[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 58 (Friday, March 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16732-16733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7036]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Updates to List of National System of Marine Protected Areas 
(MPAs)

AGENCY: NOAA, Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of updates to the List of National System of Marine 
Protected Areas (MPAs) and response to comments on nominations of 
existing MPAs to the national system.

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SUMMARY: In August 2010, NOAA and the Department of the Interior (DOI) 
invited Federal, State, commonwealth, and territorial MPA programs with 
potentially eligible existing MPAs to nominate their sites to the 
national system of MPAs (national system). A total of 39 nominations 
were received, including seven from the American Samoa Department of 
Marine and Wildlife Resources and 32 from the California Department of 
Fish and Game. Following a 30-day public review period, no public 
comments were received by the National Marine Protected Areas Center 
(MPA Center). The American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife 
Resources and the California Department of Fish and Game, as the 
managing agencies, were asked to make a final determination of sites to 
nominate to the national system. Finding them to be eligible for the 
national system, the MPA Center has accepted the nominations for 39 
sites and placed them on the List of National System MPAs.
    The national system and the nomination process are described in the 
Framework for the National System of Marine Protected Areas of the 
United States of America (Framework), developed in response to 
Executive Order 13158 on Marine Protected Areas. The final Framework 
was published on November 19, 2008, and provides guidance for 
collaborative efforts among Federal, State, commonwealth, territorial, 
tribal and local governments and stakeholders to develop an effective 
and well coordinated national system that includes existing MPAs 
meeting national system criteria as well as new sites that may be 
established by managing agencies to fill key conservation gaps in 
important ocean areas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Wenzel, NOAA, at 301-713-3100, 
ext. 136 or via e-mail at [email protected]. A detailed electronic 
copy of the List of National System MPAs is available for download at 
http://www.mpa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background on National System

    The national system of MPAs is made up of member MPA sites, 
networks and systems established and managed by Federal, State, 
commonwealth, territorial, tribal and/or local governments that 
collectively enhance conservation of the nation's natural and cultural 
marine heritage and represent its diverse ecosystems and resources. 
Although participating sites continue to be managed independently, 
national system MPAs also work together at the regional and national 
levels to achieve common objectives for conserving the nation's 
important natural and cultural resources, with emphasis on achieving 
the priority conservation objectives of the Framework. MPAs include 
sites with a wide range of protection, from multiple use areas to no 
take reserves where all extractive uses are prohibited. The term MPA 
refers only to the marine portion of a site (below the mean high tide 
mark) that may include both terrestrial and marine components.
    The national system is a mechanism to foster greater collaboration 
among participating MPA sites and programs in order to enhance 
stewardship in the waters of the United States. The act of joining the 
national system does not create new MPAs, or create new restrictions 
for the existing MPAs that become members. In fact, a site must have 
existing protections of natural and/or cultural resources in place in 
order to be eligible to join the national system, as well as meet other 
criteria described in the Framework. However, joining the national 
system does not establish new regulatory authority or change existing 
regulations in any way, nor does it require changes affecting the 
designation process or management of member MPAs. Nor does it bring 
State, territorial, tribal or local sites under Federal authority.
    Benefits of joining the national system, which are expected to 
increase over time as the system matures, include a facilitated means 
to work with other sites in the MPA's region, and nationally on issues 
of common conservation concern; fostering greater public and 
international recognition of U.S. MPAs and the resources they protect; 
priority in the receipt of available technical and other support for 
cross-cutting needs; and the opportunity to influence federal and 
regional ocean conservation and management initiatives (such as Coastal 
and Marine Spatial Planning, integrated ocean observing systems, 
systematic monitoring and evaluation, targeted outreach to key user 
groups, and helping to identify and address MPA research needs). In 
addition, the national system provides a forum for coordinated regional 
planning about place-based conservation priorities that does not 
otherwise exist.

