[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 220 (Thursday, November 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67135-67136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26792]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Initiation of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Management 
Plan Review: Notice of Public Scoping 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 scoping meetings for initiation of the Monitor 
National Marine Sanctuary management plan review.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 304(e) of the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Act, as amended (NMSA), NOAA is holding scoping meetings 
to:
    1. Solicit public comments and identify issues on the continued 
management of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary; and
    2. Help determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the 
preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), if warranted.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for the dates, 
times, and locations of the public scoping meetings. All comments on 
issues related to the continued management of the Monitor National 
Marine Sanctuary will be considered if received on or before February 
1, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS CONTACT: Shannon 
Ricles at (757) 591-7328. All written inquiries and comments may also 
be mailed to Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, 100 Museum Drive, 
Newport News, VA 23606, or by fax at (757) 591-7353.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background Information

    The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (MNMS or Sanctuary) was 
designated on January 30, 1975, and is located on the Atlantic 
continental shelf approximately 16 miles south-southeast of Cape 
Hatteras, North Carolina. The Sanctuary encompasses a vertical column 
of water around the wreck site one nautical mile in diameter from the

[[Page 67136]]

surface to the seabed. The present management plan for the Sanctuary 
was completed in February 1983, and a comprehensive long-range plan 
that focused on the stabilization, preservation, recovery, 
conservation, and exhibition of materials and artifacts from the 
Monitor site was implemented in April 1998. For detailed information on 
the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, including the 1983 Management 
Plan and the 1998 Comprehensive Preservation Plan, please visit http://www.monitor.noaa.gov.
    In accordance with Section 304(e) of the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Act, as amended (NMSA), 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq., the Office 
of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is initiating a review of the current 
management plan to evaluate the substantive progress made toward 
implementing the goals for the Sanctuary, and to make revisions to the 
plan and regulations as necessary to fulfill the purposes and policies 
of the NMSA. The proposed revised management plan may involve changes 
to existing policies and regulations of the sanctuary, will address 
contemporary issues and challenges, and better protect and manage the 
Sanctuary's resources and qualities. The review process is composed of 
four primary stages:
    (1) Information collection and characterization, including public 
scoping meetings;
    (2) Preparation and release of a revised draft management plan/
environmental evaluation that includes any proposed new regulations or 
amendments to current regulations;
    (3) Public review and comment on the draft plan; and
    (4) Preparation and release of a final management plan/
environmental evaluation that could also include new regulations to 
fully implement the revised management plan.
    NOAA anticipates that the completion of the revised management plan 
and concomitant documents will require approximately twenty-four to 
thirty-six months. This notice is to inform the public that NOAA will 
conduct scoping meetings to gather information and other comments from 
individuals, organizations, and government agencies on the scope, 
types, and significance of issues related to the Sanctuary's management 
plan and regulations. These scoping meetings will also help determine 
the scope of issues to be addressed in the preparation of an EIS 
pursuant to the NEPA, 43 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., if warranted. The public 
scoping meeting schedule is presented below.

Public Scoping Meetings

    The public scoping meetings will be held on the following dates and 
at the following locations:

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December 1, 2008................  Manteo, NC........  North Carolina
6-8 p.m.........................                       Aquarium,
                                                      374 Airport Road,
                                                      Manteo, NC.
December 2, 2008................  Raleigh, NC.......  North Carolina
6-8 p.m.........................                       Museum of
                                                       History,
                                                      5 East Edenton
                                                       Street,
                                                      Raleigh, NC.
December 3, 2008................  Pine Knoll Shores,  North Carolina
6-8 p.m.........................   NC.                 Aquarium,
                                                      1 Roosevelt
                                                       Boulevard,
                                                      Pine Knoll Shores,
                                                       NC.
December 4, 2008................  Hatteras, NC......  Graveyard of the
6-8 p.m.........................                       Atlantic Museum,
                                                      59200 Museum
                                                       Drive,
                                                      Hatteras, NC.
December 6, 2008................  Newport News, VA..  Mariner's Museum,
1-3 p.m.........................                      100 Museum Drive,
                                                      Newport News, VA.
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    Dated: November 4, 2008.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries NOAA.
 [FR Doc. E8-26792 Filed 11-12-08; 8:45 am]
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