[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14254-14255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05277]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Draft Revised Management Plan for the Rookery Bay National 
Estuarine Research Reserve

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

ACTION: Request for comments on draft revised management plan.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is 
soliciting comments from the public regarding a proposed revision of 
the management plan for the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research 
Reserve. A management plan provides a framework for the direction and 
timing of a reserve's programs; allows reserve managers to assess a 
reserve's success in meeting its goals and to identify any necessary 
changes in direction; and is used to guide programmatic evaluations of 
the reserve. Plan revisions are required of each reserve in the 
National Estuarine Research Reserve System at least every five years. 
This revised plan is intended to replace the plan approved in 2012.

DATES: Comments are due by April 13, 2022.

ADDRESSES: The draft revised management plan is available at: http://publicfiles.dep.state.fl.us/CAMA/plans/Rookery/Bay/NERR/Mgmt/Plan/DRAFT/220127.pdf, or by emailing Matt Chasse of NOAA's Office for 
Coastal Management at [email protected].
    Submit comments by the following method:
    Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments by 
email to [email protected]. Include ``Comments on the draft Rookery 
Bay Management Plan'' in the subject line of the message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Chasse of NOAA's Office for 
Coastal Management, by email at [email protected], phone at 240-628-
5417.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(c), a state must revise the management 
plan for the research reserve at least every five years. If approved by 
NOAA, the Rookery Bay Reserve's revised plan will replace the plan 
previously approved in 2012.
    The draft revised management plan outlines the reserve's strategic 
goals and objectives; administrative structure; programs for conducting 
research and monitoring, education, and training; resource protection, 
restoration, volunteer, and communications plans; prescribed fire and 
invasive species plans; consideration for future land acquisition; and 
facility development to support reserve operations. In particular, this 
draft revised management plan focuses on building upon past successes 
and accomplishments. Research and monitoring will focus on habitat 
mapping, wildlife communities, resource management and restoration, 
coastal change and resilience, and ecosystem services. Reserve 
education programming will focus on informed community and individual 
action as related to ecosystems, human connections, resilience, and 
outreach. The reserve is also planning on enhancing the use of 
technology in education programming and on building a robust 
interpretation program with volunteer staff. Coastal training will 
continue offering programs to professional audiences and conduct an 
updated needs assessment. The plan also includes the reserve monitoring 
the health of fish and bird communities, invasive species control 
efforts, and the use of prescribed fire as a management tool. In 
addition, the reserve is expecting to expand its strategic partnership 
with Florida International University.
    Since 2012, the reserve has developed a map of reserve habitats, 
installed surface elevation tables in the Henderson Creek area to 
support the sentinel site program, and continued a host of habitat and 
species monitoring programs. The reserve has conducted projects that 
assess and value freshwater within the reserve supporting the Collier 
County watershed improvement plans and mangrove habitat restoration 
efforts. A new partnership with Florida International University is 
supporting reserve staffing needs and various research projects. 
Mangrove and research symposiums hosted by the reserve highlighted the 
diversity of reserve activities and partnerships. Post

[[Page 14255]]

Hurricane Irma, the reserve has rebuilt the Ten Thousand Islands field 
station and other infrastructure to be more resilient to future extreme 
storm impacts. Furthermore, no reserve boundary changes are 
incorporated into the revised management plan. The revised management 
plan, once approved, would serve as the guiding document for the 
110,000-acre research reserve for the next five years.
    NOAA's Office for Coastal Management analyzes the environmental 
impacts of the proposed approval of this draft revised management plan 
in accordance with section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act 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). The public is invited to comment 
on the draft revised management plan. NOAA will take these comments 
into consideration in deciding whether to approve the draft revised 
management plan in whole or in part.

(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15 CFR 921.33)

Keelin S. Kuipers,
Deputy Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-05277 Filed 3-11-22; 8:45 am]
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