[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8691-8692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3272]


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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 New York 
Coastal Management Program, the Waquoit Bay (Massachusetts) National 
Estuarine Research Reserve, the Ohio Coastal Management Program, the 
New Jersey Coastal Management Program, the South Slough (Oregon) 
National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Virgin Islands Coastal 
Management Program.
    The Coastal Zone Management Programs 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 
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 each 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 meetings during the site visits.

Dates and Times: The New York Coastal Management Program evaluation 
site visit will be held April 9-13, 2007. One

[[Page 8692]]

public meeting will be held during the week. The public meeting will be 
held on Tuesday, April 10, 2007, at 9 a.m. at the Rochester City Hall, 
30 Church Street, Commissioner of Environmental Services Offices, Room 
321B, 3rd Floor, Rochester, New York.
    The Waquoit Bay (Massachusetts) National Estuarine Research Reserve 
evaluation site visit will be held May 8-10, 2007. One public meeting 
will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on 
Tuesday, May 8, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine 
Research Reserve Visitors Center, 149 Waquoit Highway, East Falmouth, 
Massachusetts.
    The Ohio Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will be 
held May 14-18, 2007. One public meeting will be held during the week. 
The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at 7 p.m. 
at the Erie County Commissioners Office, 247 Columbus Avenue, 3rd Floor 
Chambers, Room 301, Sandusky, Ohio.
    The New Jersey Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit 
will be held June 4-8, 2007. One public meeting will be held during the 
week. The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, at 
5:30 p.m. at Ocean County College, Technology Center, 1st Floor Lecture 
Hall, College Drive, Toms River, New Jersey.
    The South Slough (Oregon) National Estuarine Research Reserve 
evaluation site visit will be held June 19-22, 2007. One public meeting 
will be held during the week. The public meeting will be held on 
Tuesday, June 19, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. at the North Bend Public Library, 
1800 Sherman Avenue, North Bend, Oregon.
    The Virgin Islands Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit 
will be held June 25-29, 2007. Three public meetings will be held 
during the week. The first public meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 
26, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the Department of Education Curriculum Center, 
Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The second public meeting 
will be held on Wednesday, June 27, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the Main 
Conference Room, Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Cyril E. 
King Airport, Terminal Building--Second Floor, No. 70 Lindberg Bay, St. 
Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The third public meeting will be held on 
Thursday, June 28, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the Conference Room, Legislature 
Building, No. 109 Enighed Contant, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

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 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 Old Woman Creek (Ohio) and 
Apalachicola (Florida) National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) and 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Coastal Management 
Program. 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 Old Woman Creek (Ohio) and Apalachicola 
(Florida) NERRs were found to be adhering to programmatic requirements 
of the NERR System. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
was found to be implementing and enforcing its federally approved 
coastal management program, addressing the national coastal management 
objectives identified in CZMA Section 303(2)(A)-(K), and adhering to 
the programmatic terms of its financial assistance awards.
    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 No. 11.419; Coastal Zone 
Management Program Administration.

    Dated: February 20, 2007.
David M. Kennedy,
Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National 
Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
 [FR Doc. E7-3272 Filed 2-26-07; 8:45 am]
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