[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 161 (Monday, August 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 50085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20228]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Rookery Bay, FL and Kachemak Bay, AK National Estuarine Research 
Reserve Management Plan Revisions

AGENCY: Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal 
Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period for the Rookery Bay, Florida 
and Kachemak Bay, Alaska National Estuarine Research Reserve Management 
Plan Revisions.

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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, U.S. 
Department of Commerce is announcing a thirty day public comment period 
for the Rookery Bay, Florida and the Kachemak Bay, Alaska National 
Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan Revisions. Pursuant to 15 
CFR section 921.33(c), these revisions will bring these plans into 
compliance. The Rookery Bay, Florida Reserve is updating their last 
plan approved in 2003; and the Kachemak Bay, Alaska Reserve is updating 
their last plan approved in 2006. The revised management plans outline 
the administrative structure; the research, education, training, and 
stewardship goals of the reserve; and the plans for future land 
acquisition and facility development to support reserve operations.
    The Rookery Bay Reserve takes an integrated approach to management, 
linking research, education, training and stewardship functions to 
address high priority issues including land use changes affecting 
freshwater inflow, loss of native biodiversity, lack of public 
awareness and community involvement in stewardship, incompatible use by 
visitors, and ecological impacts of catastrophic change events. Since 
the last management plan, the reserve has constructed additional 
exhibits and a pedestrian bridge that connects the Environmental 
Learning Center to a boardwalk and interpretive trails describing 
several ecosystems and functions. The revised management plan will 
serve as the guiding document for the 110,000 acre Rookery Bay Reserve 
for the next five years.
    The Kachemak Bay Reserve takes an integrated approach to 
management, linking research, education, and training functions to 
address high priority issues including climate change and harvested 
species, such as salmon and shellfish. The reserve will continue 
research on coastal dynamics and their impact to coastal communities, 
and will be enhancing monitoring programs on invasive species and 
harmful algal blooms to transfer information to coastal decision 
makers. Since the last management plan, the reserve has constructed 
additional exhibits, completed habitat maps of the benthic and 
shoreline habitats of the bay, and contributed to the body of knowledge 
on the ecological value of headwater streams to juvenile salmon. The 
revised management plan will serve as the guiding document for the 
372,000 acre Kachemak Bay Reserve for the next five years. No 
additional lands have been added to the reserve boundary; the 
discrepancy in designated and current acreage is due to improved 
mapping accuracy.
    View the Rookery Bay, Florida Reserve Management Plan revision at 
www.floridadep.org/rookery/management/plan.htm and provide comments to 
[email protected].
    View the Kachemak Bay, Alaska Reserve Management Plan at 
www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=kbrr_resources.management and 
provide comments to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erica Seiden at (301) 563-1172 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: August 8, 2012.
Margaret Davidson,
Acting Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric, Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-20228 Filed 8-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M