[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]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M