Notice2022-05277
Draft Revised Management Plan for the Rookery Bay 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
March 14, 2022
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 Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research 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 2012.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 49 (Monday, March 14, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14254-14255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05277]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Draft Revised Management Plan for the Rookery Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve
AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. 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 Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research
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 2012.
DATES: Comments are due by April 13, 2022.
ADDRESSES: The draft revised management plan is available at: <a href="http://publicfiles.dep.state.fl.us/CAMA/plans/Rookery/Bay/NERR/Mgmt/Plan/DRAFT/220127.pdf">http://publicfiles.dep.state.fl.us/CAMA/plans/Rookery/Bay/NERR/Mgmt/Plan/DRAFT/220127.pdf</a>, or by emailing Matt Chasse of NOAA's Office for
Coastal Management at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0d606c7979236e656c7e7e684d63626c6c236a627b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="64090510104a070c05171701240a0b05054a030b12">[email protected]</span></a>.
Submit comments by the following method:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#04696570702a676c65777761446a6b65652a636b72"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="721f1306065c111a13010117321c1d13135c151d04">[email protected]</span></a>. Include ``Comments on the draft Rookery
Bay Management Plan'' in the subject line of the message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Chasse of NOAA's Office for
Coastal Management, by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a9c4c8dddd87cac1c8dadacce9c7c6c8c887cec6df"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="75181401015b161d14060610351b1a14145b121a03">[email protected]</span></a>, phone at 240-628-
5417.
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 Rookery Bay Reserve's revised plan will replace the plan
previously approved in 2012.
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, volunteer, and communications plans; prescribed fire and
invasive species plans; consideration for future land acquisition; and
facility development to support reserve operations. In particular, this
draft revised management plan focuses on building upon past successes
and accomplishments. Research and monitoring will focus on habitat
mapping, wildlife communities, resource management and restoration,
coastal change and resilience, and ecosystem services. Reserve
education programming will focus on informed community and individual
action as related to ecosystems, human connections, resilience, and
outreach. The reserve is also planning on enhancing the use of
technology in education programming and on building a robust
interpretation program with volunteer staff. Coastal training will
continue offering programs to professional audiences and conduct an
updated needs assessment. The plan also includes the reserve monitoring
the health of fish and bird communities, invasive species control
efforts, and the use of prescribed fire as a management tool. In
addition, the reserve is expecting to expand its strategic partnership
with Florida International University.
Since 2012, the reserve has developed a map of reserve habitats,
installed surface elevation tables in the Henderson Creek area to
support the sentinel site program, and continued a host of habitat and
species monitoring programs. The reserve has conducted projects that
assess and value freshwater within the reserve supporting the Collier
County watershed improvement plans and mangrove habitat restoration
efforts. A new partnership with Florida International University is
supporting reserve staffing needs and various research projects.
Mangrove and research symposiums hosted by the reserve highlighted the
diversity of reserve activities and partnerships. Post
[[Page 14255]]
Hurricane Irma, the reserve has rebuilt the Ten Thousand Islands field
station and other infrastructure to be more resilient to future extreme
storm impacts. Furthermore, no reserve boundary changes are
incorporated into the revised management plan. The revised management
plan, once approved, would serve as the guiding document for the
110,000-acre research reserve for the next five years.
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. 2022-05277 Filed 3-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK22-P
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