Notice2021-25819
Notice of Availability of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Draft Management Plan and Draft Environmental Assessment
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Published
November 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has prepared a draft management plan as part of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS or sanctuary) management plan review pursuant to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. The draft management plan, which would update the 2010 sanctuary management plan, addresses current and emerging threats in SBNMS and reflects changes in new science and technologies, how people use the sanctuary, and community needs. The draft management plan supports continued protection of sanctuary resources through enforcement of existing sanctuary regulations, education and outreach strategies that promote ocean stewardship, and community engagement. Consistent with the information provided in the 2020 Notice of Intent, NOAA is not proposing modifications to the sanctuary regulations at this time, but may consider regulatory changes in the future. NOAA also prepared an environmental assessment, which evaluates the environmental impacts of implementing the draft management plan and ongoing field activities. NOAA is soliciting public comments on the draft updated management plan and environmental assessment at this time.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 227 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67923-67925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25819]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice of Availability of Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary Draft Management Plan and Draft Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability and public meetings for draft management
plan and environmental assessment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has
prepared a draft management plan as part of the Stellwagen Bank
National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS or sanctuary) management plan review
pursuant to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. The draft management
plan, which would update the 2010 sanctuary management plan, addresses
current and emerging threats in SBNMS and reflects changes in new
science and technologies, how people use the sanctuary, and community
needs. The draft management plan supports continued protection of
sanctuary resources through enforcement of existing sanctuary
regulations, education and outreach strategies that promote ocean
stewardship, and community engagement. Consistent with the information
provided in the 2020 Notice of Intent, NOAA is not proposing
modifications to the sanctuary regulations at this time, but may
consider regulatory changes in the future. NOAA also prepared an
environmental assessment, which evaluates the environmental impacts of
implementing the draft management plan and ongoing field activities.
NOAA is soliciting public comments on the draft updated management plan
and environmental assessment at this time.
DATES: Comments on the draft management plan and environmental
assessment are due by January 21, 2022. NOAA will host virtual public
meetings at the following dates and times:
<bullet> Tuesday January 11, 2022, 6 p.m. Eastern Time
<bullet> Wednesday January 12, 2022, 3 p.m. Eastern Time
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on draft management plan and
environmental assessment document by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and
enter ``NOAA-NOS-2020-0003'' in the Search box. Click on the
``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach
your comments.
Mail: Send any hard copy public comments by mail to: Stellwagen
Bank NMS, 175 Edward Foster Road, Scituate, MA, 02066, Attn: Management
Plan Revision.
Email: Send any comments by email to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#493a2b27243a242827282e2c242c273d392528270927262828672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="285b4a46455b454946494f4d454d465c584449466846474949064f475e">[email protected]</span></a>.
Public Meetings: Provide oral comments during virtual public
meetings, as described under DATES. Webinar registration details and
additional information about how to participate in these public scoping
meetings is available at <a href="https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/management/2020-management-plan-review/">https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/management/2020-management-plan-review/</a>. The meeting is accessible to individuals with
disabilities. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to
participate in a meeting (e.g., interpreting service, assistive
listening device, or materials in an alternate format), notify the
contact person listed in this notice no later than ten working days
prior to each meeting.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NOAA. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> without change. All personal identifying
information (for example, name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the commenter will be publicly accessible. NOAA will accept
anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alice Stratton, (781) 545-8026,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5e2d3c30332d333f303f393b333b302a2e323f301e30313f3f70393128"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e093828e8d938d818e8187858d858e94908c818ea08e8f8181ce878f96">[email protected]</span></a>, 175 Edward Foster Road, Scituate, MA
02066.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background on Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
SBNMS is one of the most biologically diverse and productive zones
in the Gulf of Maine, and extends from Cape Ann to Cape Cod,
encompassing 842
[[Page 67924]]
square miles and ranging in depth from 65 to 600 feet. The underwater
landscape of the sanctuary is a patchwork of banks, basins, and
biological features. Within these landscapes are habitats including
deep-sea corals, sandy bottom, and shipwrecks. These habitats support
over 575 species of invertebrates, fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and
marine mammals. This diversity of habitats and marine life is important
to local and regional economies as it supports a variety of commercial,
recreational, scientific, and educational activities. These activities
bring income, jobs, and economic output to the 14 coastal communities
adjacent to the sanctuary.
