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 Meeting

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 20, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 38853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18458]


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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 Meeting

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

ACTION: Scoping meeting.

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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) has initiated 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 notice of intent to revise the management plan was issued on 
June 11, 1999 (64 FR 31528).
    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 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 has already conducted five public scoping meetings (as 
announced in the notice in 64 FR 31528) 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. Because of the interest of individuals 
and communities located north of the Sanctuary, NOAA has decided to add 
a scoping meeting for the San Luis Obispo region.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before August 14, 
1999.
    The new scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, August 5 at 6:30 
p.m.

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.
    The new scoping meeting will be held at the PG and E Community 
Center, 6588 Ontario Road, San Luis Obispo, California.

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

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

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary 
Program)
Ted Lillestolen,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone 
Management.
[FR Doc. 99-18458 Filed 7-19-99; 8:45 am]
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