[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45728-45730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18783]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Restoration Blueprint;
Announcement of Public Meetings
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of
Commerce.
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 (DEIS) to evaluate a
range of alternatives for changes to the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary (FKNMS) to expand the boundary of the sanctuary, update
sanctuary-wide regulations, update the individual marine zones and
their associated regulations, and revise the sanctuary management plan.
FKNMS protects 3,800 square miles of waters surrounding the Florida
Keys, from
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south of Miami westward to the Dry Tortugas. Within the boundary of the
sanctuary lie spectacular, unique, and nationally significant marine
resources including North America's only coral barrier reef, extensive
seagrass beds, mangrove-fringed islands, and more than 6,000 species of
marine life. The sanctuary also protects pieces of our Nation's history
such as shipwrecks and other archeological resources. The DEIS includes
a proposed action and a range of alternatives that would help improve
the condition of resources in the Florida Keys through a series of
regulatory and management measures designed to reduce threats and,
where appropriate, restore coral reefs, seagrasses, and other important
habitats. NOAA is soliciting public comment on the DEIS, also referred
to as the Restoration Blueprint.
DATES: Comments on this DEIS will be considered if received by January
31, 2020. Public meetings will be held in the following locations and
times as indicated below.
Date: Monday, September 23, Location: Key West High School, Address:
2100 Flagler Avenue, Key West, FL 33040, Time: 6-9 p.m.
Date: Monday, September 30, Location: Marathon Middle High School,
Address: 350 Sombrero Beach Road, Marathon, FL 33050, Time: 6-9 p.m.
Date: Monday, October 7, Location: Coral Shores High School, Address:
89901 Old Highway, Tavernier, FL 33070, Time: 6-9 p.m.
Date: Tuesday, October 15, Location: TBD, Address: 1 Knights Key
Boulevard, Marathon, FL 33050, Time: 9 a.m.--TBD.
Date: Monday, October 28, Location: Newman Alumni Center, Address: 6200
San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146, Time: 6-9 p.m.
Date: Monday, November 4, Location: Holiday Inn Airport at Town Center,
Address: 9931 Interstate Commerce Drive Fort Myers, FL 33913, Time: 6-9
p.m.
Date: Tuesday, December 10, Location: TBD, Address: 1 Knights Key
Boulevard, Marathon, FL 33050, Time: 9 a.m.--TBD.
The public meetings on September 23, 30, and October 7 in the
Florida Keys are designed to be informational only. NOAA will not
provide time for oral public comment; however, written comments will be
accepted. These meetings will explain the actions, purpose, and likely
impacts proposed in the Restoration Blueprint. NOAA will provide for
oral and written public comment at the October 15 and December 10
Sanctuary Advisory Council meetings at the Isla Bella Beach Resort in
Marathon. Please check https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/ for the schedule
and time. NOAA will also accept oral and written public comment at the
October 28 Miami-area public meeting and at the November 4 public
meeting in Fort Myers.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NOS-2019-0094, by 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-2019-0094, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Written comments may also be mailed to: Sarah Fangman,
Superintendent, FKNMS, 33 East Quay Rd., Key West, FL 33040.
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 personally identifiable
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: Beth Dieveney, Policy Analyst, FKNMS
at 305-797-6818 or by email at [email protected].
Copies of the DEIS can be downloaded or viewed on the internet at
www.regulations.gov (search for docket #NOAA-NOS-2019-0094) or at
https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/. Copies can also be obtained by
contacting Beth Dieveney.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Designated in 1990, FKNMS was the ninth national marine sanctuary
to be established in a network that comprises 13 sanctuaries and two
marine national monuments. As one of the largest marine protected areas
in the United States, the sanctuary currently protects approximately
3,800 square miles of coastal and ocean waters from the estuarine
waters of South Florida along the Florida Keys archipelago,
encompassing more than 1,700 islands, out to Dry Tortugas National
Park.
The mission of the sanctuary is to protect the marine resources of
the Florida Keys while facilitating human uses that are consistent with
the primary objective of sanctuary resource protection. Through
continued science-based management, FKNMS endeavors to sustain high-
quality environmental and socioeconomic resources for current and
future generations. The Florida Keys support more than 77,000 residents
and approximately 5.5 million visitors, who collectively contribute to
the $4.7 billion economy (Key West Chamber of Commerce, 2018), which
relies on the existence and maintenance of a healthy marine
environment. The ecosystems of FKNMS provide habitats for more than
6,000 species of fishes, invertebrates, and plants in addition to
uniquely expansive and diverse seagrass and coral reef communities.
These resources are increasingly threatened by various factors,
including high levels of use, coral disease, and climate change. Since
release of the 2011 condition report, sanctuary resources have been
impacted by Hurricane Irma, a serious coral disease outbreak, a
seagrass die-off and other threats.
FKNMS is currently operating under a 2007 revised management plan
and regulations largely developed as part of the original management
plan process in 1997, with minor modifications to the regulations in
2001 and 2010. Consequently, the sanctuary's 1997 regulations and
marine zones and 2007 management plan need updating to reflect current
strategies for protecting sanctuary resource and providing recreational
access and public use opportunities.
II. NOAA's Proposed Action
This DEIS includes a proposed action with various components
intended to counteract the decline in resource condition in the Florida
Keys through a series of regulatory and management measures. These
measures are designed to reduce threats and, where appropriate, restore
coral reefs, seagrasses, and other important habitats. Following the
principles and processes set forth in the National Marine Sanctuaries
Act ((NMSA), 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), this DEIS evaluates the impacts
to the human and ecological environment under a variety of management
measures that would further protect the ecosystem and maintain the
vibrant quality of life and economies of the Florida Keys.
As the lead agency for this federal action, NOAA proposes to expand
the boundary of the sanctuary, update
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sanctuary-wide regulations, update the individual marine zones and
their associated regulations, and revise the sanctuary management plan.
In preparing this DEIS, NOAA worked closely with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS), a cooperating agency that manages the USFWS
Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Complex areas that overlap
portions of FKNMS.
NOAA is seeking public comment on the DEIS, which is available at
https://floridakeys.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: August 23, 2019.
John Armor,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. 2019-18783 Filed 8-29-19; 8:45 am]
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