Initiation of Review of Management Plan/Regulations of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary; Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Management Plan; Scoping Meetings

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 112 (Friday, June 11, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31528-31529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14717]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

15 CFR Part 922


Initiation of Review of Management Plan/Regulations of the 
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary; Intent To Prepare a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement and Management Plan; Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), 
National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Initiation of review of management plan/regulations; intent to 
prepare environmental impact statement; scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS or 
Sanctuary) was designated in September 1980, and consists of 1,252 
square nautical miles of open ocean and near shore habitat 
approximately 25 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, 
encompassing the waters surrounding San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, 
Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands from mean high tide to six nautical 
miles offshore. The present management plan for the Sanctuary was 
completed in 1982. In accordance with Section 304(e) of the National 
Marine Sanctuaries Act, as amended, (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), 
the Marine Sanctuaries Division (MSD) of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is initiating a review of the 
management plan, to evaluate substantive progress 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 will likely involve changes to 
existing policies and regulations of the Sanctuary, to address 
contemporary issues and challenges, and to better protect and manage 
the Sanctuary's resources and qualities. The review process is composed 
of four major stages: information collection and characterization; 
preparation and

[[Page 31529]]

release of a draft management plan/environmental impact statement, and 
any proposed amendments to the regulations; public review and comment; 
preparation and release of a final management plan/environmental impact 
statement, and any final amendments to the regulations. NOAA 
anticipates completion of the revised management plan and concomitant 
documents will require approximately eighteen to twenty-four months. 
NOAA will conduct public 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. The scoping meetings are 
scheduled for the weeks of June 21 and July 5, 1999, as detailed below.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before July 27, 1999.
    Scoping meetings will be held:
    (1) Monday, June 21, 1999, 6:30pm in Lompoc.
    (2) Tuesday, June 22, 1999, 6:30pm in Santa Barbara.
    (3) Wednesday, June 23, 1999, 6:30pm in Oxnard.
    (4) Thursday, June 24, 1999, 6:30pm in Long Beach.
    (5) Friday, June 25, 1999, 6:30pm in Ventura.
    (6) Wednesday, July 14, 1999, 2:00pm in Washington, D.C.
addresses: Written comments may be sent to the Channel Islands National 
Marine Sanctuary (Management Plan Review), 113 Harbor Way, Santa 
Barbara, California 93109. Comments will be available for public review 
at the same address.
    Scoping meetings will be held at:
    (1) Cabrillo High School, Room SS-5, 4350 Constellation Rd., 
Lompoc, CA 93456.
    (2) Chase Palm Park Center, 323 East Cabrillo, Santa Barbara, CA 
93103.
    (3) Casa Sirena Hotel and Marina, 3605 Peninsula Rd., Oxnard, CA 
93035.
    (4) Long Beach Aquarium Theatre, Long Beach, CA 90802.
    (5) Sheraton 4-Points, Windjammers Meeting Room, 1080 Navigation, 
Ventura, CA 93001.
    (6) Herbert C. Hoover Building, 14th & Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne Walton, Management Plan 
Specialist, at (805) 884-1470.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. Section 1431 et seq.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary 
Program)

    Dated: June 4, 1999.
John Oliver,
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer, National Ocean 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-14717 Filed 6-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M