80 FR 56442 - Notice of Availability of Community-Based Restoration Program Guidelines
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 181 (September 18, 2015)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 181 (September 18, 2015)
| Page Range | 56442-56444 | |
| FR Document | 2015-23503 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 181 (Friday, September 18, 2015)] [Notices] [Pages 56442-56444] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-23503] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XE173 Notice of Availability of Community-Based Restoration Program Guidelines AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability of Community-based Restoration Program Guidelines; request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is seeking comment on revised guidelines for the Community-based Restoration Program (Program). Since guidelines were first issued in 2000, the Program has not only evolved alongside the field of habitat restoration but has been designed to more effectively support sustainable fisheries and contribute to the recovery and conservation of protected resources. These goals are aligned with NMFS' core mandates, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and Endangered Species Act. The Program has built a strong foundation of technical and financial assistance capabilities that enables NOAA to proactively identify and develop priority habitat restoration projects, build community-based partnerships to leverage resources, and implement technically sound restoration actions that have maximum impact on coastal and marine species and the ecosystems on which they depend. This document replaces previous guidelines and describes the Program's goals and scope of implementation for FY 2016 and beyond. This is not a solicitation of project proposals. DATES: Comments are due October 19, 2015. ADDRESSES: Additional information about the Program is available at: http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/restoration/programs/crp.html. Interested parties that wish to send comments may send an email to [email protected]. Interested parties that wish to send comments through regular mail may use the following mailing address: NOAA Restoration Center (F/HC3), ATTN: CRP Guidelines, 1315 East West Highway, RM 14853, Silver Spring, MD 20910. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tisa Shostik at [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background NMFS started the Community-based Restoration Program (Program) in 1996 to provide technical and financial assistance to support the implementation of community-driven habitat restoration. The Program collaborates with partners to restore coastal wetlands, coral reef, shellfish, estuarine, and riverine habitat to benefit coastal and marine species under NMFS jurisdiction. Restoration implemented under the Program include projects such as dam removal and fish passage projects, hydrologic reconnection projects, shellfish and coral reef restoration projects. To date, the Program has implemented more than 1,700 habitat restoration projects in 37 states. It has restored more than 55,000 acres of habitat and opened 2,500 miles of rivers and streams. The Program is housed within the NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation's Restoration Center and was authorized in the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006. Prior guidelines for the Program were provided at 65 FR 16890, March 30, 2000, and then revised at 73 FR 55816, September 26, 2008. Since the guidelines were last updated in 2008, base funding for the Program has [[Page 56443]] remained relatively level, with the exception of several specific initiatives such as the Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Open Rivers Initiative (2007-2010). Program Guidelines a. Purpose of These Guidelines These guidelines provide information to the public and partnering organizations regarding the Program's scope and focus. The guidelines describe the broad range of the Program's activities and influence including, but not limited to, technical and financial assistance capabilities that are managed in a manner to most effectively advance the goals established under NMFS' core mandates. Previous published guidelines included more information on financial assistance mechanisms and procedures. These discussions have been removed from these updated guidelines in order to focus on the Program's goals, scope, and capabilities, rather than administrative process. b. Program Overview NMFS' primary goals under its core mandates include ensuring the productivity and sustainability of fisheries and recovering and conserving protected resources. Healthy ecosystems and the availability of habitat are critical to these resources and therefore restoring coastal, marine, and riverine habitat is an essential element of NMFS' strategy to achieve its primary goals. To support this strategy, the Program provides technical and financial assistance to identify, develop, implement, and evaluate community-driven habitat restoration projects that yield the greatest benefit to the resources under NMFS' jurisdiction. Program staff leads coordination efforts across NOAA and other Federal and non-Federal partners to identify shared habitat priorities and focus resource investments to increase the impact of habitat conservation and restoration actions. The Program's restoration specialists, including fish biologists, ecologists, and engineers, located throughout the country, provide comprehensive expertise to facilitate effective habitat restoration. To support project implementation through financial assistance, the Program primarily establishes cooperative agreement funding awards with non-Federal partners. Competitive solicitations are issued as Federal funding announcements on Grants.gov. Non-Federal partners may include non- governmental organizations, tribes, states, and