[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52322-52323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14603]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Announcement of South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 
Revised Management Plan

AGENCY: Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal 
Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of approval and availability of the final revised 
management plan for the South Slough National Estuarine Research 
Reserve.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Estuarine Reserves Division, 
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean 
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. 
Department of Commerce has approved the revised management plan for the 
South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (Reserve).
    The Reserve was designated in 1974 pursuant to Section 315 of the 
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1461 and has 
been operating under the management plan revised in 1994. Pursuant to 
15 CFR Section 921.33(c), a state must revise their management plan 
every five years. The submission of this plan fulfills this requirement 
for the period from 2006-2011 and sets a course for successful 
implementation of the goals and objectives of the reserve.
    The mission of the South Slough reserve management plan is to 
improve the understanding and stewardship of Pacific Northwest 
estuaries and coastal watersheds through site-based estuarine research, 
stewardship and education. The management plan identifies nine priority 
management issues that are addressed through reserve programs. These 
priority issues are (1) invasive species, (2) water pollution, (3) 
threatened and endangered species, (4) commercial oyster cultivation, 
(5) vegetation and sediment management, (6) forest management and fire, 
(7) harvests of secondary forest products, (8) disaster prevention and 
response, and (9) archeological artifacts and historic structures. 
South Slough reserve's management plan addresses these issues with 
specific programs for resource management and protection, research and 
monitoring, education and training, public access and visitor use, 
program administration, and partnerships and regional coordination.

[[Page 52323]]

    The plan identifies management goals, priority resource management 
issues or threats that these goals must address, and specific 
strategies to accomplish these goals. The resource management and 
protection program addresses issues such as developing a systematic 
process to assess ecological health of the reserve, implementing 
resource management strategies, developing land use policies on the 
reserve, implementing the reserve Cooperative Plan for Watershed 
Conservation, assisting with the revision of the trail master plan, 
enhancing the application of GIS to stewardship priorities, improving 
restoration monitoring capacity, and enhancing community involvement in 
coastal stewardship.
    The research and monitoring program supports research focused on 
estuarine ecology and assessments of functional biotic diversity, 
investigation of links between land-margin ecosystem elements, and 
evaluation of the effects of human disturbance within estuaries. Staff, 
graduate students, and visiting researchers conduct monitoring and 
research within the watersheds and boundaries of the reserve and use 
GIS to map critical habitats and hydrology and hydrodynamic processes.
    The education and training program at the reserve targets audiences 
of all ages and backgrounds for traditional, experiential, training and 
outreach opportunities. The education program is also upgrading and 
expanding the Reserve's exhibitry to better interpret scientific data 
collected by the research program, enhancing methods to engage middle 
and high school audiences, evaluate program offerings, implement a 
school-to-work educational experience, update information for visitors, 
and enhance program participation.
    The coastal Training Program will focus on identifying the needs of 
coastal decision makers (CDM's), conducting training workshops for 
CDM's, testing and adapting an Inquiry-Based Information Services model 
to identify information gaps and develop demonstration projects, 
conducting evaluations to measure the effectiveness of training and 
outreach programs, and developing an internet-based training and 
information program for CDM's.
    The public access and facilities priorities at the reserve includes 
assessing opportunities to enhance access to the southern end of the 
reserve, establishing a visitor center/office in Charleston, revising 
the facilities master plan, establishing a facilities maintenance and 
replacement schedule, and reducing operations costs through innovative 
energy oriented technologies. Visitor use policies are designed to 
provide for compatible use and protection of valuable natural 
resources.
    The administration program ensures the staffing and budget is 
adequate to carry out the goals and objectives of the plan. Situated 
within its parent agency, Oregon Department of State Lands, the 
administrative staff develops stable funding and grant match 
opportunities and manages grants and cooperative agreements effectively 
and efficiently. Priorities include developing a volunteer program, a 
communication plan, a plan to enhance information and communication 
technology, evaluating the need to revise the reserve's Administrative 
Rules, and developing facility use policies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nina Garfield at (301) 563-1171 or 
Kate Barba, Acting Chief, Estuarine Reserves Division at (301) 563-1182 
of NOAA's National Ocean Service, Estuarine Reserves Division, 1305 
East-West Highway, N/ORM5, 10th floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

    Dated: August 29, 2005.
David M. Kennedy,
Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-14603 Filed 9-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P