[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 220 (Thursday, November 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67135-67136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26792]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Initiation of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Management
Plan Review: Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of public scoping meetings for initiation of the Monitor
National Marine Sanctuary management plan review.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 304(e) of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act, as amended (NMSA), NOAA is holding scoping meetings
to:
1. Solicit public comments and identify issues on the continued
management of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary; and
2. Help determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the
preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), if warranted.
DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for the dates,
times, and locations of the public scoping meetings. All comments on
issues related to the continued management of the Monitor National
Marine Sanctuary will be considered if received on or before February
1, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS CONTACT: Shannon
Ricles at (757) 591-7328. All written inquiries and comments may also
be mailed to Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, 100 Museum Drive,
Newport News, VA 23606, or by fax at (757) 591-7353.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (MNMS or Sanctuary) was
designated on January 30, 1975, and is located on the Atlantic
continental shelf approximately 16 miles south-southeast of Cape
Hatteras, North Carolina. The Sanctuary encompasses a vertical column
of water around the wreck site one nautical mile in diameter from the
[[Page 67136]]
surface to the seabed. The present management plan for the Sanctuary
was completed in February 1983, and a comprehensive long-range plan
that focused on the stabilization, preservation, recovery,
conservation, and exhibition of materials and artifacts from the
Monitor site was implemented in April 1998. For detailed information on
the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, including the 1983 Management
Plan and the 1998 Comprehensive Preservation Plan, please visit http://www.monitor.noaa.gov.
In accordance with Section 304(e) of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act, as amended (NMSA), 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq., the Office
of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is initiating a review of the current
management plan to evaluate the substantive progress made toward
implementing the goals for the Sanctuary, and to make revisions to the
plan and regulations as necessary to fulfill the purposes and policies
of the NMSA. The proposed revised management plan may involve changes
to existing policies and regulations of the sanctuary, will address
contemporary issues and challenges, and better protect and manage the
Sanctuary's resources and qualities. The review process is composed of
four primary stages:
(1) Information collection and characterization, including public
scoping meetings;
(2) Preparation and release of a revised draft management plan/
environmental evaluation that includes any proposed new regulations or
amendments to current regulations;
(3) Public review and comment on the draft plan; and
(4) Preparation and release of a final management plan/
environmental evaluation that could also include new regulations to
fully implement the revised management plan.
NOAA anticipates that the completion of the revised management plan
and concomitant documents will require approximately twenty-four to
thirty-six months. This notice is to inform the public that NOAA will
conduct scoping meetings to gather information and other comments from
individuals, organizations, and government agencies on the scope,
types, and significance of issues related to the Sanctuary's management
plan and regulations. These scoping meetings will also help determine
the scope of issues to be addressed in the preparation of an EIS
pursuant to the NEPA, 43 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., if warranted. The public
scoping meeting schedule is presented below.
Public Scoping Meetings
The public scoping meetings will be held on the following dates and
at the following locations:
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December 1, 2008................ Manteo, NC........ North Carolina
6-8 p.m......................... Aquarium,
374 Airport Road,
Manteo, NC.
December 2, 2008................ Raleigh, NC....... North Carolina
6-8 p.m......................... Museum of
History,
5 East Edenton
Street,
Raleigh, NC.
December 3, 2008................ Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina
6-8 p.m......................... NC. Aquarium,
1 Roosevelt
Boulevard,
Pine Knoll Shores,
NC.
December 4, 2008................ Hatteras, NC...... Graveyard of the
6-8 p.m......................... Atlantic Museum,
59200 Museum
Drive,
Hatteras, NC.
December 6, 2008................ Newport News, VA.. Mariner's Museum,
1-3 p.m......................... 100 Museum Drive,
Newport News, VA.
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Dated: November 4, 2008.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries NOAA.
[FR Doc. E8-26792 Filed 11-12-08; 8:45 am]
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