local government agencies and communities. Habitat restoration projects implemented through the Program are developed in partnership with the communities in which they are based and reflect the needs and interests of local stakeholders. As restoration is conducted using a collaborative, ecosystem approach, projects such as dam removal, floodplain reconnection, and coastal wetland restoration often result in multiple benefits beyond the Program's primary goals. These benefits may include increased coastal resiliency, improved infrastructure, enhanced public safety, increased recreational opportunities, and strengthened coastal economies. The Program also fosters natural resource stewardship and local community engagement by supporting outreach, education, or volunteer opportunities as restoration project components. c. Program Activities and Priorities The Program will continue to support projects featuring all aspects of coastal habitat restoration, conservation, and protection that recover threatened and endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act, sustain or help rebuild fish stocks managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, or benefit other coastal and marine species with a connection to NMFS management. Within this broad authority, the Program is focusing its efforts to more effectively achieve NMFS' species recovery and fisheries sustainability goals, as well as demonstrate the results and multiple benefits of the Program's investments. Focused and coordinated approaches are critical because funding for coastal habitat restoration remains insufficient to fully address the needs of all habitat-limited coastal and marine species. To help set priorities and inform strategic decisions on where and how the Program targets its efforts, Program staff coordinates across NOAA and develops key partnerships with other Federal agencies, tribes, states, counties, local communities, and other non-governmental organizations. This leadership and collaboration helps set shared priorities and goals, and increases the impact of the Program's coastal restoration funding by leveraging resources and coordinating investments from multiple habitat restoration and conservation organizations and programs involved in habitat conservation and restoration. To execute the Program's targeted habitat restoration goals, the Program may focus its technical assistance and funding on specific geographic areas, habitats, restoration techniques, actions identified in protected species recovery plans or fishery management plans, or where NOAA and partner resources are aligned to yield a greater collective impact. The Program will provide restoration project funding to non-Federal partners through open, competitive solicitations announced through Federal Funding Opportunities (FFOs). The Program's targeted goals and priorities will be explicitly outlined within each FFO and applications will be evaluated on how well the proposed activity meets those priorities. Funding may be provided through cooperative agreements for restoration planning and feasibility studies, engineering and design, implementation and construction, and monitoring and evaluation efforts. In addition to providing funds for restoration projects, the Program provides leadership and technical expertise to foster the development and implementation of habitat restoration actions that support the recovery of protected species and sustainability of fisheries. To most effectively meet these core mandate goals, Program staff proactively identifies restoration opportunities, coordinates with other entities to help drive investments towards the highest priorities, and develops solutions to overcome obstacles to restoration success. Program staff provides technical expertise to ensure that restoration partners have the necessary support to successfully carry out complex habitat restoration activities such as dam removals and large-scale hydrologic reconnection projects. The technical assistance that Program staff provides to restoration project partners includes guidance on project feasibility assessments, engineering and design, project implementation oversight, regulatory compliance, and monitoring planning. The Program also accelerates the delivery of resources and implementation of restoration by streamlining permitting and environmental compliance processes when possible through the development and use of programmatic approaches. These core technical and financial assistance capabilities enable the Program to efficiently support the implementation of other targeted habitat conservation and restoration initiatives within NOAA. As the practice of habitat restoration has developed, the Program has contributed to its advancement through targeted implementation and effectiveness monitoring and technology [[Page 56444]] transfer. Monitoring carried out by the Program has supported science- based decision making and led to improvements in the design and implementation of habitat restoration projects. To evaluate the effectiveness of restoration actions in a cost-effective way, the Program is establishing consistent processes for monitoring and evaluating the performance of individual and collective restoration actions. The Program collects and reports this information in a manner that will inform future projects and investments, and ultimately improve the performance of the Program. The Program also facilitates increased public access to monitoring and evaluation data by implementing NOAA's Data Sharing Policy for Grants and Cooperative Agreements issued in 2012 which requires that all NOAA grantees share data produced under NOAA grants and cooperative agreements. Program staff works with cooperative agreement recipients to develop a data sharing plan as part of their cooperative agreement award narrative. d. Funding Sources, Mechanisms, and Eligible Participants As described