[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 62250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17750]


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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 performance of the Texas 
Coastal Management Program.
    The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluation 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 CZMA 
requires continuing review of the performance of states with respect to 
coastal program implementation. Evaluation of a Coastal Management 
Program requires findings concerning the extent to which a state has 
met the national objectives, adhered to its Coastal Management Program 
document 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. Two public meetings will be held as 
part of the site visit. Notice is hereby given of the dates of the site 
visit for the listed evaluation, and the dates, local times, and 
locations of the public meetings during the site visit.

Date and Time: The Texas Coastal Management Program evaluation site 
visit will be held December 4-8, 2006. Two public meetings will be held 
during the week. The first public meeting will be held on Tuesday, 
December 5, 2006, at 5:30 p.m. at the Club Padre, 5800 Padre Boulevard, 
South Padre Island, Texas. The second public meeting will be held on 
Thursday, December 7, 2006, at 1 p.m. at the Stephen F. Austin 
Building, Room 170, 1700 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas.

ADDRESSES: Copies of a State's most recent performance reports, as well 
as OCRM's evaluation notification and supplemental information request 
letters to the state, are available upon request from OCRM. Written 
comments from interested parties regarding this Program are encouraged 
and will be accepted until 15 days after the last public meeting held 
for the 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 evaluation is 
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 Puerto Rico, North Carolina, 
and American Samoa Coastal Management Programs (CMPs) and the ACE Basin 
(South Carolina), North Inlet/Winyah Bay (South Carolina), Kachemak Bay 
(Alaska), and the Tijuana River (California) 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 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the State of North Carolina, and 
the Territory of American Samoa 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 ACE Basin (South Carolina), 
North Inlet/Winyah Bay (South Carolina), Kachemak Bay (Alaska), and the 
Tijuana River (California) 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: October 18, 2006.
Elizabeth R. Scheffler,
Associate Assistant Administrator, for Management, Ocean Services and 
Coastal Zone Management.
[FR Doc. E6-17750 Filed 10-23-06; 8:45 am]
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