[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 187 (Thursday, September 26, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50736-50737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-20608]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

15 CFR Part 922

RIN 0648-BG02


Designation of Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine 
Sanctuary; Notification of Effective Date

AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean 
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notification of effective date.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 
provides notice that the designation and the final regulations to 
implement the designation of Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine 
Sanctuary (MPNMS) published on July 8, 2019 became effective on 
September 3, 2019.

DATES: The notification of designation and final regulations published 
on July 8, 2019 (84 FR 32586) became effective on September 3, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Orlando, Regional Coordinator, 
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at 240-460-1978, 
[email protected], or Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine 
Sanctuary, c/o NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 1305 East 
West Hwy., 11th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910, Attention: Paul 
Orlando, Regional Coordinator.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MPNMS is 18 square miles of waters and 
submerged lands encompassing and surrounding the Mallows Bay area of 
the tidal Potomac River. The area is located entirely within Maryland 
state waters, adjacent to the Nanjemoy Peninsula of Charles County, 
Maryland. The sanctuary protects nationally-significant maritime 
cultural heritage resources, including the fragile, historic remains of 
more than 100 World War I (WWI)-era U.S. Emergency Fleet Corporation 
(USEFC) wooden steamships known as the ``Ghost Fleet,'' vessels related 
to the historic ship-breaking operations, other non-USEFC vessels of 
historic significance, and related maritime debris fields. The area 
also includes Native American sites, remains of historic fisheries 
operations, and Revolutionary and Civil War battlescapes. The 
significance of the area is recognized through its listing on the 
National Register of Historic Places (National Register Listing Number 
15000173, April 24, 2015). NOAA, the State of Maryland, and Charles 
County, Maryland, will jointly manage MPNMS.
    Pursuant to Section 304(b) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act 
(NMSA)(16 U.S.C. 1434(b)), NOAA published the designation and final 
regulations to implement the designation of MPNMS on July 8, 2019 (84 
FR 32586). As required by the NMSA, the designation and regulations 
became effective following the close of a review period of 45 days of 
continuous session of Congress beginning on the date of publication, 
unless the Governor of the State of Maryland certifies to the Secretary 
of Commerce that the designation or any of its terms is unacceptable. 
The Governor did not certify that the designation or

[[Page 50737]]

any of its terms is unacceptable within the review period prescribed 
under the NMSA. Accordingly, NOAA announces the designation and the 
final regulations to implement the designation of MPNMS became 
effective on September 3, 2019.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary 
Program)

Paul M. Scholz,
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer, National Ocean 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-20608 Filed 9-25-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P