in the prior sections, providing financial assistance is a tool that the Program uses to accomplish habitat restoration, complemented by the Program's leadership, coordination, and technical assistance capabilities. Financial assistance is provided competitively through FFO announcements and awarded and managed following the Department of Commerce Grants and Cooperative Agreements Manual and 2 CFR part 200. The Program primarily establishes cooperative agreement awards with selected applicants based on a competitive, technical review process to maximize opportunities for public access to Program resources. In limited circumstances, contracts may also be awarded. All domestic applicants other than individuals may apply for financial assistance. Activities that constitute legally required mitigation or are required by federal, state, or local law or court order are not part of the Program. e. Reporting The Program uses a specific reporting format that has received Paperwork Reduction Act clearance. The progress report format assists recipients of Program funding in tracking their progress towards self- defined milestones and performance measures. Progress reports may also include monitoring and evaluation results. The Program-specific form also helps the Program populate a project tracking database, which supports agency-wide performance measure reporting and provides public information through the Restoration Atlas at www.habitat.noaa.gov/restoration/restorationatlas. f. Regulatory Compliance The Program assists its restoration partners and financial assistance recipients in completing their regulatory compliance responsibilities when possible, and may serve as lead agency for consultation and analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and other applicable federal laws and regulations. The Program takes a programmatic approach to regulatory compliance when available. A current list of programmatic compliance documents that may be used to fulfill regulatory compliance responsibilities can be found at http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/funding/applicantresources.html. Dated: September 14, 2015. Samuel D. Rauch III, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015-23503 Filed 9-17-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
![56442 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 181 / Friday, September 18, 2015 / Notices
diamond sawblades, including diamond revocation of the AD order would likely technical and financial assistance
sawblade cores and diamond sawblade lead to a continuation or recurrence of capabilities that enables NOAA to
segments. Diamond sawblade cores are dumping and material injury to an proactively identify and develop
circular steel plates, whether or not industry in the United States, pursuant priority habitat restoration projects,
attached to non-steel plates, with slots. to section 75l(d)(2) of the Act and 19 build community-based partnerships to
Diamond sawblade cores are CFR 351.218(a), the Department hereby leverage resources, and implement
manufactured principally, but not orders the continuation of the AD order technically sound restoration actions
exclusively, from alloy steel. A diamond on diamond sawblades from the PRC. that have maximum impact on coastal
sawblade segment consists of a mixture We will instruct CBP to continue to and marine species and the ecosystems
of diamonds (whether natural or collect AD cash deposits at the rates in on which they depend. This document
synthetic, and regardless of the quantity effect at the time of entry for all imports replaces previous guidelines and
of diamonds) and metal powders of subject merchandise. describes the Program’s goals and scope
(including, but not limited to, iron, The effective date of the continuation of implementation for FY 2016 and
cobalt, nickel, tungsten carbide) that are of the AD order will be the date of beyond. This is not a solicitation of
formed together into a solid shape (from publication in the Federal Register of project proposals.
generally, but not limited to, a heating this notice of continuation. Pursuant to DATES: Comments are due October 19,
and pressing process). section 751(c)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR 2015.
Sawblades with diamonds directly 351.218(c)(2), the Department intends to
ADDRESSES: Additional information
attached to the core with a resin or initiate the next five-year review of this
about the Program is available at:
electroplated bond, which thereby do order not later than 30 days prior to the
http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/
not contain a diamond segment, are not fifth anniversary of the effective date of
restoration/programs/crp.html.
included within the scope of the order. this continuation notice.
This five-year sunset review and this Interested parties that wish to send
Diamond sawblades and/or sawblade comments may send an email to
cores with a thickness of less than 0.025 notice are in accordance with section
751(c) of the Act and published tisa.shostik@noaa.gov. Interested parties
inches, or with a thickness greater than that wish to send comments through
1.1 inches, are excluded from the scope pursuant to section 777(i)(1) of the Act
and 19 CFR 351.218(f)(4). regular mail may use the following
of the order. Circular steel plates that mailing address: NOAA Restoration
have a cutting edge of non-diamond Dated: September 14, 2015. Center (F/HC3), ATTN: CRP Guidelines,
material, such as external teeth that Ronald K. Lorentzen, 1315 East West Highway, RM 14853,
protrude from the outer diameter of the Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement Silver Spring, MD 20910.
plate, whether or not finished, are and Compliance.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tisa
excluded from the scope of the order. [FR Doc. 2015–23468 Filed 9–17–15; 8:45 am] Shostik at tisa.shostik@noaa.gov.