II. Management Plan Review
Section 304(e), 16 U.S.C 1434(e), requires periodic review of
sanctuary management plans to ensure sanctuary-specific management
techniques and strategies: (1) Effectively address changing
environmental conditions and threats to sanctuary resources and
qualities; and (2) fulfill the purposes and policies of the NMSA. NOAA
began its review of the SBNMS management plan in 2020 to examine
current issues and threats to sanctuary resources and evaluate the
extent to which the 2010 management plan met the sanctuary's goals and
objectives. The need for revisions to the 2010 management plan is based
on the several emerging threats to marine resources within SBNMS. Prior
to the development of this draft management plan, NOAA completed a
condition report in 2020 that assessed the condition and trends of
resources and activities in SBNMS and guided the development of this
draft management plan. The condition report is available at <a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/sbnms/">https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/sbnms/</a> and concluded that human
activities and climate change are impacting habitat, living resources,
and maritime heritage resources in the sanctuary in various ways.
NOAA conducted public scoping for the management plan review
process from February 13, 2020 to April 10, 2020 and invited input from
the public on the scope of revisions to the 2010 management plan (85 FR
8213). The scoping process yielded feedback that was largely aligned
with the 2020 condition report findings. Comments focused on NOAA's
need to monitor and address potential emerging issues such as climate
change and changes to water quality, to continue and expand protections
for sanctuary resources, and to maintain core sanctuary research.
Scoping comments also called for enhanced education and outreach
efforts and increased capacity to administer sanctuary programs. NOAA
incorporated the issues identified during the public scoping process
into this draft management plan.
III. Action Plans
This draft management plan contains 15 action plans which address
priority issues for SBNMS. These action plans fall under four primary
goals: ensure a thriving sanctuary, increase support for SBNMS, deepen
our understanding of sanctuary resources, and ensure coordinated
support for sanctuary infrastructure, staff, and field operations. Each
action plan is summarized below (refer to the draft for complete text).
<bullet> Marine Mammal Protection: The sanctuary serves as the
primary habitat for 22 species of marine mammals. The goal of this plan
is to expand our understanding of the vulnerability of marine mammals
to anthropogenic activity and develop and implement mitigation
activities.
<bullet> Seabird Research: Coastal development, predation by humans
and other animals, removal of prey through fisheries activity, and
marine environment pollution threaten the many seabirds in the
sanctuary. The goal of this plan is to understand the abundance,
distribution, habitat use, bycatch, contaminant load, and foraging
ecology of seabirds, and how SBNMS relates to the wider Gulf of Maine
and Atlantic ecosystems.
<bullet> Vessel Traffic: SBNMS sits at the mouth of Massachusetts
Bay, which experiences commercial vessel traffic traveling to and from
the growing Port of Boston. Sanctuary staff work to mitigate the
impacts of the large volume of vessel traffic through technology,
reporting, and warnings. The goal of this plan is to monitor vessel
traffic and mitigate negative effects on sanctuary resources.
<bullet> Maritime Heritage and Cultural Landscapes: The sanctuary
serves as an underwater museum to maritime history with numerous
shipwrecks on the seafloor. The sanctuary's efforts in maritime
cultural landscapes help us understand the relationships between the
people and the sea in the past and present through research and
management. The goal of this plan is to understand the broader context
of past and present uses of the sanctuary while assessing and
protecting maritime heritage resources in the sanctuary.
<bullet> Compatible Uses: Evolving commercial and recreational uses
of the sanctuary impact key elements of the sanctuary's landscape. The
goal of this plan is to enhance transparency regarding how current and
emerging activities are assessed for compatibility while managing
sanctuary resources.
<bullet> Climate Change: The goal of this plan is to evaluate
climate change impacts on sanctuary resources and incorporate changing
conditions in management decisions. Various strategies and efforts for
enhanced understanding of climate impacts and synergies will inform
decisions on a wide range of sanctuary management, including resource
protection, education, and operations.
