[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 222 (Monday, November 18, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69127-69128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27578]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-SER-BISC-13990] [PX.P0108773E.00.1]


Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement/General 
Management Plan, Biscayne National Park, Florida

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Supplemental Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, Biscayne National 
Park.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service 
(NPS) announces the availability of a Supplemental Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement/General Management Plan (Supplemental Draft EIS) for 
Biscayne National Park (Park), Florida. The Supplemental Draft EIS 
describes and analyzes two new alternatives that have been developed 
since the 2011 release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
General Management Plan (Draft EIS). A new NPS preferred alternative 
has been proposed that incorporates various management prescriptions to 
ensure protection and enjoyment of the Park's resources, while 
providing access for visitors.

DATES: The NPS will accept comments for a period of 90 days following 
publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. We will announce the dates, 
times, and locations of public meetings on the Supplemental Draft EIS 
through the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) Web 
site: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BISC and media outlets.

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the Supplemental Draft EIS will be 
available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BISC. A limited number 
of compact disks and printed copies will be also available at the Park 
headquarters, Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW 328 Street, Homestead, FL 
33033-5634.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent Brian Carlstrom, 
Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW 328 Street, Homestead, FL 33033-5634 or 
by telephone at (305) 230-1144.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS released the Draft EIS to the public 
in August 2011. Electronic copies of the Draft EIS can also be found 
online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BISC. During the public comment 
period, over 18,000 pieces of correspondence were received, which 
contained over 20,000 comments. A key component of the agency-preferred 
alternative in the Draft GMP/EIS was inclusion of a marine reserve 
zone. The marine reserve zone was proposed as an area in the park where 
fishing of any kind would be prohibited in order to allow a portion of 
the Park's coral reef ecosystem to recover and to offer visitors a 
high-quality visitor experience associated with a healthy, intact coral 
reef ecosystem. During the August 2011 public comment period, a number 
of substantive comments were received that identified both positive and 
negative impacts related to the establishment of the marine reserve 
zone. In particular, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation 
Commission (FWC), with whom the National Park Service consults 
regarding fishing management actions in the Park, raised a number of 
significant issues about the NPS preferred alternative, including the 
marine reserve zone. The position of the State of Florida was that any 
consideration of a marine reserve zone could only occur after 
measurable management objectives have been clearly defined and less 
restrictive management measures have been appropriately implemented and 
evaluated in close coordination with agencies and stakeholders.
    Based on the comments received, the NPS undertook an evaluative 
process to consider a number of management actions that could be 
deployed to achieve the goal of providing a diversified visitor use 
experience, while protecting the Park's natural and cultural resources. 
Two new alternatives (alternatives 6 and 7) were developed in 
consultation with the FWC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration. These alternatives contain many of the same elements as

[[Page 69128]]

the original agency preferred alternative, such as continued pursuit of 
a visitor center partnership in the Miami area, except that instead of 
including a marine reserve zone, the alternatives include a new concept 
referred to as a special recreation zone. In developing the two new 
alternatives, the NPS and partner agencies are pursuing a new and novel 
approach to managing special marine ecosystems in a way that seeks to 
accomplish the same goals as a marine reserve while accommodating 
recreational fishing and providing a more enjoyable and diverse visitor 
experience. The two alternatives are described in detail in chapter 2 
of the Supplemental Draft EIS. Chapter 4 describes the key impacts of 
implementing each of the two alternatives.
    In alternative 6 (the new agency preferred alternative), the 
special recreation zone would include the following activities and 
limitations: Fishing would be allowed year-round, with a special permit 
required for access to fish recreationally. There would be some zone-
specific fishing restrictions (e.g., no grouper or lobster take, no 
spearfishing), but in general all other state fishing regulations would 
apply. There would be no commercial fishing allowed in the special 
recreation zone, with exception of the existing ballyhoo lampara net 
fishery. Anchoring within the zone would be prohibited; however 
additional mooring buoys would be added over time as needed to disperse 
visitor use and improve the safety of diving operations. Snorkeling and 
diving would be encouraged, and marine debris would be removed 
throughout the zone to improve the overall visitor experience for these 
activities. Alternative 7 is similar to alternative 6 in that it 
includes a special recreation zone with many of the same zone-specific 
fishing limitations. Differing from alternative 6, alternative 7 would 
not require an access permit to fish in the zone, but the area would be 
closed to recreational fishing during the summer months (June to 
September). This period is when the coral reef ecosystem is most 
stressed by warm water conditions and would benefit greatest from a 
respite in fishing pressure.
    Adaptive management would be used in both new alternatives to guide 
long-term decision-making. Both alternatives would employ a 
collaborative research and monitoring program (10-year Science Plan) to 
inform adaptive management decisions. Under alternative 6 only, in 
years three, five, and eight, the NPS would evaluate effort and take to 
determine if the original assumptions are being met. Effort and take, 
in this instance, refer to fishing intensity and total harvest of fish 
in the zone by permitted fishermen. If the assumptions of effort and 
take are being exceeded, a multi-agency team would evaluate whether to 
reduce the number of permits to be issued for following years. For both 
Alternatives 6 and 7, a multi-agency team would evaluate the need for 
other management actions that may be warranted to reduce recreational 
impacts, through the adaptive management process. Depending on site-
specific observations and concerns, such actions might include 
adjustments to the number and location of mooring buoys, changes to 
public messaging and law enforcement effort, and increased effort to 
remove marine debris. For both alternatives, a panel of experts would 
be convened at years five and ten to provide recommendations on the 
Science Plan, the monitoring results, and long-term management. After 
ten years the NPS would consider monitoring trends and panel 
recommendations, and would consult with state and federal agencies 
before deciding whether to continue adaptively managing visitor use in 
the special recreation zone or implement a marine reserve zone.
    If you wish to comment on the Supplemental Draft EIS, you may 
submit your comments by any one of several methods. We encourage you to 
comment via the internet on the PEPC Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BISC. An electronic public comment form is 
provided on this Web site. You may also comment via mail to: Biscayne 
National Park GMP, National Park Service, M. Elmer (DSC-P), P.O. Box 
25287, Denver, CO 80225-0287; or by hand delivery to Park headquarters, 
located at the address listed above.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, please be aware 
your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in 
your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from 
public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    The responsible official for this Supplemental Draft EIS is the 
Regional Director, NPS Southeast Region, 100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 
Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: November 8, 2013.
Sherri Fields,
Deputy Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-27578 Filed 11-15-13; 8:45 am]
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