[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 74 (Monday, April 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22700-22702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08918]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration


Marine Highway Projects Open Season

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of open season for marine highway projects.

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[[Page 22701]]

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Maritime 
Administration (MARAD) announce that the period for Marine Highway 
project submissions is being extended to December 31, 2018 (Open 
Season). The purpose of this notice is to extend the invitation to 
interested organizations to submit Marine Highway project applications 
to DOT for review and consideration.

DATES: There will be five additional project review periods during the 
extended Marine Highway Open Season. Table 1 contains the application 
due dates and review periods for each review period. Qualified projects 
will be announced shortly after the completion of each review period.

       Table 1--Open Season Project Submission and Review Timeline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Project
                                    application due     Project review
         Review session            date (11:59 p.m.         period
                                       pacific)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............................  December 31, 2016.  January 1, 2017-
                                                       April 30, 2017.
2...............................  June 30, 2017.....  July 1, 2017-
                                                       October 31, 2017.
3...............................  December 31, 2017.  January 1, 2018-
                                                       April 30, 2018.
4...............................  June 30, 2018.....  July 1, 2017-
                                                       October 31, 2018.
5...............................  December 31, 2018.  January 1, 2019-
                                                       April 30, 2019.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Key Instructions/Information: The Marine Highway project 
application process is detailed in 46 CFR Section 393.4 Marine Highway 
Projects, which is accessible online at https://www.federalregister.gov 
search ``America's Marine Highway Program.'' Full details on the Open 
Season were released in the Federal Register on June 2, 2014. (79 FR 
31404 pp. 31404-31405).
    MARAD's Gateway Offices can respond to questions about the Marine 
Highway Program, Route designations and Project Open Season. Gateway 
Office contact information is available on the MARAD Web site at http://www.marad.dot.gov search ``Office of Gateways.''

ADDRESSES: Submit applications to Fred Jones, Office of Marine Highway 
and Passenger Services, W21-311, U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 
20590 or via email to [email protected]. Telephone (202) 366-1123 or Fax (202) 
366-5904.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Pickering, Office of Marine 
Highway and Passenger Services, W21-312, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590. Telephone (202) 366-0704; Fax (202) 366-5904 or 
email Mr. Pickering at [email protected]. You may also visit MARAD's Marine 
Highway Web page at http://www.marad.dot.gov search ``America's Marine 
Highway Program'' and select ``Final Rule in the Federal Register'' for 
special instructions.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As originally announced in the Federal 
Register on June 2, 2014 (79 FR 31404), the scope of the Marine Highway 
Program has been expanded to include all of the United States domestic 
marine transportation system. Previously, the Program only included 
waterways that paralleled landside transportation routes, and thus, 
excluded routes between the mainland and non-contiguous ports. The 
expanded scope was specified in Section 405 of The Coast Guard and 
Marine Transportation Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-213), which reads: 
``[t]he Secretary shall designate short sea transportation routes as 
extensions of the surface transportation system to focus public and 
private efforts to use the waterways to relieve landside congestion 
along coastal corridors or to promote short sea transportation.''
    The purpose of the open season call for projects is to seek 
eligible Marine Highway projects that may establish new or enhance 
existing Marine Highway services. Eligible projects may be designated 
as Marine Highway Projects by the Secretary of Transportation. Being 
designated a Marine Highway Project allows DOT resources to be used to 
assist public project sponsors, ports and other local transportation or 
economic development agencies in the development of Marine Highway 
projects.
    The Department's objective through this program is to reduce 
landside congestion and increase the use of domestic marine 
transportation by supporting the development of transportation options 
for shippers. These services provide economic and environmental 
benefits to the U.S. public at large. Marine Highway Program designated 
projects can improve safety and system resilience, and serve to reduce 
transportation-related air emissions, transportation costs for 
shippers, energy consumption, and costs associated with landside 
transportation infrastructure.
    The Marine Highway Program implementing regulations at 46 CFR part 
393 will be amended to reflect the new statutory changes. In the 
meantime, DOT/MARAD will accept and process project applications that 
propose to operate or expand service on Marine Highway routes, 
including those with no parallel landside route.

Exceptions to This Open Season

    If new Marine Highway grant funds are appropriated in a fiscal year 
(FY), it is possible that the review period for the July 1-September 30 
review session may be truncated so that projects submitted on June 30 
could be made eligible to apply for Marine Highway grant funds in that 
FY.

Participation

    Although Marine Highway Projects often involve private entities 
such as vessel operators, the applications must be sponsored and 
submitted to DOT/MARAD by a public entity, such as a State Department 
of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), or Port 
Authority. Public/private partnerships are encouraged.
    To be eligible for Marine Highway Project status, the proposed 
project must (1) use U.S. documented vessels, (2) transport passengers, 
containerized freight or trailer-based freight, and (3) operate on a 
designated Marine Highway Route. (Refer to 46 CFR 393.4(c) for a 
comprehensive description of project eligibility). However, since the 
number of navigable waterways eligible for designation as a Marine 
Highway Route was increased in the Coast Guard and Marine 
Transportation Act of 2012, DOT/MARAD will consider Marine Highway 
projects that would operate on newly eligible navigable waterways that 
have been recommended for, but not yet granted, a Marine Highway Route 
designation. For further information on recommending that a navigable 
waterway be designated as a Marine Highway Route, please contact your 
regional Gateway Office. Their contact

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information is available on MARAD's Web site at http://www.marad.dot.gov search ``Office of Gateway.''

    Authority: 49 CFR Sections 1.92 and 1.93.
* * * * *

    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

    Dated: April 13, 2016.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-08918 Filed 4-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-81-P