[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]
 BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P