Notice2021-27185
Draft Revised Management Plan for the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 16, 2021
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting comments from the public regarding a proposed revision of the management plan for the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR or Reserve). A management plan provides a framework for the direction and timing of a reserve's programs, allows reserve managers to assess a reserve's success in meeting its goals and to identify any necessary changes in direction, and is used to guide programmatic evaluations of the reserve. Plan revisions are required of each reserve in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System at least every five years. This revised plan is intended to replace the plan approved in 2013.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 239 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 239 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71421-71422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27185]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Draft Revised Management Plan for the Delaware National Estuarine
Research Reserve
AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Request for comments on draft revised management plan.
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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is
soliciting comments from the public regarding a proposed revision of
the management plan for the Delaware National Estuarine Research
Reserve (DNERR or Reserve). A management plan provides a framework for
the direction and timing of a reserve's programs, allows reserve
managers to assess a reserve's success in meeting its goals and to
identify any necessary changes in direction, and is used to guide
programmatic evaluations of the reserve. Plan revisions are required of
each reserve in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System at least
every five years. This revised plan is intended to replace the plan
approved in 2013.
DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see
ADDRESSES) on or before January 18, 2022.
ADDRESSES: The draft revised management plan can be downloaded or
[[Page 71422]]
viewed at: <a href="https://documents.dnrec.delaware.gov/coastal/DNERR/2022-DRAFT-DNERR-Management-Plan.pdf">https://documents.dnrec.delaware.gov/coastal/DNERR/2022-DRAFT-DNERR-Management-Plan.pdf</a>. The document is also available by
sending a written request to the point of contact identified below (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION). You may submit comments by any of the
following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#26484f484708414754404f434a42664849474708414950"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a8c6c1c6c986cfc9dacec1cdc4cce8c6c7c9c986cfc7de">[email protected]</span></a>.
Mail: Submit written comments to Rachael Phillos, Manager, Delaware
National Estuarine Research Reserve, 818 Kitts Hummock Road Dover, DE
1990. Comments submitted by any other method or after the comment
period may not be considered. All comments are part of the public
record and may be publicly accessible. Any personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address) submitted voluntarily by the sender
may also be accessible. NOAA will accept anonymous comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nina Garfield of NOAA's Office for
Coastal Management, by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9bf5f2f5fab5fcfae9fdf2fef7ffdbf5f4fafab5fcf4ed"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bbd5d2d5da95dcdac9ddd2ded7dffbd5d4dada95dcd4cd">[email protected]</span></a>, or phone at
240-485-8727, or via postal mail: NOAA/Office for Coastal Management,
1305 East West Highway, 10th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(c), a state must
revise the management plan for the research reserve at least every five
years. If approved by NOAA, the reserve's revised plan will replace the
plan previously approved in 2013.
The draft revised management plan outlines the reserve's strategic
goals and objectives; administrative structure; programs for conducting
research and monitoring, education, and training; resource protection,
restoration, and manipulation plans; public access and visitor use
plans; consideration for future land acquisition; and facility
development to support reserve operations.
In addition to continuing the tradition of robust local community
education, training and research and stewardship programs, the Delaware
National Estuarine Research Reserve intends, in this next management
planning period, to focus on creating demonstration areas that can be
used to model best management practices for local landowners; fostering
the next generation of coastal professionals and conservation stewards;
engaging land managers in conversations based on watershed scale
conservation; and connecting with the Delaware community in a
meaningful and inclusive manner to identify their needs as the
stakeholders of this research reserve. The revised management plan,
once approved, would serve as the guiding document for the 6364-acre
research reserve for the next five years.
Since 2013, this research reserve has had an important impact on
the local area and its communities. The reserve's training program held
53 trainings, workshops or conferences with 27,851 contact hours with
local constituents. The education program had 32,466 contact hours with
11,722 K-12 students and 23,599 public participants. Reserve volunteers
donated 20,739 hours of time--producing the full-time employee
equivalent of 10.5 years worth of work. Some of those volunteer hours
were spent recording 1,784,923 spawning horseshoe crabs on the three
beaches that the reserve monitors. Research and monitoring efforts
produced 15 peer-reviewed publications that used this reserve's
infrastructure and data. The mini-grant opportunity, available through
their Research and Monitoring Program, distributed 183,766 dollars of
funding to local, Delaware-based researchers, many of which were early
career faculty. Seventy-six acres of land within this reserve's
boundary have been enhanced through reforestation and other restoration
efforts.
This draft management plan expands the boundary of the Delaware
National Estuarine Research Reserve and is soliciting comments from the
public on the proposed boundary expansion. With the approval of this
current management plan, this boundary will be amended to incorporate
an additional six parcels--all found within the priority acquisition
area identified in the 2013 revision of the plan--increasing the total
acreage of the reserve to 6,364 acres. These parcels include lands that
enhance and contribute to the ecological protection within the
Blackbird Creek watershed. The ``McKinley'' property at 531 Union
Church Road is 67.4 acres in size and includes a mix of native
hardwoods and coastal plain ponds (Delmarva Bays). At 0 Taylors Bridge
Road, the 32-acre ``Unruh'' property includes a wooded tributary buffer
and agricultural lands. Three parcels known as the ``Norris'' property,
totaling 42.6 acres at Union Church Road were acquired to improve
wildlife corridor habitat and include forest and agriculture lands.
Additionally, an inholding property known as ``Manwaring'' at 789
Blackbird Landing Road that is 16.3 acres in size was acquired. More
details on these parcels and the boundary change may be found in the
draft revised management plan.
NOAA's Office for Coastal Management analyzes the environmental
impacts of the proposed approval of this draft revised management plan
in accordance with section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), and the Council
on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508).
The public is invited to comment on the draft revised management
plan. NOAA will take these comments into consideration in deciding
whether to approve the draft revised management plan in whole or in
part.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15 CFR 921.33.
Keelin S. Kuipers,
Deputy Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-27185 Filed 12-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
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