Diamond sawblade cores with a BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Rockwell C hardness of less than 25 are
excluded from the scope of the order. Background
Diamond sawblades and/or diamond DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NMFS started the Community-based
segment(s) with diamonds that Restoration Program (Program) in 1996
predominantly have a mesh size number National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to provide technical and financial
greater than 240 (such as 250 or 260) are assistance to support the
excluded from the scope of the order. RIN 0648–XE173 implementation of community-driven
Merchandise subject to the order is habitat restoration. The Program
typically imported under heading Notice of Availability of Community- collaborates with partners to restore
8202.39.00.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Based Restoration Program Guidelines coastal wetlands, coral reef, shellfish,
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). estuarine, and riverine habitat to benefit
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
When packaged together as a set for coastal and marine species under NMFS
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
retail sale with an item that is separately jurisdiction. Restoration implemented
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
classified under headings 8202 to 8205 under the Program include projects such
Commerce.
of the HTSUS, diamond sawblades or as dam removal and fish passage
ACTION: Notice of availability of
parts thereof may be imported under projects, hydrologic reconnection
heading 8206.00.00.00 of the HTSUS. Community-based Restoration Program
Guidelines; request for comments. projects, shellfish and coral reef
On October 11, 2011, the Department restoration projects. To date, the
included the 6804.21.00.00 HTSUS SUMMARY: NOAA’s National Marine Program has implemented more than
classification number to the customs Fisheries Service (NMFS) is seeking 1,700 habitat restoration projects in 37
case reference file, pursuant to a request comment on revised guidelines for the states. It has restored more than 55,000
by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Community-based Restoration Program acres of habitat and opened 2,500 miles
(CBP).5 (Program). Since guidelines were first of rivers and streams.
The tariff classification is provided for issued in 2000, the Program has not The Program is housed within the
convenience and customs purposes; only evolved alongside the field of NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation’s
however, the written description of the habitat restoration but has been Restoration Center and was authorized
scope of the order is dispositive. designed to more effectively support in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Continuation of the Order sustainable fisheries and contribute to Conservation and Management
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
the recovery and conservation of Reauthorization Act of 2006. Prior
As a result of the determinations by protected resources. These goals are guidelines for the Program were
the Department and the ITC that aligned with NMFS’ core mandates, the provided at 65 FR 16890, March 30,
5 See Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 2000, and then revised at 73 FR 55816,
From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of
Conservation and Management Act and September 26, 2008. Since the
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 76 FR Endangered Species Act. The Program guidelines were last updated in 2008,
76128 (December 6, 2011). has built a strong foundation of base funding for the Program has
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![56444 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 181 / Friday, September 18, 2015 / Notices
transfer. Monitoring carried out by the database, which supports agency-wide The FY 2002 Commerce, Justice, State
Program has supported science-based performance measure reporting and Appropriations Act directed the
decision making and led to provides public information through the Secretary of Commerce to establish a
improvements in the design and Restoration Atlas at Coastal and Estuarine Land
implementation of habitat restoration www.habitat.noaa.gov/restoration/ Conservation Program (CELCP) to
projects. To evaluate the effectiveness of restorationatlas. protect important coastal and estuarine
restoration actions in a cost-effective areas that have significant conservation,
f. Regulatory Compliance
way, the Program is establishing recreation, ecological, historical, or
consistent processes for monitoring and The Program assists its restoration
partners and financial assistance aesthetic values, or that are threatened
evaluating the performance of
recipients in completing their regulatory by conversion, and to issue guidelines
individual and collective restoration
compliance responsibilities when for this program delineating the criteria
actions. The Program collects and
reports this information in a manner possible, and may serve as lead agency for grant awards. The guidelines
that will inform future projects and for consultation and analysis under the establish procedures for eligible
investments, and ultimately improve the National Environmental Policy Act, applicants who choose to participate in
performance of the Program. The Endangered Species Act, National the program to use when developing
Program also facilitates increased public Historic Preservation Act, and other state conservation plans, proposing or
