[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 130 (Monday, July 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38402-38403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-15351]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


National Estuarine Research Reserve System

AGENCY: Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal 
Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period for the Revised Management Plan 
for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve in 
Florida.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Estuarine Reserves Division, 
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean 
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. 
Department of Commerce is announcing a thirty-day public comment period 
on the revised Management Plan for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National 
Estuarine Research Reserve in Florida.
    The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve is 
located in St. Johns and Flagler counties and is geographically 
separated into a northern and southern component separated by the City 
of St. Augustine. The reserve was designated in 1999. Pursuant to 15 
CFR Section 921.33(c), a state must revise their management plan every 
five years. The submission of this plan brings the Reserve into 
compliance and sets a course for successful implementation of the goals 
and objectives of the Reserve. Updated programmatic objectives, new 
facilities, and a boundary expansion are notable revisions from the 
previous management plan.
    The revised management plan outlines the administrative structure;

[[Page 38403]]

the education, stewardship, and research goals of the reserve; and the 
plans for future land acquisition and facility development to support 
reserve operations. The reserve management goals and objectives can be 
categorized within the following five management challenges: Public 
use, habitat and species management, watershed land use, cultural 
preservation and interpretation, and global processes. These issues can 
be directly or indirectly linked to anthropogenic land use of 
increasing population densities accompanied by increasing development, 
recreation and economic pressures.
    The Guana Tolomato Matanzas Environmental Education Center is a 
notable addition since the last management plan and serves as the 
administrative, education, research, and stewardship facility for the 
northern component of the Reserve. The facility will provide an 
opportunity for further outreach to the community and serve as a center 
of excellence for regional science, education and stewardship forums.
    This management plan calls for a boundary expansion incorporating 
8,865 acres of publicly owned land in the southern component of the 
reserve. Approximately 4,166 acres of the Faver-Dykes State Park adding 
to the 1,333 acres of Faver-Dykes State Park incorporated at 
designation. The additional park lands will provide new resources and 
allow for an extension of the existing partnership. Additionally, 4,699 
acres of the Matanzas State Forest will be added to the Reserve 
boundary. This property will be incorporated to further protect the 
last remaining undisturbed salt marsh within the Reserve and is part of 
a 16,000 acre continuous conservation corridor. This land is comprised 
75% by upland pine and 25% by wetlands. The area serves as an important 
bird habitat and contains significant natural and cultural resources. 
These additions will bring the total Reserve acreage to 73,352 acres 
protected for long-term research, education and stewardship.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erica Seiden at (301) 563-1172 or 
Laurie McGilvray at (301) 563-1158 of NOAA's National Ocean Service, 
Estuarine Reserves Division, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM5, 10th 
floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910. For copies of the Guana Tolomato 
Matanzas, FL Management Plan revision, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/gtm/plan/.

    Dated: June 30, 2008.
David M. Kennedy,
Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
 [FR Doc. E8-15351 Filed 7-3-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-P