[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 112 (Friday, June 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37576-37578]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13661]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


RIN 0648-BA21

Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Proposed Expansion for the Flower Garden Banks National Marine 
Sanctuary; Announcement of Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of availability and public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has 
prepared a draft environmental impact statement for the proposed 
actions of boundary expansion, and application of existing regulations 
and management plan actions to new geographic areas of the Flower 
Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS or sanctuary). The 
purpose of this action is to provide sanctuary

[[Page 37577]]

protection for a number of nationally significant reefs and banks in 
the northcentral Gulf of Mexico. Five alternatives to implement these 
proposed actions are analyzed for potential effects on the human 
environment. NOAA is soliciting public comment on the draft 
environmental impact statement.

DATES: Comments on this draft environmental impact statement will be 
considered if received by August 19, 2016. Public meetings will be held 
in the following locations and times as indicated below:

(1) Galveston, Texas

Date: July 12, 2016
Location: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Office
Address: 4700 Avenue U, Building 216, Galveston, TX 77551
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

(2) Houston, Texas

Date: July 13, 2016
Location: Trini Mendenhall Community Center
Address: 1414 Wirt Rd., Houston, TX 77055
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

(3) New Orleans, Louisiana

Date: July 19, 2016
Location: Hilton New Orleans Airport, Segnette Room
Address: 901 Airline Drive, Kenner, LA 70062
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

(4) Mobile, Alabama

Date: July 20, 2016
Location: Five Rivers Delta Center
Address: 30945 Five Rivers Blvd., Spanish Fort, AL 36527
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

(5) Lafayette, Louisiana

Date: July 21, 2016
Location: Estuarine Habitats and Coastal Fisheries Center
Address: 646 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70506
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NOS-2016-0059, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NOS-2016-0059, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.
     Mail: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA, 
4700 Avenue U, Building 216, Galveston, TX 77551, Attn: George Schmahl, 
Superintendent.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NOAA. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NOAA will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Drinnen, Education and Outreach 
Specialist, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary at 409-621-
5151 ext. 102 or via email at [email protected].
    Copies of the draft environmental impact statement can be 
downloaded or viewed on the internet at www.regulations.gov (search for 
docket #NOAA-NOS-2016-0059) or at http://flowergarden.noaa.gov. Copies 
can also be obtained by contacting the person identified under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

    Located in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, 70 to 115 miles off the 
coasts of Texas and Louisiana, Flower Garden Banks National Marine 
Sanctuary (FGBNMS or sanctuary) currently includes three separate 
undersea features: East Flower Garden Bank; West Flower Garden Bank; 
and Stetson Bank. The banks range in depth from 55 feet to nearly 500 
feet and provide a wide range of habitat conditions that support 
several distinct biological communities, including the northernmost 
coral reefs in the continental United States. These and similar 
formations throughout the north central Gulf of Mexico provide the 
foundation for significant habitat for a variety of species. The 
combination of location and geology makes FGBNMS extremely productive 
and diverse, and presents a unique set of challenges for managing and 
protecting its natural wonders. East and West Flower Garden Banks were 
designated a national marine sanctuary in 1992 for purposes of 
protecting and managing the conservation, ecological, recreational, 
research, education, historic and aesthetic resources and qualities of 
these areas. Stetson Bank was added to the sanctuary by Congress in 
1996 (Pub. Law 104-283).
    The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) is required to 
periodically review sanctuary management plans to ensure that sanctuary 
sites continue to best conserve, protect and enhance their nationally 
significant living and cultural resources. In 2012 NOAA updated and 
revised the 1991 Flower Garden Banks Management Plan to address recent 
scientific discoveries, advancements in managing marine resources, and 
new resource management issues. As a result of this review, the FGBNMS 
Advisory Council recommended expanding the sanctuary to provide similar 
protections to additional banks in the north central Gulf of Mexico.
    On February 3, 2015 NOAA initiated the public scoping process (80 
FR 5699) to consider expanding FGBNMS to include additional areas in 
the Gulf of Mexico. The public scoping period ended on April 6, 2015, 
during which time three public hearings were held and NOAA received 
both written and oral comments on the concept of expanding the 
boundaries of the sanctuary. NOAA received approximately 200 comments 
during that scoping period, generally supportive of the concept to 
expand the sanctuary boundary. Some comments were supportive with 
conditions tied to specific issues such as access to oil and gas 
resources and fisheries concerns. This information was considered 
during the development of the range of alternatives in the expansion 
proposal.
    The expansion of the sanctuary to include additional nationally 
significant habitat is supported for a number of reasons. In general, 
the northern Gulf of Mexico is a heavily utilized and industrialized 
region, and there is a significant concern about impacts from bottom-
disturbing activities (e.g. some activities related to oil and gas 
exploration and production, fishing with bottom tending gear, vessel 
anchoring, and salvage activities) on the sensitive biological 
resources and geological features associated with many reefs and banks 
in the area. Additional opportunities for research, exploration, and 
education related to these significant ocean resources is critical for 
understanding changes occurring in the environment, fostering a 
stewardship ethic, and developing an understanding of the ecosystem 
services these resources provide for communities throughout the Gulf of 
Mexico region.

[[Page 37578]]

II. NOAA Proposed Action

    NOAA is releasing for public comment a DEIS that analyzes a 
proposed action to expand the FGBNMS boundary to include additional 
bank and reef areas in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico and to apply the 
existing sanctuary regulations and management regime to the expanded 
area. NOAA developed five alternatives for expanding the FGBNMS 
boundary. The alternatives range from taking no action to adding as 
much as an additional approximate 880 square miles.
    NOAA's preferred alternative (Alternative 3) is the expansion of 
the existing boundaries from ~56 square miles to an area that 
encompasses ~383 square miles of waters in the northwestern Gulf of 
Mexico. This alternative would add 15 additional banks ranging from 70 
to 120 miles off-shore that are comprised of reefs and bottom features 
that provide habitat for fish and other biological resources that serve 
as engines of sustainability for much of the Gulf of Mexico.
    The proposed sanctuary expansion advances NOAA's mission to 
conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources and 
furthers the FGBNMS mission to identify, protect, conserve, and enhance 
the natural and cultural resources, values, and qualities of FGBNMS and 
its regional environment for this and future generations. The need for 
the proposed sanctuary expansion is informed by widespread acute and 
chronic threats to marine habitat in the north central Gulf of Mexico 
that can most effectively be addressed through NOAA's evaluation and 
implementation of the comprehensive suite of habitat conservation and 
management actions made possible by FGBNMS expansion to ensure that 
valuable natural resources are available to future generations of 
Americans.
    NOAA is seeking public comment on the DEIS which is available at 
http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/ or may be obtained by contacting the 
individual listed under the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.

    Dated: June 1, 2016.
John Armor,
Acting Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. 2016-13661 Filed 6-9-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P