[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 243 (Monday, December 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 91921-91922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30439]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Programmatic Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), NOAA, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental 
assessment; request for Comments.

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

SUMMARY: NOAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that NOS is 
preparing a programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) in accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate the 
environmental impacts of NOS hydroacoustic surveys, mapping, and other 
related data gathering activities. NOS offices that conduct 
hydroacoustic surveys, mapping, and other related data-gathering 
activities which may be covered under this PEA include: Center for 
Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, National Centers for 
Coastal Ocean Science, Office of Coast Survey, Office for Coastal 
Management, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Office of Response 
and Restoration, Office of National Geodetic Survey, and the U.S. 
Integrated Ocean Observing System Program Office. The PEA will 
encompass the environment of all geographic areas where NOS conducts 
these activities, to include terrestrial areas, but primarily focusing 
on U.S. waters from the coastline to the limits of the U.S. Exclusive 
Economic Zone, which extends no more than 200 nautical miles from the 
territorial sea baseline.
    NOAA provides this notice to advise other Federal and State 
agencies, Territories, Tribal Governments, local governments, private 
parties, and the public of our intent to prepare a PEA, to provide 
information on the nature of the analysis, and to invite input.

DATES: Comments must be received by January 18, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, email, or FAX. Mail:

[[Page 91922]]

DOC/NOAA/NOS, Environmental Compliance Coordinator, SSMC4-Station 
13612, 1305 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Email: 
[email protected]. FAX: 301-713-4269. Comments may also be submitted 
through the NOS Environmental Compliance Web site: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/about/environmental-compliance.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Giannina DiMaio, Environmental 
Compliance Coordinator for NOS, at [email protected] or 240-533-0918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NEPA requires that NOAA consider all 
reasonably foreseeable environmental effects of our proposed actions, 
and to involve and inform the public in our decision making process. 
The main goal of this scoping process is to help NOS focus the analysis 
of the PEA on the relevant environmental and socioeconomic issues.
    NOS uses hydroacoustic surveys to map the ocean floor to provide 
reliable nautical charts, benthic habitat condition and distribution 
maps, fishery distribution maps, current and tide charts, and other 
products necessary for safe navigation, economic security, 
environmental sustainability, and sound marine resource decision-making 
in U.S. ocean and coastal waters. These charts and maps are needed to 
provide reliable navigation, ecosystem distribution and condition 
information to the public, private users, and decision makers. Up-to-
date navigation charts are used to ensure safety, efficiency of 
transit, and economic well-being.
    NOS will take other environmental compliance steps concurrently 
with the preparation of this PEA to include: application for a 5-year 
Letter of Authorization pursuant to Section 101 of the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act; completion of a section 7 consultation under the 
Endangered Species Act; consultation on the Essential Fish Habitat 
provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act; consultations in compliance with Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act; and completion of federal consistency 
determinations for compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Act. 
Analysis conducted in support of consultations, including quantitative 
analysis for estimating acoustic impacts on marine species, will be 
included in the PEA as appropriate.
    NOS has not yet identified action alternatives to be analyzed in 
the PEA. NOS recommends that programmatic NEPA documents examine at 
least three alternatives, including the no-action alternative.
    NOS will use input provided by Federal and State agencies, 
Territories, Tribal Governments, local governments, private parties, 
and the public during this scoping process in the preparation of the 
PEA. Publication of this notice initiates the public scoping process to 
solicit public and agency comment regarding the full spectrum of 
environmental issues and concerns relating to the scope and content of 
the PEA including:
     Analyses of the human and marine resources that could be 
affected;
     the nature and extent of the potential impacts on those 
resources;
     a reasonable range of alternatives to the proposed action; 
and
     mitigation and monitoring measures.
    Comments and questions concerning this PEA should be directed to 
the NOS contact at the address provided above.
    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347; 40 CFR 1500 et seq.; NOAA 
Administrative Order 216-6A.

    Dated: December 9, 2016.
W. Russell Callender,
Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Management.
[FR Doc. 2016-30439 Filed 12-16-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P