[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 123 (Monday, June 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31044-31046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15309]
[[Page 31044]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R9-FHC-2009-N0101; 94300-1124-0000-T5]
Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital Mapping Pilot Project
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of extension of the public comment period on report and
draft maps; notice of public meetings via Web cast and teleconference.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the
public that we are extending the public review and comment period for
the Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System
Digital Mapping Pilot Project and draft maps. Also, we plan to host
public meetings via Web cast and teleconference on the John H. Chafee
Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) Digital Mapping Pilot Project.
DATES: Comment Period: To ensure consideration, we must receive your
written comments on the report and draft maps by August 5, 2009.
Public Meetings: We will hold public meetings via Web cast and
teleconference; see ``Public Meetings'' and ``Meeting Participation
Information'' under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for meeting dates, times,
and registration information.
ADDRESSES: Mail or hand-deliver (during normal business hours) comments
to Katie Niemi, Coastal Barriers Coordinator, Division of Habitat and
Resource Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax
Drive, Room 860A, Arlington, VA 22203 or send comments by electronic
mail (e-mail) to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katie Niemi, Coastal Barriers
Coordinator, (703) 358-2161.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) of 1982 (16 U.S.C. 3501 et
seq.) established the CBRS, a defined set of geographic units located
along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and U.S.
Virgin Island coasts. CBRA removes the Federal incentive for
development in these high-risk and biologically important coastal
barrier habitats by limiting Federal subsidies such as flood insurance
within the CBRS. Development can still occur provided that private
developers or other non-Federal parties bear the full cost.
The CBRS boundaries are depicted on U.S. Geological Survey
topographic quadrangle maps, which are, on average, 30 years old.
Because the maps are outdated technologically, the CBRS boundaries do
not always align precisely with the geomorphic, cultural, or
development features that they were intended to follow. As a result,
some properties and projects intended to be eligible for Federal
subsidies are not eligible and vice versa. Modernizing the CBRS maps
using digital technology addresses the inaccuracies of the outdated
maps; corrects errors that adversely affect private property owners;
increases efficiencies and accessibility by allowing the integration of
CBRS information into digital planning tools; conserves natural
resources; and helps preserve the long-term integrity of the CBRS.
The pilot project creates draft revised maps for 70 CBRS units
(representing approximately 10 percent of the entire CBRS) and
establishes a framework for modernizing the remainder of the CBRS maps.
The different types of proposed boundary changes reflected in the draft
pilot project maps include:
Alignment with geomorphic features (e.g., shorelines),
development features (e.g., edge of a road, property parcel
boundaries), and cultural features (e.g., park boundaries);
Adjustment to reflect geomorphic change;
Adjustment to map channel boundaries consistently;
Addition of associated aquatic habitat;
Addition of conservation or recreation area to existing
Otherwise Protected Areas (OPAs);
Addition of new OPAs;
Addition of undeveloped fastland (land above mean high
tide) not currently within the CBRS;
Removal of private land that was inadvertently included
within an OPA; and
Reclassification from System unit to OPA and vice versa.
In cases where we found no compelling evidence to propose a revised
boundary, the existing boundary remains unchanged.
For more information on the pilot project, as well as how to get a
copy of the report and draft maps, see our April 7, 2009, notice (74 FR
15743) or visit the Service's Internet site: http://www.fws.gov/habitatconservation/coastal_barrier.html.
Comment Period Extension
We are extending the public comment period on the Report to
Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital
Mapping Pilot Project and draft maps, which we originally opened on
April 7, 2009 (74 FR 15743), to allow additional time for public
meetings and submission of comments by the public. If you previously
submitted comments, you need not resubmit them; we have already
incorporated them into the public record and will fully consider them
when we finalize the pilot project maps and submit the report to
Congress, per the directives of the Coastal Barrier Resources
Reauthorization Act of 2005 (CBRRA of 2005; Pub. L. 109-226).
Public Meetings
We will hold the following public meetings via Web cast and
teleconference. The purpose of the meetings is to give the public an
overview of the pilot project effort and to offer an opportunity for
questions and answers regarding the draft maps contained in the pilot
project. See Appendix A for specific units we will discuss for the
involved States.
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Date Time (eastern time) States
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July 14, 2009.................... 10 a.m.-12 p.m........... Delaware and Louisiana.
July 14, 2009.................... 1-3 p.m.................. North Carolina and South Carolina.
July 15, 2009.................... 10 a.m.-12 p.m........... North Florida.
July 15, 2009.................... 1-3 p.m.................. South Florida.
