[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 125 (Thursday, June 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37057-37058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5826]


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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 Old 
Woman Creek (Ohio) National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Connecticut 
Coastal Management Program, and the New Hampshire Coastal Management 
Program.
    The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluations will be conducted

[[Page 37058]]

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 evaluation 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.

DATES: The Old Woman Creek (Ohio) National Estuarine Research Reserve 
evaluation site visit will be held August 14-17, 2006. One public 
meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held 
on Tuesday, August 15, 2006, at 7 p.m. at the Old Woman Creek National 
Estuarine Research Reserve Visitor Center, Exhibit Hall, 2514 Cleveland 
Road, East, Huron, Ohio.
    The Connecticut Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit 
will be held September 11-15, 2006. One public meeting will be held 
during the week. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 
12, 2006, at 7 p.m. at the Department of Environmental Protection, 
Marine Headquarters, Conference Room (Building 3), 333 Ferry Road, Old 
Lyme, Connecticut.
    The New Hampshire Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit 
will be held September 20-22, 2006. One public meeting will be held 
during the week. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, 
September 20, 2006, at 5 p.m. at the New Hampshire Coastal Program 
Office, Department of Environmental Services, 50 International Drive, 
Suite 200, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

ADDRESSES: 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 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given of the availability 
of the final evaluation findings for the Pennsylvania and California 
Coastal Management Programs (CMPs) and the Sapelo Island (Georgia), 
Chesapeake Bay-Maryland, and Rookery Bay (Florida) 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 Pennsylvania and California 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 Sapelo 
Island (Georgia), Chesapeake Bay-Maryland, and Rookery Bay (Florida) 
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.

Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419

Coastal Zone Management Program Administration

    Dated: June 23, 2006.
Elizabeth Scheffler,
Chief Financial Officer, Management and Budget Office, National Ocean 
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 06-5826 Filed 6-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-P