[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 58 (Friday, March 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16732-16733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7036]
[[Page 16732]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Updates to List of National System of Marine Protected Areas
(MPAs)
AGENCY: NOAA, Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of updates to the List of National System of Marine
Protected Areas (MPAs) and response to comments on nominations of
existing MPAs to the national system.
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SUMMARY: In August 2010, NOAA and the Department of the Interior (DOI)
invited Federal, State, commonwealth, and territorial MPA programs with
potentially eligible existing MPAs to nominate their sites to the
national system of MPAs (national system). A total of 39 nominations
were received, including seven from the American Samoa Department of
Marine and Wildlife Resources and 32 from the California Department of
Fish and Game. Following a 30-day public review period, no public
comments were received by the National Marine Protected Areas Center
(MPA Center). The American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife
Resources and the California Department of Fish and Game, as the
managing agencies, were asked to make a final determination of sites to
nominate to the national system. Finding them to be eligible for the
national system, the MPA Center has accepted the nominations for 39
sites and placed them on the List of National System MPAs.
The national system and the nomination process are described in the
Framework for the National System of Marine Protected Areas of the
United States of America (Framework), developed in response to
Executive Order 13158 on Marine Protected Areas. The final Framework
was published on November 19, 2008, and provides guidance for
collaborative efforts among Federal, State, commonwealth, territorial,
tribal and local governments and stakeholders to develop an effective
and well coordinated national system that includes existing MPAs
meeting national system criteria as well as new sites that may be
established by managing agencies to fill key conservation gaps in
important ocean areas.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Wenzel, NOAA, at 301-713-3100,
ext. 136 or via e-mail at [email protected]. A detailed electronic
copy of the List of National System MPAs is available for download at
http://www.mpa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background on National System
The national system of MPAs is made up of member MPA sites,
networks and systems established and managed by Federal, State,
commonwealth, territorial, tribal and/or local governments that
collectively enhance conservation of the nation's natural and cultural
marine heritage and represent its diverse ecosystems and resources.
Although participating sites continue to be managed independently,
national system MPAs also work together at the regional and national
levels to achieve common objectives for conserving the nation's
important natural and cultural resources, with emphasis on achieving
the priority conservation objectives of the Framework. MPAs include
sites with a wide range of protection, from multiple use areas to no
take reserves where all extractive uses are prohibited. The term MPA
refers only to the marine portion of a site (below the mean high tide
mark) that may include both terrestrial and marine components.
The national system is a mechanism to foster greater collaboration
among participating MPA sites and programs in order to enhance
stewardship in the waters of the United States. The act of joining the
national system does not create new MPAs, or create new restrictions
for the existing MPAs that become members. In fact, a site must have
existing protections of natural and/or cultural resources in place in
order to be eligible to join the national system, as well as meet other
criteria described in the Framework. However, joining the national
system does not establish new regulatory authority or change existing
regulations in any way, nor does it require changes affecting the
designation process or management of member MPAs. Nor does it bring
State, territorial, tribal or local sites under Federal authority.
Benefits of joining the national system, which are expected to
increase over time as the system matures, include a facilitated means
to work with other sites in the MPA's region, and nationally on issues
of common conservation concern; fostering greater public and
international recognition of U.S. MPAs and the resources they protect;
priority in the receipt of available technical and other support for
cross-cutting needs; and the opportunity to influence federal and
regional ocean conservation and management initiatives (such as Coastal
and Marine Spatial Planning, integrated ocean observing systems,
systematic monitoring and evaluation, targeted outreach to key user
groups, and helping to identify and address MPA research needs). In
addition, the national system provides a forum for coordinated regional
planning about place-based conservation priorities that does not
otherwise exist.
Nomination Process
The Framework describes two major focal areas for building the
national system of MPAs--a nomination process to allow existing MPAs
that meet the entry criteria to become part of the system and a
collaborative regional gap analysis process to identify areas of
significance for natural or cultural resources that may merit
additional protection through existing Federal, State, commonwealth,
territorial, tribal or local MPA authorities. A call for nominations is
issued annually, and may also be issued at the request of an MPA
management agency. This round of nominations began on August 19, 2010
and the deadline for nominations was November 19, 2010. A public
comment period was held from February 3, 2011 through March 7, 2011.
There are three entry criteria for existing MPAs to join the
national system, plus a fourth for cultural heritage. Sites that meet
all pertinent criteria are eligible for the national system.
1. Meets the definition of an MPA as defined in the Framework.
2. Has a management plan (can be site-specific or part of a broader
programmatic management plan; must have goals and objectives and call
for monitoring or evaluation of those goals and objectives).
3. Contributes to at least one priority conservation objective as
listed in the Framework (see below).
4. Cultural heritage MPAs must also conform to criteria for the
National Register for Historic Places.
Additional sites not currently meeting the management plan
criterion can be evaluated for eligibility to be nominated to the
system on a case-by-case basis based on their ability to fill gaps in
the national system coverage of the priority conservation objectives
and design principles described in the Framework.
The MPA Center used existing information in the MPA Inventory to
determine which MPAs meet the first and second criteria. The inventory
is online at http://www.mpa.gov/dataanalysis/mpainventory/ and
potentially eligible sites are posted online at http://www.mpa.gov/nationalsystem/nationalsystemlist/. As part of the nomination process,
the
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managing entity for each potentially eligible site is asked to provide
information on the third and fourth criteria.
Updates to List of National System MPAs
The following MPAs have been nominated by the American Samoa
Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources and the California
Department of Fish and Game to join the national system of MPAs. The
complete List of National System MPAs, which now includes 297 members,
is available at http://www.mpa.gov.
American Samoa
Alofau Village Marine Protected Area,
Amaua and Auto Village Marine Protected Area,
Fagamalo Village Marine Protected Area,
Masausi Village Marine Protected Area,
Matuu and Faganeanea Village Marine Protected Area,
Poloa Village Marine Protected Area,
Vatia Village Marine Protected Area.
California
Point Arena State Marine Conservation Area,
Sea Lion Cove State Marine Conservation Area,
Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area,
Del Mar Landing State Marine Reserve,
Stewarts Point State Marine Reserve,
Salt Point State Marine Conservation Area,
Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve,
Russian River State Marine Recreational Management Area,
Russian River State Marine Conservation Area,
Bodega Head State Marine Reserve,
Bodega Head State Marine Conservation Area,
Estero Americano State Marine Recreational Management Area,
Estero de San Antonio State Marine Recreational Management Area,
Drakes Estero State Marine Conservation Area,
Estero de Limantour State Marine Reserve,
Point Reyes State Marine Reserve,
Point Reyes State Marine Conservation Area,
Duxbury State Marine Conservation Area,
Southeast Farallon Island State Marine Reserve,
Southeast Farallon Island State Marine Conservation Area,
Montara State Marine Reserve,
Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area,
Point Reyes Special Closure,
Point Resistance Special Closure,
Double Point/Stormy Stack Special Closure,
Egg (Devil's Slide) Rock to Devil's Slide Special Closure,
North Farallon Islands & Isle of St. James Special Closure,
Southeast Farallon Special Closure A,
North Farallon Islands State Marine Reserve,
Southeast Farallon Special Closure B,
Stewarts Point State Marine Conservation Area.
Response to Public Comments
On February 3, 2011, NOAA and DOI (agencies) published the
Nomination of Existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to the National
System of Marine Protected Areas for public comment, for the nomination
of thirty-nine existing MPAs. By the end of the 30-day comment period,
no public comments had been received.
Dated: March 18, 2011.
David M. Kennedy,
Assistant Administrator, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-7036 Filed 3-24-11; 8:45 am]
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