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Meeting Participation Information
These meetings are open to the public. Members of the public
planning to participate must register at http://www.fws.gov/habitatconservation/coastal_barrier.html by close of business July 10,
2009. Registrants will be provided with instructions for participation
via e-mail. If you require
[[Page 31045]]
additional accommodations, please notify the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least one week prior to the meeting.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Appendix A--Pilot Project Units
Below we list the pilot project units for each State, by unit
number, unit name, and county.
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Number Name County
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Delaware (1 Map)
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DE-07......................... Delaware Seashore.............. Sussex.
DE-07P........................ Delaware Seashore.............. Sussex.
H01........................... North Bethany Beach............ Sussex.
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North Carolina (9 Maps)
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NC-01......................... Pine Island Bay................ Currituck, Dare.
NC-05P........................ Roosevelt Natural Area......... Carteret.
NC-06......................... Hammocks Beach................. Onslow.
NC-06P........................ Hammocks Beach................. Onslow, Carteret.
L05........................... Onslow Beach Complex........... Onslow.
L06........................... Topsail........................ Onslow.
L07........................... Lea Island Complex............. Pender, New Hanover.
L08........................... Wrightsville Beach............. New Hanover.
L09........................... Masonboro Island............... New Hanover.
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South Carolina (1 Map)
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M02........................... Litchfield Beach............... Georgetown.
M03........................... Pawleys Inlet.................. Georgetown.
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Florida (27 Maps)
North Florida
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FL-01......................... Fort Clinch.................... Nassau.
FL-01P........................ Fort Clinch.................... Nassau.
P04A.......................... Usinas Beach................... St. Johns.
P05........................... Conch Island................... St. Johns.
P05P.......................... Conch Island................... St. Johns.
P08........................... Ponce Inlet.................... Volusia.
P08P.......................... Ponce Inlet.................... Volusia.
FL-13P........................ Spessard Holland Park.......... Brevard.
P09A.......................... Coconut Point.................. Brevard.
P09AP......................... Coconut Point.................. Brevard.
FL-73P........................ De Soto........................ Manatee.
FL-78......................... Rattlesnake Key................ Manatee.
FL-78P........................ Rattlesnake Key................ Manatee.
FL-82......................... Bishop Harbor.................. Manatee.
FL-80P........................ Passage Key.................... Manatee.
FL-81......................... Egmont Key..................... Hillsborough.
FL-81P........................ Egmont Key..................... Hillsborough.
FL-83......................... Cockroach Bay.................. Hillsborough.
FL-85P........................ Sand Key....................... Pinellas.
P26........................... Pepperfish Keys................ Dixie.
FL-89......................... Peninsula Point................ Franklin.
FL-93......................... Phillips Inlet................. Bay.
FL-93P........................ Phillips Inlet................. Bay.
FL-94......................... Deer Lake Complex.............. Walton.
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South Florida
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P10A.......................... Blue Hole...................... Indian River, St. Lucie.
FL-14P........................ Pepper Beach................... St. Lucie.
P11........................... Hutchinson Island.............. St. Lucie.
P11P.......................... Hutchinson Island.............. St. Lucie.
FL-15......................... Blowing Rocks.................. Martin, Palm Beach.
FL-16P........................ Jupiter Beach.................. Palm Beach.
FL-17P........................ Carlin......................... Palm Beach.
FL-18P........................ MacArthur Beach................ Palm Beach.
FL-19......................... Birch Park..................... Broward.
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FL-19P........................ Birch Park..................... Broward.
FL-20P........................ Lloyd Beach.................... Broward.
P14A.......................... North Beach.................... Broward.
FL-39......................... Tavernier Key.................. Monroe.
FL-40......................... Snake Creek.................... Monroe.
FL-43......................... Channel Key.................... Monroe.
FL-44......................... Toms Harbor Keys............... Monroe.
FL-45......................... Deer/Long Point Keys........... Monroe.
FL-46......................... Boot Key....................... Monroe.
FL-64P........................ Clam Pass...................... Collier.
P17A.......................... Bowditch Point................. Lee.
FL-67......................... Bunche Beach................... Lee.
FL-67P........................ Bunche Beach................... Lee.
P21........................... Bocilla Island................. Charlotte.
P21P.......................... Bocilla Island................. Charlotte.
P22........................... Casey Key...................... Sarasota.
FL-72P........................ Lido Key....................... Sarasota.
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Louisiana (13 Maps)
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LA-01......................... Isle Au Pitre.................. St. Bernard.
LA-02......................... Grand Island................... St. Bernard.
S04........................... Timbalier Bay.................. Lafourche.
S05........................... Timbalier Islands.............. Terrebonne, Lafourche.
S06........................... Isle Dernieres................. Terrebonne.
S07........................... Point au Fer................... Terrebonne, St. Mary.
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Dated: June 18, 2009.
Marvin E. Moriarty,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E9-15309 Filed 6-26-09; 8:45 am]
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