[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 110 (Thursday, June 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33735-33736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11430]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan Part I: National Priorities
Draft
AGENCY: Coral Reef Conservation Program, NOAA, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
publishes this notice to announce the availability of the Draft NOAA
Coral Ecosystem Research Plan Part I: National Priorities for public
comment. The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan is being
developed by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program to set priorities
and guide NOAA-supported coral ecosystem research for fiscal year 2005
to 2010, including research conducted through extramural partners,
grants, and contracts. The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan
covers all coral reef ecosystems under the jurisdiction of the United
States and the Pacific Freely Associated States; and is written for a
broad audience, including resource managers, scientists, policy makers,
and the public.
DATES: Comments on this draft document must be submitted by July 11,
2005.
ADDRESSES: The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan Part I:
National Priorities will be available at the following location http://www.nurp.noaa.gov/Docs/NOAA_CoralResearchPlanPartI_FRN.pdf.
The public is encouraged to submit comments on the Draft NOAA Coral
Ecosystem Research Plan Part I: National Priorities electronically to
[email protected]. For commenters who do not have access to a
computer, comments on the document may be submitted in writing to: NOAA
Research, c/o Kimberly Puglise, NOAA's Undersea Research Program, 1315
East-West Highway R/NURP, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Puglise by mail at NOAA's
Undersea Research Program, 1315 East-West Highway R/NURP, Silver
Spring, Maryland 20910 or phone (301) 713-2427 ext. 199 or e-mail at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA is publishing this notice to announce
the availability of the Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan Part
I: National Priorities for public comment. The draft plan will be
posted for public comment on June 9, 2005. All interested parties are
encouraged to provide comments. The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research
Plan Part I: National Priorities is being issued for comment only and
is not intended for interim use. Suggested changes will be
incorporated, where appropriate, in the final version.
The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan is being developed by
the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program to set priorities and guide
NOAA-supported coral ecosystem research for fiscal years 2005 to 2010,
including research conducted through extramural partners, grants, and
contracts. The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan covers all
coral reef ecosystems under the jurisdiction of the United States and
the Pacific Freely Associated States; and is written for a broad
audience, including resource managers, scientists, policy makers, and
the public.
The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan consists of two
sections: (1) Part I; National Priorities; and (2) Part II: Regional
Priorities. At this time, we are requesting your comments solely on the
Part I: National Priorities Draft. The Part II: Regional Priorities
Draft will be published in the Federal Register for comment at a later
date.
Part I of the Plan is national in scope and identifies: the role of
research in management, including a review of the major stressors and
threats facing coral reef ecosystems and an overview of stressor-
associated research priorities; the role of mapping and monitoring in
management-driven research programs; a discussion of the tools and
technologies necessary to conduct research and to manage ecosystems; a
discussion of the importance of transferring science and technology
into operations; and the importance of using strategic outreach and
education to translate research results to improve management
decisions.
Part II of the Plan is regional in scope and reviews the major
stressors for coral ecosystems in each region under the jurisdiction of
the United States and the Pacific Freely Associated States; identifies
key management objectives specific to each region; and the research
priorities for fiscal years 2005 years 2005 to 2010 to help address the
stated management objectives in each region. Part II is divided into
the following regions: Florida with subsections for the Florida Keys,
Southeast Florida, and the West Florida Shelf (also known as the
Eastern Gulf of Mexico); Flower Garden Banks; Puerto Rico; the U.S.
Virgin
[[Page 33736]]
Islands; Navassa Island; the Hawaiian Islands with subsections for the
Main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; American Samoa; the
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands; Guam; the U.S. Pacific
Remote Insular Areas, which includes Midway Atoll, Rose Atoll, Wake
Atoll, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Palymra Atoll, Jarvis Island,
Howland Island, and Baker Island; and the Pacific Freely Associated
States with subsections for the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the
Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
NOAA welcomes all comments on the content of the Draft NOAA Coral
Ecosystem Research Plan Part I: National Priorities. We also request
comments on any inconsistencies perceived within the document, and
possible omissions of important topics or issues. For any shortcoming
noted within the draft documents, please propose specific remedies.
Please adhere to the instructions detailed below for preparing and
submitting your comments on the Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research
Plan Part I: National Priorities. Using the format guidance described
below will facilitate the processing of reviewer comments and assure
that all comments are appropriately considered. Please format your
comments into the following three sections: (1) Background information
about yourself (optional); (2) overview or general comments; and (3)
specific comments. Section one may include background information about
yourself including: your name(s), organization(s), area(s) of
expertise, and contact information, such as mailing address, telephone
and fax numbers, and e-mail address(s). Section two should consist of
overview or general comments on the document and should be numbered.
Section three should consist of comments that are specific to
particular pages, paragraphs, or lines in the document and should
identify the page and line numbers to which they apply. Please number
and print identifying information at the top of all pages.
Public comments may be submitted from June 9, 2005, through July
11, 2005.
Dated: June 2, 2005.
David Kennedy,
Manager, Coral Reef Conservation Program.
[FR Doc. 05-11430 Filed 6-8-05; 8:45 am]
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