access to monitoring and evaluation applicable federal laws and regulations. soliciting projects under this program,
data by implementing NOAA’s Data The Program takes a programmatic applying for funds, and carrying out
Sharing Policy for Grants and approach to regulatory compliance projects under this program in a manner
Cooperative Agreements issued in 2012 when available. A current list of that is consistent with the purposes of
which requires that all NOAA grantees programmatic compliance documents the program. Guidelines for the CELCP
share data produced under NOAA that may be used to fulfill regulatory can be found on NOAA’s Web site at:
grants and cooperative agreements. compliance responsibilities can be http://www.coast.noaa.gov/czm/
Program staff works with cooperative found at http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/ landconservation/ or may be obtained
agreement recipients to develop a data funding/applicantresources.html. upon request via the contact
sharing plan as part of their cooperative Dated: September 14, 2015. information listed above. The CELCP
agreement award narrative. Samuel D. Rauch III, was reauthorized in under P.L. 111–111,
d. Funding Sources, Mechanisms, and Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Omnibus Public Lands Management
Eligible Participants Regulatory Programs, National Marine Act, as a component of the Coastal Zone
Fisheries Service. Management Act. NOAA also has, or is
As described in the prior sections, [FR Doc. 2015–23503 Filed 9–17–15; 8:45 am]
providing financial assistance is a tool given, additional authority under the
that the Program uses to accomplish
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P Coastal Zone Management Act, annual
habitat restoration, complemented by appropriations or other authorities, to
the Program’s leadership, coordination, issue funds to coastal states, localities or
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
and technical assistance capabilities. other recipients for planning,
Financial assistance is provided National Oceanic and Atmospheric conservation, acquisition, protection,
competitively through FFO Administration restoration, or construction projects.
announcements and awarded and The required information enables
managed following the Department of Submission for OMB Review; NOAA to implement the CELCP, under
Commerce Grants and Cooperative Comment Request its current or future authorization, and
Agreements Manual and 2 CFR part 200. facilitate the review of similar projects
The Department of Commerce will
The Program primarily establishes under different, but related, authorities.
submit to the Office of Management and
cooperative agreement awards with
Budget (OMB) for clearance the Affected Public: State, local or tribal
selected applicants based on a
following proposal for collection of government; not-for-profit institutions.
competitive, technical review process to
information under the provisions of the Frequency: One time, semi-annually.
maximize opportunities for public
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
access to Program resources. In limited Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
Chapter 35).
circumstances, contracts may also be Agency: National Oceanic and obtain or retain benefits.
awarded. All domestic applicants other Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
than individuals may apply for financial This information collection request
Title: Coastal and Estuarine Land may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow
assistance. Activities that constitute Conservation, Planning, Protection, or
legally required mitigation or are the instructions to view Department of
Restoration. Commerce collections currently under
required by federal, state, or local law or OMB Control Number: 0648–0459.
court order are not part of the Program. Form Number(s): None. review by OMB.
e. Reporting Type of Request: Regular (extension of Written comments and
a currently approved information recommendations for the proposed
The Program uses a specific reporting collection). information collection should be sent
format that has received Paperwork Number of Respondents: 51. within 30 days of publication of this
Reduction Act clearance. The progress Average Hours per Response: Plans, notice to OIRA_Submission@
report format assists recipients of 120 hours to develop, 35 hours to revise omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Program funding in tracking their or update; project application and
progress towards self-defined checklist, 20 hours; semi-annual and Dated: September 15, 2015.
milestones and performance measures. annual reporting, 5 hours each. Sarah Brabson,
Progress reports may also include Burden Hours: 1,410. NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
monitoring and evaluation results. The Needs and Uses: This request is for [FR Doc. 2015–23451 Filed 9–17–15; 8:45 am]
Program-specific form also helps the extension of a currently approved
BILLING CODE 3510–08–P
Program populate a project tracking information collection.
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Document Created: 2015-12-15 09:27:15
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 09:27:15
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of availability of Community-based Restoration Program Guidelines; request for comments. | |
| Dates | Comments are due October 19, 2015. | |
| Contact | Tisa Shostik at [email protected] | |
| FR Citation | 80 FR 56442 | |
| RIN Number | 0648-XE17 |
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