[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 30, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59871-59872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18738]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Evaluation of Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research 
Reserve; Public Meeting; Request for Comments

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Office for Coastal Management, will hold a virtual public meeting to 
solicit input on the performance evaluation of the Narragansett Bay 
National Estuarine Research Reserve. NOAA also invites the public to 
submit written comments.

DATES: NOAA will hold a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, October 
11, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). NOAA will close the meeting 
15 minutes after the conclusion of public comments and after responding 
to any clarifying questions from meeting participants. NOAA will 
consider all relevant written comments received by Friday, October 20, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Virtual Public Meeting: Register at https://forms.gle/xKDXoiqVTqxK2huZA to participate in the virtual public meeting on 
Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. ET. We request that 
participants register by Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. ET. 
Please indicate on the registration form whether you intend to provide 
oral comments during the virtual public meeting by clicking ``Yes'' or 
``No'' in the box that reads, ``Do you plan to make oral comments 
during this meeting?'' The order of the public oral comments will be 
based on the date and time of registration. Upon registration, NOAA 
will send a confirmation email. One hour prior to the start of the 
virtual public meeting on October 11, 2023, NOAA will send an email to 
all registrants with a link to the public meeting and information about 
participating. While advance registration is requested, registration 
will remain open until the meeting closes and any participant may 
provide oral comment after the registered speakers conclude. Meeting 
registrants may remain anonymous by typing ``Anonymous'' in the ``First 
Name'' and ``Last Name'' fields on the registration form.
     Email: Send written comments to Pam Kylstra, Evaluator, 
NOAA Office for Coastal Management, at [email protected]. Include 
``Comments on Performance Evaluation of the Narragansett Bay National 
Estuarine Research Reserve'' in the subject line of the message. NOAA 
will accept anonymous written comments; however, the written comments 
NOAA receives are considered part of the public record, and the 
entirety of the comment, including the name of the commenter, email 
address, attachments, and other supporting materials, will be publicly 
accessible. Sensitive personally identifiable information, such as 
account numbers and Social Security numbers, should not be included 
with the comment. Comments that are not related to the performance 
evaluation of the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve 
or that contain profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate 
language will not be considered.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pam Kylstra, Evaluator, NOAA Office 
for Coastal Management, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 
(843) 439-5568. Copies of the previous evaluation findings, reserve 
management plan, and reserve site profile may be viewed and downloaded 
on the internet at http://coast.noaa.gov/czm/evaluations/. A copy of 
the evaluation notification letter and most recent progress report may 
be obtained upon request by contacting Pam Kylstra.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 312 of the Coastal Zone Management 
Act (CZMA) requires NOAA to conduct periodic evaluations of federally 
approved national estuarine research

[[Page 59872]]

reserves. The process includes one or more public meetings, 
consideration of written public comments, and consultations with 
interested Federal, State, and local agencies and members of the 
public. During the evaluation, NOAA will consider the extent to which 
the State of Rhode Island has met the national objectives, adhered to 
the reserve's management plan approved by the Secretary of Commerce, 
and adhered to the terms of financial assistance under the CZMA. When 
the evaluation is completed, NOAA's Office for Coastal Management will 
place a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of 
the final evaluation findings.

Keelin Kuipers,
Deputy Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-18738 Filed 8-29-23; 8:45 am]
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