[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24952-24953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9977]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Draft Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Gerry 
E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary: Notice of Public 
Availability and Meetings

AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean 
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of public availability and meetings.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 304(e) of the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Act, as amended, (NMSA) NOAA is soliciting public comment 
on the draft management plan and draft environmental assessment for the 
Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

DATES: Comments: Comments on the draft management plan and draft 
environmental assessment will be considered if received on or before 
August 4, 2008.
    Public meetings: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for 
the dates and locations for the public meetings.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy: For a copy of the draft management plan 
and draft environmental assessment, contact the Management Plan Review 
Coordinator, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, 175 Edward 
Foster Rd., Scituate, MA 02066. Copies can also be downloaded from the 
SBNMS Web site at http://stellwagen.noaa.gov.
    To submit comments: Comments on the draft management plan and draft 
environmental assessment may be submitted by one of the following 
methods:
    1. In writing to the SBNMS Management Plan Review Coordinator (see 
to obtain a copy section above);
    2. By e-mail to [email protected]; or
    3. By providing comments (oral or written) at one of the public 
meetings (see public meetings section below).
    Public meetings: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for the 
dates and locations for the public meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Benjamin Cowie-Haskell at (781) 545-
8026 or via e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background Information

    Congress designated the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National 
Marine Sanctuary (sanctuary or SBNMS) through the Oceans Act of 1992 
(November 4, 1992; Public Law 102-587 at section 2202). In 1993, the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued final 
regulations and released a final management plan and environmental 
impact statement (EIS) to implement this designation (NOAA 1993). 
Section 304(e) of the NMSA requires NOAA to review its management plans 
for national marine sanctuaries every five years, and to evaluate the 
substantive progress toward implementing the management plans and goals 
for each sanctuary, especially the effectiveness of site-specific 
management techniques (16 U.S.C. 1434(e)).
    In accordance with this requirement, NOAA initiated a review of the 
SBNMS management plan in 1998. This review was done in cooperation with 
members of the Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC), a group formed of 
members of the public to provide advice to the sanctuary superintendent 
on the management and protection of sanctuary resources. The review was 
delayed two years due to a change in sanctuary management. NOAA 
restarted the review in June of 2002 with the publication of the 
``State of the Sanctuary Report,'' which set the stage for the scoping 
meetings and public comment period that ended on October 18, 2002.
    The review revealed that many of the initial goals and objectives 
of the original 1993 management plan had been met; however, in some 
areas these goals and objectives were non-specific and general in scope 
and/or based on limited scientific knowledge. New information about the 
natural and cultural resources of the sanctuary and the human uses of 
the resources made it apparent to NOAA that the plan was out-of date 
and outmoded. NOAA decided to incorporate this new knowledge by 
developing a new approach to managing the sanctuary, including an 
updated vision, mission, and statement of goals and objectives. In 
addition, NOAA revised the content and formatting requirements for all 
national marine sanctuary management plans. The ultimate purpose of 
this revised draft management plan is to update NOAA's approach to 
managing, protecting, and restoring the resources of the sanctuary 
pursuant to the purposes and policies of the NMSA. In April 2007, a 
report on the condition of sanctuary resources was released for public 
review and set the stage for this draft management plan.

Management Plan Contents

    The SBNMS draft management plan serves as a non-regulatory policy

[[Page 24953]]

framework for addressing the issues facing the sanctuary over the next 
five years. It lays the foundation for restoring and protecting the 
sanctuary's ecosystem; details the human pressures that threaten the 
qualities and resources of the sanctuary; and recommends actions that 
should be taken both now and in the future to better manage the area 
and resources.
    This document provides strategic guidance for management actions 
and focuses these actions on four priority programmatic areas: capacity 
building, ecosystem protection, marine mammal protection and maritime 
heritage management. The eleven action plans detailed in the draft 
management plan address issues relative to these four areas, and are 
based extensively on the advice of working groups established by the 
SAC, cooperative coordination with other government agencies and 
organizations and ongoing public input.
    The draft environmental assessment analyzes the environmental 
impacts of the revised management plan pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act. In doing so, it analyzes two alternatives: 
the status quo (no change to the 1993 management plan) and the 
preferred alternative (revising the 1993 management plan).

Public Meetings

    Public meetings will be held at the following locations and dates:

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June 5........................  Portland, ME.....  University of
                                                    Southern Maine Law
                                                    School, Talbot
                                                    Lecture Hall, 88
                                                    Bedford Street.
June 9........................  Wenham, MA.......  Gordon College, Lane
                                                    Student Center,
                                                    President's Dining
                                                    Room, 255 Grapevine
                                                    Road.
June 10.......................  Boston, MA.......  Boston University,
                                                    School of
                                                    Management, 4th
                                                    Floor, Rooms 426 and
                                                    428, 595
                                                    Commonwealth Ave.
June 11.......................  Plymouth, MA.....  Hilton Garden Inn
                                                    Plymouth, Plymouth
                                                    Rooms 1 and 2, Four
                                                    Home Depot Drive.
June 12.......................  Hyannis, MA......  The Cape Codder
                                                    Resort, JFK
                                                    Ballroom, 1225
                                                    Iyanough Road, Route
                                                    132 & Bearse's Way.
June 16.......................  Portsmouth, NH...  Sheraton Portsmouth
                                                    Harborside Hotel,
                                                    Harbor's Edge Room,
                                                    250 Market Street.
June 17.......................  North Dartmouth,   University of
                                 MA.                Massachusetts--Dartm
                                                    outh, Woodland
                                                    Common, 285 Old
                                                    Westport Road.
June 19.......................  Mystic, CT.......  Mystic Aquarium, Main
                                                    Exhibit Hall, 55
                                                    Coogan Boulevard.
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    Dated: April 21, 2008.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. E8-9977 Filed 5-5-08; 8:45 am]
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