[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 162 (Monday, August 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 42651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20332]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Final Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for Thunder 
Bay National Marine Sanctuary: Notice of Public Availability

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.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 304(e) of the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), as amended, NOAA is releasing the Final 
Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for Thunder Bay National 
Marine Sanctuary.

DATES: The Final Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for 
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary will be available on August 25, 
2009.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy: For a copy of the Final Management Plan 
and Environmental Assessment, please contact Tera Panknin, Management 
Plan Review Coordinator, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 500 W. 
Fletcher Street, Alpena, MI 49707; (989) 356-8805 ext. 38; or via e-
mail at [email protected]. Copies can also be downloaded from the Thunder 
Bay NMS Web site at http://thunderbay.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tera Panknin at (989) 356-8805 ext. 38 
or via e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background Information

    Thunder Bay was designated in 2000 as the nation's thirteenth 
national marine sanctuary. It is jointly managed by NOAA and the State 
of Michigan. It was designated to preserve nationally significant 
shipwrecks and regional maritime landscape through resource protection, 
education, and research.
    Thunder Bay NMS's first management plan review began in September 
2006 with public scoping meetings, followed by meetings of working 
groups made up of sanctuary staff, sanctuary advisory council members, 
and members of the public to developed action plans of the management 
plan.
    NOAA released a draft revised management plan on February 24, 2009 
(74 FR 8231) and accepted comments through April 10, 2009. During this 
time, NOAA held four public meetings in Rogers City, MI (March 18, 
2009), Harrisville, MI (March 19, 2009), Lansing, MI (March 20, 2009), 
and Alpena, MI (March 24, 2009). A total of 24 people provided oral 
comments at those meetings, and 23 people submitted written comments on 
the draft revised management plan for a total of 61 individual 
comments. Each of these comments are addressed in the Response to 
Comments document.

II. Summary of the Final Management Plan

    The core of the Final Management Plan is four action plans: 
Resource Protection, Education and Outreach, Research, and Sanctuary 
Operations and Administration. Each is summarized below:

A. Resource Protection Action Plan

    This action plan involves considering the need for boundary 
expansion, assessing recreational use of the sanctuary, increasing 
compliance with regulations, fostering greater awareness of the 
sanctuary by recreational users, and preserving maritime heritage 
artifacts.

B. Education and Outreach Action Plan

    The second action plan involves developing education material for a 
broader audience, increasing awareness of the sanctuary through 
education programs, enhancing sanctuary communications with other 
entities, maintaining a sanctuary presence in the community, and 
maximizing the effects of education through ongoing evaluation.

C. Research Action Plan

    The third action plan involves characterizing the sanctuary's 
maritime heritage resources and landscape features, developing a 
monitoring program for sanctuary maritime heritage sites, continuing 
partnership with Alpena County Public Library to manage the Thunder Bay 
Sanctuary Research Collection, developing partnerships with local, 
national, and international researchers and organizations, and 
utilizing volunteers, fellows, students, and interns for sanctuary 
characterization, research, and monitoring.

D. Sanctuary Operations and Administration Action Plan

    The fourth and final action plan involves developing infrastructure 
to enhance and maintain the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center and 
for research vessels, equipment, and field operations; hiring staff; 
enhancing operation of the Thunder Bay Sanctuary Advisory Council; and 
developing procedures to ensure safety for staff and sanctuary 
visitors.

III. Environmental Assessment

    NOAA prepared an environmental assessment that analyzes the 
environmental impacts of the revised management plan pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act. In doing so, the environmental 
assessment analyzes two alternatives: The status quo (no change to the 
1999 management plan) and the preferred alternative (revising the 1999 
management plan). Included with the environmental assessment is NOAA's 
finding of no significant impact.

    Dated: August 17, 2009.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. E9-20332 Filed 8-21-09; 8:45 am]
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