[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 167 (Thursday, August 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 52955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18798]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of a record of decision.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) 
National Ocean Service (NOS) announces the availability of the Record 
of Decision (ROD) for the Coral Reef Conservation Program's (CRCP's) 
final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). On August 20, 
2020, the NOS Acting Assistant Administrator signed the ROD, which 
constitutes the agency's final decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz Fairey, NMFS Office of Habitat 
Conservation, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  On July 11, 2018, NOAA published the Notice 
of Intent to prepare a PEIS for continued operation of NOAA's CRCP. The 
public comment period for scoping ended on August 15, 2018. Three 
individuals/organizations submitted comments during the 35-day scoping 
period, and CRCP considered these comments in the drafting of the PEIS.
    On December 13, 2019, NOAA published a draft PEIS for coral reef 
conservation and restoration activities conducted by CRCP throughout 
parts of the United States, including the South Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of 
Mexico, and Remote Pacific Islands, and priority international areas 
(i.e., wider Caribbean, Coral Triangle, South Pacific, and Micronesia). 
The public comment period for the draft PEIS ended on January 27, 2020. 
Thirteen individuals/organizations submitted comments during the 45-day 
comment period. Appendix I of the final PEIS outlines how the final 
PEIS responds to the comments.
    On July 17, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
published a notice of availability of the final PEIS in the Federal 
Register (85 FR 43580). NOAA did as well (85 FR 43544). The waiting 
period for the final PEIS ended on August 17, 2020. The NEPA 
implementing regulations at 40 CFR 1506.10 require a minimum 30-day 
waiting period between the time the EPA publishes its Federal Register 
notice and the time an agency makes a decision on the proposed action 
covered by the EIS. Except for a supportive letter from EPA, CRCP did 
not receive any comments during the 30-day waiting period. CRCP has 
reviewed the final PEIS and concluded that it fully analyzes the issues 
covered by the draft PEIS and addresses the comments and suggestions 
submitted by commenters. This notice advises the public that the 30-day 
waiting period has elapsed and that the ROD is available, documenting 
CRCP's decision to select and implement the No Action Alternative.
    Electronic copies of the PEIS and the ROD are available at https://coralreef.noaa.gov/about/enviro-compliance.html and https://coast.noaa.gov/czm/compliance/. The preparation of the ROD was 
conducted in accordance with the requirements of NEPA, the Council on 
Environmental Quality's Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and 
NOAA's NEPA-implementing policies and procedures.

    Dated: August 21, 2020.
Keelin Kuipers,
Deputy Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-18798 Filed 8-26-20; 8:45 am]
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