[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 197 (Friday, October 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58059-58060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20158]


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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 Grand 
Bay (Mississippi) National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Alabama 
Coastal Management Program, and the Virgin Islands Coastal Management 
Program.
    The Coastal Zone Management Program evaluations 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 evaluation

[[Page 58060]]

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 Grand Bay (Mississippi) National Estuarine 
Research Reserve evaluation site visit will be held November 27-30, 
2007. One public meeting will be held during the week. The public 
meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 27, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. at the 
East Jackson County/Orange Grove Community Center, 9313 Old Stage Road, 
Moss Point, Mississippi.
    The Alabama Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit will 
be held December 3-7, 2007. One public meeting will be held during the 
week. The public meeting will be held on Monday, December 3, 2007, at 
5:30 p.m. at 5 Rivers--Alabama's Delta Resource Center, Tensaw Theater, 
30945--5 Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, Alabama.
    The Virgin Islands Coastal Management Program evaluation site visit 
will be held December 3-7, 2007. Three public meetings will be held 
during the week. The first public meeting will be held on Tuesday, 
December 4, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the Cyril E. King Airport Terminal 
Building, Second Floor, Department of Planning and Natural Resources 
Conference Room, 8100 Lindberg Bay, St. Thomas. The second public 
meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the 
Henry Rohlsen Airport, Second Floor, Port Authority Conference Room, 
St. Croix. The third public meeting will be held on Thursday, December 
6, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the St. John Legislature Conference Room, 109 
Enigned Contant, St. John.

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 Bill O'Beirne, 
Acting 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 Weeks Bay (Alabama) and 
Waquoit Bay (Massachusetts) 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 the operation and management of 
NERRs. The Weeks Bay and Waquoit Bay NERRs were found to be adhering to 
programmatic requirements of the NERR System and the programmatic terms 
of their financial assistance awards.
    Copies of these final evaluation findings may be obtained upon 
written request from: Bill O'Beirne, Acting 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 Bill.O'[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill O'Beirne, Acting 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) 563-1160.

Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419 Coastal Zone Management 
Program Administration

    Dated: October 9, 2007.
Elizabeth R. Scheffler,
CFO/CAO, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration.
 [FR Doc. E7-20158 Filed 10-11-07; 8:45 am]
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