[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 86 (Friday, May 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25957-25958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10380]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Final Notice of Applicability of Special Use Permit Requirements 
to Certain Categories of Activities Conducted Within the National 
Marine Sanctuary System

AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean 
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with a requirement of Public Law 106-513 (16 
U.S.C. 1441(b)), NOAA hereby gives public notice of the final revised 
list of categories of activities subject to the special use permit 
requirements of Section 310 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.

DATES: This notice is effective May 3, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vicki Wedell, Office of National 
Marine Sanctuaries, 1305 East West Highway (N/NMS2), Silver Spring, MD 
20910, telephone (301) 713-3125, extension 237, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Federal Register document is also 
accessible via the Internet at: [INSERT GPO ACCESS WEB ADDRESS--http://www.access.gpo.gov/]

I. Background

    Section 310 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) gives 
NOAA the authority to issue special use permits for the conduct of 
specific activities in national marine sanctuaries to establish 
conditions of access to and use of any sanctuary resource or to promote 
public use and understanding of a sanctuary resource (16 U.S.C. 1431 et 
seq.). In the National Marine Sanctuaries Amendments Act of 2000 (Pub. 
L. 106-513), Congress added a requirement that prior to requiring a 
special use permit for any category of activity, NOAA shall give 
appropriate public notice. On January 15, 2013, NOAA requested public 
comment on the modification of three of the existing special use permit 
categories and the addition of two new categories (78 FR 2597). The 
remaining two special use permit categories remain unchanged. NOAA did 
not receive any substantive comments during the 60-day public comment 
period.
    This notice also updates the wording of two of the categories to 
use the term ``submerged lands'' rather than ``seabed'' to be 
consistent with definitions established in the NMSA and sanctuary 
regulations. NMSA section 302(3) states that the ``marine environment'' 
means those areas of coastal and ocean waters, the Great Lakes and 
their connecting waters and submerged lands over which the United 
States exercises jurisdiction, including the exclusive economic zone, 
consistent with international law.'' The notice also clarifies that the 
requirements apply to the disposal of cremated human remains within or 
into any national marine sanctuary, as is consistent with sanctuary 
regulations on discharges.

II. Categories of Activities Subject to Special Use Permits

    The final list of categories subject to the requirements of special 
use permits is:
    1. The placement and recovery of objects associated with public or 
private events on non-living substrate of the submerged lands of any 
national marine sanctuary.
    2. The placement and recovery of objects related to commercial 
filming.
    3. The continued presence of commercial submarine cables on or 
within the submerged lands of any national marine sanctuary.
    4. The disposal of cremated human remains within or into any 
national marine sanctuary.
    5. Recreational diving near the USS Monitor.
    6. Fireworks displays.
    7. The operation of aircraft below the minimum altitude in 
restricted zones of national marine sanctuaries.

III. Classification

    Refer to the notice of availability and request for public comment 
in 78 FR 2597 for a full discussion of the applicability of the 
National Environmental Policy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act.

A. National Environmental Policy Act

    NOAA has concluded that this action will not have a significant 
effect, individually or cumulatively, on the human environment. This 
action is categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an 
environmental assessment or environmental impact statement in 
accordance with Section 6.03c3(i) of NOAA Administrative Order 216-6.

[[Page 25958]]

Specifically, this action is a notice of an administrative and legal 
nature. Furthermore, individual permit actions by the ONMS will be 
subject to additional case-by-case analysis, as required under NEPA, 
which will be completed as new permit applications are submitted for 
specific projects and activities.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Applications for the special use permits discussed in this notice 
involve a collection-of information requirement subject to the 
requirements of the PRA. OMB has approved this collection-of-
information requirement under OMB control number 0648-0141.

    Dated: April 19, 2013.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. 2013-10380 Filed 5-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-M