<bullet> Education and Outreach: A variety of education and
outreach programs, tools, and techniques are employed to bring
sanctuary information and research to the widest audiences. The goal of
this plan is to increase public awareness and understanding of the
sanctuary and encourage responsible use and stewardship of its
resources.
<bullet> Interagency/Intergovernmental Coordination: NOAA relies on
partnerships with other Federal and State agencies as well as
collaborations with non-profit, community, research/academic, and many
others, for effective management. The goal of this plan is to promote
improved management through coordinated partnering with local, State,
regional, Tribal, and Federal partners.
<bullet> Sanctuary Advisory Council: The Sanctuary Advisory Council
addresses specific management issues and public involvement by
developing sound advice for the sanctuary. The goal of this plan is to
facilitate an active and engaged community of Sanctuary Advisory
Council members to advise the superintendent in carrying out the
sanctuary's mission.
<bullet> Research and Monitoring: The sanctuary conducts a robust
science program to provide vital information to support management
needs. The goal of this plan is to support, promote, and coordinate
scientific research, characterization, and long-term monitoring to
enhance the understanding of the sanctuary environment and processes,
and improve management decision-making for optimal resource management
and protection.
<bullet> Soundscape: The sanctuary has an extensive acoustics
research program that provides opportunities for partnership and
leadership in the development of regional, national, and international
policies for managing noise impacts on marine life. The goal of this
plan is to maintain the role of SBNMS as a sentinel site for passive
acoustic monitoring in the Gulf of Maine, and as a testbed for applying
these data to both long-term monitoring of ecosystems and the design of
[[Page 67925]]
methods to reduce impacts from human activities.
<bullet> Water Quality Monitoring: The exceptional diversity of
marine life in the sanctuary depends on good water quality. This action
plan addresses the need to collaborate on water quality monitoring and
research in the sanctuary to determine whether it can continue to
maintain healthy resources.
<bullet> Habitat: Habitat quality in the sanctuary over the last
decade has shown changes from both direct interactions, like bottom-
contact fishing, and indirect interactions, such as trophic and
competitive shifts in population. The goal of this plan is to develop
an improved understanding of the condition of major habitat types
within the sanctuary to understand their productivity and biodiversity.
<bullet> Ecosystem Services: Sanctuary resources support nearby
coastal communities in a variety of ways, and it is important to better
understand and quantify the economic and intrinsic values of the
sanctuary to natural and human systems. The goal of this plan is to
explore the dynamic connections between sanctuary resources and
ecosystem services to better inform management decisions.
<bullet> Administration and Infrastructure Capacity: This action
plan addresses the necessary operational and administrative activities
required for implementing an effective program, including staffing,
infrastructure needs, and operational improvements.
IV. National Environmental Policy Act Compliance
As required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NOAA has prepared an environmental assessment to
evaluate the potential impacts on the human environment of implementing
NOAA's proposed action. The proposed action is to update NOAA's
management activities conducted within SBNMS that relate to research,
monitoring, education, outreach, community engagement, and resource
protection. The proposed management activities include revising the
sanctuary management plan and implementing routine field activities and
existing sanctuary regulations. No significant impacts to resources and
the human environment are expected to result from this proposed action.
Accordingly, under NEPA, an environmental assessment is the appropriate
document to analyze the potential impacts of this action. Following the
close of the public comment period and the satisfaction of consultation
requirements under any applicable natural and cultural resource
statutes, NOAA will finalize its NEPA analysis and prepare a final NEPA
document and decision document.
V. Public Input Opportunity
With this notice, NOAA is seeking public comment and input from
individuals, organizations, and Federal agencies, State, Tribal, and
local governments on the draft management plan and environmental
assessment, which is available at <a href="https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/management/2020-management-plan-review/">https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/management/2020-management-plan-review/</a>. Printed copies may be obtained
by contacting the individual listed under the heading FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 40 CFR
1500-1508 (NEPA Implementing Regulations); Companion Manual for NOAA
Administrative Order 216-6A.
John Armor,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-25819 Filed 11-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
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