[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32880-32881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14713]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment of a 
Proposed Boundary Expansion of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National 
Estuarine Research Reserve

AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental assessment; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is 
soliciting comments from the public on a draft environmental assessment 
for a proposed boundary expansion of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) 
National Estuarine Research Reserve.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than 30 days after 
publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: The draft environmental assessment can be downloaded or 
viewed at https://coast.noaa.gov/czm/compliance/. You may submit 
comments via email to [email protected]. You may also submit 
comments or request a copy of the draft environmental assessment by 
mail addressed to Stephanie Robinson, Office for Coastal Management, 
2234 South Hobson Ave., Charleston, SC 29405. Comments submitted by any 
other method or after the comment period may not be considered. All 
comments are a part of the public record and may be publicly 
accessible. Any personal identifying information (e.g., name, address) 
submitted voluntarily by the sender may also be accessible. NOAA will 
accept anonymous comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Robinson at (843) 740-1174 
and [email protected], or Erica Seiden at (240) 533-0781 and 
[email protected] of NOAA's Office for Coastal Management.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, as lead agency 
for managing the GTM Reserve, has requested to modify the approved 
management boundary of the Reserve by adding three new parcels. 
Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(a), NOAA may require public notice, including 
notice in the Federal Register and an opportunity for public comment 
before approving a boundary or management plan change. In addition, 
changes in the boundary of a Reserve involving the acquisition of 
properties not listed in the management plan or final environmental 
impact statement (EIS) require public notice and the opportunity for 
comment. The Marsh View Preserve parcel was not evaluated in the 
Reserve's original EIS. Therefore, NOAA has developed an environmental 
assessment (EA) to analyze the effects of requested change to the 
Reserve boundary, which would result in a net increase in acreage of 
3,346.44 acres, and is publishing notice of the EA's availability for 
public review and comment.

II. NOAA Proposed Action and Alternatives

    NOAA is releasing a draft EA prepared in accordance with section 
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as 
amended, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c), and the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 
1500-1508). NOAA's proposed action would be to approve a change in the 
management boundary of the GTM Reserve to add three parcels to the 
approved boundary.
    The draft EA identifies and assesses potential environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed project, and identifies a 
preferred alternative and a no action alternative. The preferred 
alternative would add three parcels to the Reserve's boundary. Although 
the preferred alternative would add three parcels outside the boundary 
originally designated for the Reserve, the addition of these three 
parcels would allow and enhance the Reserve's ability to: (1) Educate 
the community; (2) protect and manage the estuaries and their 
watersheds; (3)

[[Page 32881]]

provide aquatic/upland management; and (4) research and monitor the 
area. The proposed boundary expansion is therefore preferred over the 
no action alternative.

    Dated: July 5, 2019.
Nkolika Ndubisi,
Management and Program Analyst, National Ocean Service, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-14713 Filed 7-9-19; 8:45 am]
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