Nomination Process

    The Framework describes two major focal areas for building the 
national system of MPAs--a nomination process to allow existing MPAs 
that meet the entry criteria to become part of the system and a 
collaborative regional gap analysis process to identify areas of 
significance for natural or cultural resources that may merit 
additional protection through existing Federal, State, commonwealth, 
territorial, tribal or local MPA authorities. A call for nominations is 
issued annually, and may also be issued at the request of an MPA 
management agency. This round of nominations began on August 19, 2010 
and the deadline for nominations was November 19, 2010. A public 
comment period was held from February 3, 2011 through March 7, 2011.
    There are three entry criteria for existing MPAs to join the 
national system, plus a fourth for cultural heritage. Sites that meet 
all pertinent criteria are eligible for the national system.
    1. Meets the definition of an MPA as defined in the Framework.
    2. Has a management plan (can be site-specific or part of a broader 
programmatic management plan; must have goals and objectives and call 
for monitoring or evaluation of those goals and objectives).
    3. Contributes to at least one priority conservation objective as 
listed in the Framework (see below).
    4. Cultural heritage MPAs must also conform to criteria for the 
National Register for Historic Places.
    Additional sites not currently meeting the management plan 
criterion can be evaluated for eligibility to be nominated to the 
system on a case-by-case basis based on their ability to fill gaps in 
the national system coverage of the priority conservation objectives 
and design principles described in the Framework.
    The MPA Center used existing information in the MPA Inventory to 
determine which MPAs meet the first and second criteria. The inventory 
is online at http://www.mpa.gov/dataanalysis/mpainventory/ and 
potentially eligible sites are posted online at http://www.mpa.gov/nationalsystem/nationalsystemlist/. As part of the nomination process, 
the

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managing entity for each potentially eligible site is asked to provide 
information on the third and fourth criteria.

Updates to List of National System MPAs

    The following MPAs have been nominated by the American Samoa 
Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources and the California 
Department of Fish and Game to join the national system of MPAs. The 
complete List of National System MPAs, which now includes 297 members, 
is available at http://www.mpa.gov.

American Samoa

Alofau Village Marine Protected Area,
Amaua and Auto Village Marine Protected Area,
Fagamalo Village Marine Protected Area,
Masausi Village Marine Protected Area,
Matuu and Faganeanea Village Marine Protected Area,
Poloa Village Marine Protected Area,
Vatia Village Marine Protected Area.

California

Point Arena State Marine Conservation Area,
Sea Lion Cove State Marine Conservation Area,
Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area,
Del Mar Landing State Marine Reserve,
Stewarts Point State Marine Reserve,
Salt Point State Marine Conservation Area,
Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve,
Russian River State Marine Recreational Management Area,
Russian River State Marine Conservation Area,
Bodega Head State Marine Reserve,
Bodega Head State Marine Conservation Area,
Estero Americano State Marine Recreational Management Area,
Estero de San Antonio State Marine Recreational Management Area,
Drakes Estero State Marine Conservation Area,
Estero de Limantour State Marine Reserve,
Point Reyes State Marine Reserve,
Point Reyes State Marine Conservation Area,
Duxbury State Marine Conservation Area,
Southeast Farallon Island State Marine Reserve,
Southeast Farallon Island State Marine Conservation Area,
Montara State Marine Reserve,
Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area,
Point Reyes Special Closure,
Point Resistance Special Closure,
Double Point/Stormy Stack Special Closure,
Egg (Devil's Slide) Rock to Devil's Slide Special Closure,
North Farallon Islands & Isle of St. James Special Closure,
Southeast Farallon Special Closure A,
North Farallon Islands State Marine Reserve,
Southeast Farallon Special Closure B,
Stewarts Point State Marine Conservation Area.

Response to Public Comments

    On February 3, 2011, NOAA and DOI (agencies) published the 
Nomination of Existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to the National 
System of Marine Protected Areas for public comment, for the nomination 
of thirty-nine existing MPAs. By the end of the 30-day comment period, 
no public comments had been received.

    Dated: March 18, 2011.
David M. Kennedy,
Assistant Administrator, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-7036 Filed 3-24-11; 8:45 am]
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