[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 73 (Tuesday, April 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19180-19181]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1888]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice of Intent To Prepare and Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Proposed Approval of a Coastal Management Program for the
State of Illinois Under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972,
As Amended
AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM),
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department
of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an EIS; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4231, et seq,), the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural
provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) parts 1500-
1508), and NOAA policy and procedures (NOAA Administrative Orders (NAO)
216-6), the NOS Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM)
is issuing this notice to advise the public of its intent to prepare an
EIS evaluating potential environmental impacts associated with
approving and providing annual funding for the State of Illinois'
Coastal Management Program under the CZMA. Interested parties who wish
to submit suggestions, comments on substantive information regarding
the scope of content of the proposed DEIS, extent of the action, range
of alternatives, and types of impacts, are invited to provide written
comments to the designated officials below. Currently there are no
scoping meetings planned, as many meetings and workshops have already
been held for Federal, State and local agencies as well as the public
in Illinois. The meetings and written comments will be documented and
summarized in a scoping report included in the DEIS for public comment.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Coastal Zone Management (CZM)
Program is a voluntary partnership between the Federal Government and
U.S. coastal States and territories authorized by the CZMA. OCRM
administers program at the Federal level and works with State coastal
zone management partners to:
Preserve, protect, develop and, where possible, restore
and enhance the resources of the nation's coastal zone for this and
succeeding generations;
Encourage and assist the states to exercise effectively
their responsibilities in the coastal zone to achieve wise use of land
and water resources, giving full consideration to ecological, cultural,
historic, and aesthetic values, as well as the need for compatible
economic development;
Encourage the preparation of special area management plans
to provide increased specificity in protecting significant natural
resources, reasonable coastal-dependent economic growth, improved
protection of life and property in hazardous areas and improved
predictability in government decisionmaking; and
Encourage the participation, cooperation, and coordination
of the
[[Page 19181]]
public, Federal, State, local, interstate and regional agencies, and
governments affecting the coastal zone.
Of the 35 coastal States and island territories eligible to
participate in the CMP, only Illinois has not joined. A total of 34
coastal States and five island territories and commonwealths have
developed CZM programs representing more than 99.9 percent of the
nation's 95,331 miles of oceanic and Great lakes coastline. Illinois
has 63 miles of shoreline.
On November 4, 2004, Governor Blagojevich announced that Illinois
would be seeking application into the National Coastal Zone Management
Program. It is a voluntary program under which Illinois will be
applying to NOAA for Federal program approval and Federal funding. The
Illinois Department of Natural Resources has been designated as the
lead State agency for developing the Lake Michigan Coastal Management
Program for Illinois. The purpose of the Illinois Coastal Management
Program (ICMP) will be to enhance the State's role in planning for and
managing its natural and cultural resources in the coastal region. Many
Federal, State, and local agencies manage resources in the coastal
region of Illinois. This will not change, as the fundamental roles of
the agencies will remain the same. The ICMP will encourage coordination
of agency efforts in the coastal region and will provide opportunities
for Federal, State, and local stakeholders to cooperatively identify
priorities for the coastal region and to implement projects which
address those priorities.
Upon ICMP approval, Illinois will be eligible to receive
approximately $2 million/year in Federal CZMA funds, which will fund a
grants program to assist in implementing projects and studies designed
to protect and enhance the natural and cultural resources within
Illinois' coastal zone. The ICMP will create ecological, recreational
and economic opportunities for Illinois and may provide assistance in
addressing the following issues: Water quality; protection of wetlands
and other natural resources; planning for erosion control, utility
access and energy development; improving public access for recreational
purposes; redevelopment of deteriorating and underutilized urban
waterfronts and ports; educational, interpretive, and research
measures; documentation, monitoring and analysis of coastal land uses
changes; and preservation and/or restoration of areas for their
conservation, recreational, ecological, historical and aesthetic
values.
The EIS will analyze the environmental impacts of two alternatives
that are available to OCRM: (1) Approve the program and (2) do not
approve the program, or the No Action alternative. Public participation
is invited by providing written comments to NOS, and attending public
meetings conducted by the State. OCRM reserves the right to hold
additional scoping meetings should they prove necessary, and they will
be noticed in the Federal Register and local newspapers 30 days in
advance of their being held.
Oral and written comments presented at the public scoping meetings,
as well as written comments received by OCRM during this scoping period
and throughout the EIS process, will be considered in the preparation
of the EIS. To ensure that OCRM has sufficient time to consider public
input in preparation of the Draft EIS, written comments should be
submitted to the address below by 29 June 2007. Letters and other
written or oral comments received may be published in the EIS along
with the names of the individuals making the comments (personal home
addresses and phone numbers will not be published). As required by law,
comments will be addressed in the EIS and made available to the public.
Private addresses will only be used to develop a mailing list of those
individuals requesting copies of the EIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct any written comments or
requests for information to: Diana Olinger, Coastal Programs Division,
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,
Maryland 20910, E-mail: [email protected], telephone number: (301)
563-1149.
William Corso,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Ocean Services and Coastal Zone
Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419 Coastal Zone Management
Program Assistance)
[FR Doc. 07-1888 Filed 4-16-07; 8:45 am]
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