006, at 6 p.m. at the North Carolina Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources, Wilmington Regional Office, Room 
200, 127 Cardinal Drive Extension, Wilmington, North Carolina. The 
second public meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2006, at 6 
p.m. at the Carteret County Courthouse, Commissioners Boardroom, One 
Courthouse Square, Beaufort, North Carolina. The third public meeting 
will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2006, at 6 p.m. at the Dare 
County Commissioners Office, 204 Ananias Dare Street, Manteo, North 
Carolina.
    The CNMI Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be 
held February 13-17, 2006. One public meeting will be held during the 
week. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 14, 2006, at 
5 p.m. at the Coastal Resource Management Office, First Floor 
Conference Room, Morgen Building, San Jose, Saipan.
    Copies of states' most recent performance reports, as well as 
OCRM's evaluation notification and supplemental information 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 until 15 days after the public meeting 
held for a Program. Please

[[Page 76253]]

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, 10th Floor, N/ORM7, 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 Hawaii and Louisiana Coastal Management Programs 
(CMPs); and the Great Bay (New Hampshire) and Hudson River (New York) 
National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs). 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 CMPs and the operation and management of NERRs.
    The states of Hawaii and Louisiana 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. The Great Bay (New Hampshire) and 
Hudson River (New York) NERRs were found to be adhering to programmatic 
requirements of the NERR System.
    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, 10th Floor, N/ORM7, Silver Spring, 
Maryland 20910, or [email protected].

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, 10th Floor, N/ORM7, 
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, (301) 563-7118.

    Dated: December 16, 2005.
Mitchell Luxenberg,
Acting Chief Financial Officer.
Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419 Coastal Zone Management 
Program Administration
[FR Doc. 05-24391 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-P