[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49479-49480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19743]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Updates to List of National System of Marine Protected Areas MPAs

AGENCY: National Marine Protected Areas Center (MPA Center), Office of 
National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean Service (NOS), 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of 
Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of updates to the list of National System of Marine 
Protected Areas (MPAs).

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SUMMARY: The National System of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) provides 
a mechanism for agencies managing MPAs to work together on common 
conservation priorities. In January 2013, NOAA and the Department of 
the Interior (DOI) invited federal, state, commonwealth, territorial 
and tribal MPA programs with potentially eligible existing MPAs to 
nominate their sites to the National System of MPAs (national system). 
A total of 82 nominations were received, including 80 from the 
California Department of Fish and Wildlife and two from the National 
Park Service. Following a 60-day public review period of these 
nominations [78 FR 30870], no public comments were received by the 
National Marine Protected Areas Center (MPA Center). The managing 
agencies listed above were then asked to make a final determination of 
their desire to nominate these sites to the national system, which they 
subsequently confirmed. Finding them to be eligible for the national 
system, the MPA Center has accepted the nominations for 82 sites and 
placed them on the List of National System MPAs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Wenzel, NOAA, at 301-713-7265 
or via email at [email protected]. A detailed electronic copy of 
the List of National System of MPAs is available at 
marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background on National System

    The national system of MPAs is made up of member MPAs, networks and 
systems established and managed by federal, state, commonwealth, 
territorial, tribal, or local governments. These sites are a subset of 
the approximately 1,700 MPAs in U.S. waters, and have been nominated by 
their management entity to participate in a collaborative partnership 
to address national marine conservation goals and represent diverse 
marine ecosystems and resources. Sites in the national system continue 
to be managed independently, but national system MPA managers work 
together at the regional and national levels to achieve common 
objectives for conserving the nation's important natural and cultural 
resources. For more information about the benefit of the National 
System of MPAs, see http://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/nationalsystem/.

Nomination Process

    NOAA issues a call for nominations to the national system annually. 
This round of nominations began on January 28, 2013 and the deadline 
for nominations was March 29, 2013. A public comment period was held 
from May 22, 2013 [78 FR 30870] through July 22, 2013. No public 
comments were received. Additional details on the nomination process 
are posted at marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov.

Updates to List of National System MPAs

    The list of 82 MPAs nominated by the California Department of Fish 
and Wildlife and the National Park Service to join the National System 
of MPAs was published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2013 [78 FR 
30870]. Both the list of newly nominated sites and the complete List of 
National System MPAs, which now includes 437

[[Page 49480]]

members, are available at marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov.

    Dated: August 7, 2013.
W. Russell Callendar,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone 
Management.
[FR Doc. 2013-19743 Filed 8-13-13; 8:45 am]
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