[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 198 (Friday, October 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82575-82576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23560]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice of Request for Public Comment on the Draft National Coral
Reef Resilience Strategy
AGENCY: The Coral Reef Conservation Program, Office for Coastal
Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Request for written comments.
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SUMMARY: NOAA announces the request for written public comments on the
draft National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy (National Strategy) in
accordance with the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (CRCA), as
reauthorized and amended by the James M. Inhofe National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. NOAA administers the Coral Reef
Conservation Program (CRCP), which is implemented in the coastal areas
and marine waters of Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Pacific Remote Island Area, and
targeted international regions, including the wider Caribbean, the
Coral Triangle, the South Pacific, and Micronesia. The reauthorized
CRCA directs NOAA to develop the National Strategy within two years of
enactment. The National Strategy will replace the existing CRCP
Strategic Plan (2018). The intended effect of this notice is to
initiate a period of public review and comment on the National
Strategy.
DATES: NOAA will consider all relevant written comments by November 25,
2024.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft National Strategy may be found on
www.regulations.gov (search for NOAA-NOS-2024-0121). Comments may be
submitted by the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/NOAA-NOS-2024-0121 Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon,
complete the required
[[Page 82576]]
fields, and enter or attach your comments.
Email: Please direct written comments via email to
[email protected]. In the subject heading of your email, please
include ``Written comments draft National Coral Reef Resilience
Strategy''.
Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record
and generally will be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov
without change. All personally identifiable information (name, address,
etc.), confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive
information submitted voluntarily by the commenter will be publicly
accessible. NOAA will accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the
required fields you wish to remain anonymous). Multimedia submissions
(audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The
written comment is considered the official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to make. NOAA will generally not
consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary
submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system).
Comments that are not responsive or contain profanity, vulgarity,
threats, or other inappropriate language will not be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caroline Donovan, NOAA Coral Reef
Conservation Program, by email at [email protected] or phone at
(240) 410-3416.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
NOAA announces the request for written public comments on the draft
National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy (National Strategy) in
accordance with the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (CRCA), as
reauthorized and amended by the James M. Inhofe National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Pub. L. 117-263, December 23,
2022, 136 Stat 2395). NOAA administers the Coral Reef Conservation
Program (CRCP), which is implemented in the coastal areas and marine
waters of Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Gulf of
Mexico, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
American Samoa, the U.S. Pacific Remote Island Area, and targeted
international regions, including the wider Caribbean, the Coral
Triangle, the South Pacific, and Micronesia. The reauthorized CRCA
directs NOAA to develop the National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy
(National Strategy) within two years of enactment. The National
Strategy will replace the existing CRCP Strategic Plan (2018).
The draft National Strategy articulates the vision, purpose, and
goals that will drive the work of the U.S. coral reef conservation
community now and into the future. Strategies, objectives, and actions
that will help achieve these goals are described in detail. To support
development of the National Strategy, NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation
Program consulted with the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of
Defense, covered States, and covered Native entities through the United
States Coral Reef Task Force and its working groups and other
stakeholders; and the CRCP solicited public review and comment on
scoping and the draft strategy. The National Strategy is based upon
sound science, innovative management approaches, effective enforcement,
meaningful partnerships, and inclusive public participation. The
National Strategy uses an adaptive management framework and
incorporates a resilience-based management approach into five
conservation goals. If adequately resourced, the conservation outcomes
supported by this plan will result in healthy, resilient coral reef
ecosystems in the United States that will provide a variety of valuable
services to current and future generations.
Pursuant to section 204(b) of the reauthorized CRCA, the required
elements of the National Strategy are:
A discussion addressing:
[cir] continuing and emerging threats to the resilience of U.S.
coral reef ecosystems;
[cir] remaining gaps in coral reef ecosystem research, monitoring,
and assessment;
[cir] the status of management cooperation and integration among
Federal reef managers and covered reef managers;
[cir] the status of efforts to manage and disseminate critical
information and enhance interjurisdictional data sharing related to
research, reports, datasets, and maps;
[cir] areas of special focus, which may include:
[squf] improving natural coral recruitment,
[squf] preventing avoidable losses of corals and their habitat,
[squf] enhancing the resilience of coral populations,
[squf] supporting a resilience-based management approach,
[squf] developing, coordinating, and implementing watershed
management plans,
[squf] building and sustaining watershed management capacity at the
local level,
[squf] providing data essential for coral reef fisheries
management,
[squf] building capacity for coral reef fisheries management,
[squf] increasing understanding of coral reef ecosystem services,
[squf] educating the public on the importance of coral reefs,
threats, and solutions, and
[squf] evaluating intervention efficiency;
[cir] the status of conservation efforts, including the use of
marine protected areas to serve as replenishment zones developed
consistent with local practices and traditions and in cooperation with,
and with respect for the scientific, technical, and management
expertise and responsibilities of, covered reef managers;
[cir] science-based adaptive management and restoration efforts;
and
[cir] management of coral reef emergencies and disasters.
A statement of national goals and objectives designed to
guide:
[cir] future Federal coral reef management and restoration
activities authorized under Section 203 of the reauthorized CRCA;
[cir] conservation and restoration priorities for grants awarded
under section 211 of the reauthorized CRCA; and
[cir] research priorities for the reef research coordination
institutes designated under section 213(b)(1)(B).
A designation of priority areas for conservation and
priority areas for restoration to support the review and approval of
grants under Section 211(e) of the reauthorized CRCA.
Technical assistance in the form of general templates for
use by covered reef managers and Federal reef managers to guide the
development of coral reef action plans under Section 205 of the
reauthorized CRCA, including guidance on the best science-based
practices to respond to coral reef emergencies that can be included in
coral reef action plans.
Public Comment
The official public comment period lasts until November 25, 2024.
Please visit the CRCP web page for additional information on the
program: https://coralreef.noaa.gov/.
Authority: Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000.
Nicole R. LeBoeuf,
Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management,
National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-23560 Filed 10-10-24; 8:45 am]
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