[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 57 (Thursday, March 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16620-16621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6901]


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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 Comment Period for Revised Management Plans for the 
following National Estuarine Research Reserves: ACE Basin, SC and Old 
Woman Creek, OH.

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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 comment period for 
the revised management plans and boundary amendments of the ACE Basin, 
SC National Estuarine Research Reserve and Old Woman Creek, OH National 
Estuarine Research Reserve.
    The revised management plan for the ACE Basin, SC National 
Estuarine Research Reserve outlines the administrative structure; the 
education, training, stewardship, and research programs of the reserve; 
and the plans for future land acquisition and facility development to 
support reserve operations. The objectives described in this plan 
address the most critical coastal issues in ACE Basin related to 
habitat conservation, water quality, community resilience, and public 
access. Since the last approved management plan in 1992, the reserve 
has become fully staffed; added a Coastal Training Program that 
delivers science-based information to key decisionmakers; and added 
significant monitoring of emergent marsh vegetation, water quality, and 
invasive species. In addition to programmatic and staffing advances, 
the reserve has constructed an interpretive center that houses 
educational exhibits, classrooms, offices, conference space, trails and 
dock with public access. A field station with lab facilities, research 
dock, and accommodations for visiting researchers has also been 
constructed.
    This management plan amends the boundary to include 4,687 acres of 
the Botany Bay Plantation located adjacent to the northeastern corner 
of Edisto Island in lower Charleston County, SC. The undeveloped 
coastal habitats of the plantation include maritime forest, coastal 
shrub, wetlands, tidal marshes and sand beaches. The property provides 
important habitat for numerous wildlife species, including critical 
nesting habitat for the Federally threatened loggerhead sea turtle and 
the State threatened least tern. The lands contain significant cultural 
resources and list several sites on the National Register of Historic 
Places. This management plan amends the boundary by also removing 
40,089 acres of private lands previously counted in error. In total, 
the ACE Basin Reserve includes 99,308 acres designated for long term 
research, education and stewardship. This plan can be accessed for 
review at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/NERR/index.html.
    The revised management plan for the Old Woman Creek, OH National

[[Page 16621]]

Estuarine Research Reserve contains the collective vision, mission, 
goals, and objectives of the reserve; updates the reserve boundary; as 
well as outlines plans for facility use and development to support 
reserve operations. The objectives described in this plan address the 
most critical coastal issues of the reserve related to water quality 
(non-point source pollution), invasive species, habitat loss and 
regional ecosystem impacts of climate change. Since the last approved 
management plan in 2000, the reserve has become fully staffed; added a 
Coastal Training Program that delivers science-based information to key 
decisionmakers; and developed partnerships to continue to restore and 
protect land and waters in the Old Woman Creek watershed. In addition 
to programmatic and staffing advances, the reserve has completed 
construction of a new dormitory, boathouse, and administrative spaces.
    This management plan includes a boundary expansion of 2.2 acres. 
This land was incorporated with the State nature preserve in 2004 and 
is subject to all protection afforded by Ohio laws governing State 
nature preserves. The additional parcel is adjacent to the reserve's 
southwestern boundary and consists of early successional habitat (e.g., 
various Cornus sp.) and will become an area dominated by mixed 
hardwoods. Incorporating these lands increases the size of the reserve 
to 573 acres. This plan can be accessed for review at: http://www.oldwomancreek.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bree Murphy at (301) 563-1124 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.

    Dated: March 15, 2011.
Donna Wieting,
Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-6901 Filed 3-23-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-P