[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 8219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3362]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Coastal Zone Management Program: Illinois

AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department 
of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Record of Decision (ROD) for Federal 
Approval of the Illinois Coastal Management Program (ICMP).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NOAA's OCRM announces the availability of the Record of 
Decision (ROD) documenting Federal Approval of the Illinois Coastal 
Management Program (ICMP). The Federal Register Notice (FRN) on the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the ICMP was published 
December 23, 2011 for a 30-day comment period (76 FR 80342). The 
comment period closed on January 23, 2012.
    The ROD documents the selection of Alternative 1 (the NOAA 
preferred alternative) in the final EIS. NOAA makes a final 
determination that the ICMP constitutes an approvable program and that 
requirements of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) and its 
implementing regulations have been met. The ROD was signed by the 
Assistant Administrator, National Ocean Service, on January 31, 2012. 
Federal consistency applies to the ICMP enforceable policies as of 
January 31, 2012, and the State of Illinois is eligible to receive 
program administration grant funds.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the ROD may be obtained from Diana Olinger, 
Coastal Program Specialist and Interim Environmental Protection 
Specialist, NOAA, OCRM/CPD, N/ORM3, Station 11204, 1305 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or [email protected], (301) 563-
1149 (telephone), (301) 713-4367 (facsimile). The ROD is also available 
on the OCRM Web site at: http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/mystate/il.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diana Olinger, Coastal Program 
Specialist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, OCRM/CPD, 
N/ORM3, Station 11204, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 
telephone (301) 563-1149, facsimile (301) 713-4367, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the ROD: The 
State of Illinois, Department of Natural Resources, submitted a coastal 
management program to NOAA for approval under the Coastal Zone 
Management Act (CZMA), 16 U.S.C. 1451, et seq. in May 2011. The ICMP 
was the result of collaborative efforts on the part of Federal, State, 
and local agencies, regional organizations, and public and private 
entities. The ROD selects Final EIS Alternative 1 (Approve the Illinois 
Coastal Management Program). OCRM arrived at this decision taking into 
account environmental, economic and agency statutory mission 
considerations, as discussed in greater detail in the ROD. OCRM did not 
select Alternative 2 (Deny Approval) or Alternative 3 (Delay Approval) 
because those alternatives could potentially lead to negative physical 
and socio-economic impacts to coastal resources associated with (1) the 
State not being able to become eligible for federal technical and 
financial assistance to implement the ICMP; (2) Illinois would have no 
authority to review federal activities for consistency with the state's 
enforceable coastal policies; and (3) Illinois would be under no 
obligation to consider the national interest in the siting, planning, 
and management of regionally or nationally significant coastal 
facilities. These benefits are only available through participation in 
the national coastal management program. Alternative 3 was also not 
selected due to the fact further delay of federal approval would make 
it less likely that Illinois would enter the national coastal zone 
management program in the future due to resource limitations and other 
factors

    Dated: February 6, 2012.
Donna Wieting,
Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National 
Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-3362 Filed 2-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P