[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 100 (Thursday, May 25, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24107-24108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10708]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF454


Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; record of decision.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) and the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), notice is hereby given that 
the Deepwater Horizon Federal and State natural resource trustee 
agencies for the Alabama Trustee Implementation Group (Alabama TIG) 
have issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Alabama Trustee 
Implementation Group Final Restoration Plan I and Final Environmental 
Impact Statement: Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities (Final 
RP/EIS). The ROD sets forth the basis for the Alabama TIG's decision to 
select Alternatives 1: Gulf State Park Lodge and Associated Public 
Access Amenities Project, 2: Fort Morgan Pier Rehabilitation, 5: Laguna 
Cove Little Lagoon Natural Resource Protection, 6: Bayfront Park 
Restoration and Improvement [E & D only], 7: Dauphin Island Eco-Tourism 
and Environmental Education Area, and 9: Mid-Island Parks and Public 
Beach Improvements [Parcels B & C].

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may download the ROD at http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov. Alternatively, you may request a CD 
of the ROD (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). You may also view the 
document at any of the public facilities listed at http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
     NOAA--Dan Van Nostrand, [email protected].
     AL--Amy Hunter, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On July 6, 2016, the Alabama TIG initiated a 30-day formal scoping 
and public comment period for this RP/EIS (81 FR 44007-44008) through a 
Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare a RP/EIS, and to Conduct Scoping. The 
Alabama TIG conducted the scoping in accordance with OPA (15 CFR 
990.14(d)), NEPA (40 CFR 1501.7), and State authorities. That NOI 
requested public input to identify restoration approaches and 
restoration projects that could be used to compensate the public for 
lost recreational use opportunities in Alabama caused by the Deepwater 
Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
    Notice of availability of the Draft RP/EIS was published in the 
Federal Register on December 16, 2016 (81 FR 91138). The Draft RP/EIS 
provided the Alabama TIG's analysis of projects to address lost 
recreational shoreline use under both OPA and NEPA and identified the 
projects that were proposed as preferred for implementation. The 
Alabama TIG provided the public with 45 days to review and comment on 
the Draft RP/EIS. The Alabama TIG also held public meetings in Dauphin 
Island, AL, and Gulf Shores, AL, to facilitate public understanding of 
the document and provide opportunity for public comment. The Alabama 
TIG actively solicited public input through a variety of mechanisms, 
including convening public meetings, distributing electronic 
communications, and using the Trustee-wide public Web site and database 
to share information and receive public input. The Alabama TIG 
considered the public comments received, which informed the Alabama 
TIG's analysis of alternatives in the Final RP/EIS. A summary of the 
public comments received and the Alabama TIG's responses to those 
comments are addressed in Chapter 9 of the Final RP/EIS and all 
correspondence received are provided Appendix B.
    In the Final RP/EIS, the Alabama TIG presented to the public its 
plan for providing for compensation for lost recreational shoreline use 
in Alabama. The Final RP/EIS presented ten

[[Page 24108]]

individual restoration alternatives, including a no action alternative, 
evaluated in accordance with OPA and NEPA. The ten alternatives under 
the Final RP/EIS are as follows:

     Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative): Gulf State Park 
Lodge and Associated Public Access Amenities
     Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative): Fort Morgan Pier 
Rehabilitation
     Alternative 3: Fort Morgan Peninsula Public Access 
Improvements
     Alternative 4: Gulf Highlands Land Acquisition and 
Improvements
     Alternative 5 (Preferred Alternative): Laguna Cove Little 
Lagoon Natural Resource Protection
     Alternative 6 (Preferred Alternative): Bayfront Park 
Restoration and Improvements
     Alternative 7 (Preferred Alternative): Dauphin Island Eco-
Tourism and Environmental Education Area
     Alternative 8: Mid-Island Parks and Public Beach 
Improvements (Parcels A, B, and C)
     Alternative 9: (Preferred Alternative): Mid-Island Parks 
and Public Beach Improvements (Parcels B and C)
     Alternative 10: No Action/Natural Recovery

    A Notice of Availability of the Final RP/EIS was published in the 
Federal Register on April 14, 2017 (82 FR 17975). In the Final RP/EIS, 
the Alabama TIG presented its analysis of ten restoration alternatives 
(including the no action alternative) for addressing the loss of 
recreational shoreline use in Alabama as a result of the Deepwater 
Horizon oil spill and the selection of six of these alternatives for 
implementation.
    As documented in the Record of Decision (ROD) signed on May 16, 
2017, the Alabama TIG has: Reviewed the injury to natural resources and 
services caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill incident as outlined 
in the ``Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Final Programmatic Damage 
Assessment and Restoration Plan (PDARP) and Final Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)'', specifically the injury to 
recreational shoreline use in Alabama; analyzed alternatives to restore 
that injury; considered environmental impacts associated with the 
restoration alternatives, including the extent to which any adverse 
impacts could be mitigated; considered public and agency comments; and 
considered the funding allocations required for restoration. Based on 
these considerations, the ROD presents the Alabama TIG's decision to 
select Alternatives 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 9 for implementation. The AL TIG 
also concludes that all practicable means to avoid or minimize 
environmental harm from the alternatives selected have been adopted, 
and, where consultations are currently incomplete, the AL TIG will 
commit to additional minimization measures in forthcoming 
consultations.

Administrative Record

    The documents included in the Administrative Record can be viewed 
electronically at the following location: http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord.
    The DWH Trustees opened a publicly available Administrative Record 
for the NRDA for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including restoration 
planning activities, concurrently with publication of the 2011 Notice 
of Intent to Begin Restoration Scoping and Prepare a Gulf Spill 
Restoration Planning PEIS (pursuant to 15 CFR 990.45). The 
Administrative Record includes the relevant administrative records 
since its date of inception. This Administrative Record is actively 
maintained and available for public review, and includes the 
administrative record for the RP/EIS.

    Authority: The authority of this action is the Oil Pollution Act 
of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), the implementing NRDA regulations 
found at 15 CFR part 990, and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

    Dated: May 22, 2017.
Carrie Selberg,
Deputy Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-10708 Filed 5-24-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P