Notice2023-13673
Final Revised Management Plan for the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Primary source
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Published
June 28, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
Notice is hereby given that the Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce approves the revised management plan for the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Mississippi. In accordance with the Coastal Zone Management Act and its implementing regulations, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources revised the Grand Bay Reserve's management plan, which replaces the plan previously approved in 2018.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 123 (Wednesday, June 28, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 41928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13673]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Final Revised Management Plan for the Grand Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve
AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of approval of the final revised management plan for the
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office for Coastal Management,
National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce approves the revised
management plan for the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
in Mississippi. In accordance with the Coastal Zone Management Act and
its implementing regulations, the Mississippi Department of Marine
Resources revised the Grand Bay Reserve's management plan, which
replaces the plan previously approved in 2018.
ADDRESSES: The approved Grand Bay Reserve management plan can be
downloaded or viewed at <a href="https://grandbaynerr.org/management-plan/">https://grandbaynerr.org/management-plan/</a>. The
document is also available by sending a written request to the point of
contact identified below (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Matt Chasse of NOAA's Office
for Coastal Management, by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9ff2feebebb1fcf7feececfadff1f0fefeb1f8f0e9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="90fdf1e4e4bef3f8f1e3e3f5d0fefff1f1bef7ffe6">[email protected]</span></a>, or phone at
240-628-5417.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(c), a State must
revise the management plan for a research reserve at least every five
years. Changes to a reserve's management plan may be made only after
receiving written approval from NOAA. NOAA approves changes to
management plans via notice in the Federal Register. On February 2,
2022, NOAA issued a notice in the Federal Register announcing a thirty-
day public comment period for the proposed revision of the management
plan for the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (87 FR
5799). Appendix 16 of the plan contains a summary of written and oral
comments received, and an explanation of how comments were incorporated
into the final version of the management plan.
The 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 particular, this updated
management plan focuses on addressing specific research priorities
including restoration effectiveness monitoring; understating physical
and hydrological processes within the reserve; sources and impacts of
contaminants; and the socio-economic impacts of ecosystem restoration.
There is also an added focus related to monitoring programs as a valued
regional and national reference site through the use of abiotic
parameters, sentinel sites, atmospheric mercury, and restoration
monitoring. Furthermore, the plan prioritizes improving public access
and the visitor experience through enhanced trail and debris management
efforts, and a greater focus on habitat restoration, especially upland
habitats (wet pine savannas and flatwoods) and along the marsh upland
interface. Much of the effort in this plan is linked to the multi-year
Grand Bay Land Acquisition and Habitat Management project.
The reserve's training program will design trainings around
priority issues and a new focus area: transferring skills and knowledge
relating to flood mitigation to nearby disadvantaged communities.
Education programming will have a continued emphasis on place-based
learning for students, teachers, non-traditional audiences (i.e.,
artists, veterans, seniors and others). New, non-traditional audiences
will be added with programs that focus on pre-K audiences, people with
disabilities, additional programs for seniors, and other groups. These
new programs will create opportunities for people who do not typically
use the reserve or participate in reserve events.
Since the last management plan, the reserve has prioritized the
comprehensive management of upland and estuarine resources at a
landscape scale. Public trails were created or maintained, and boat
access was improved. The reserve also has actively used fire management
to restore wet pine savanna in collaboration with State and Federal
partners. The revised management plan will serve as the guiding
document for the 18,049-acre research reserve for the next five years.
Furthermore, no reserve boundary or acreage changes are
incorporated into the updated management plan.
NOAA reviewed the environmental impacts of the Grand Bay revised
management plan and determined that this action is categorically-
excluded from further analysis under the National Environmental Policy
Act, consistent with NOAA Administrative Order 216-6A.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15 CFR 921.33.
John R. King,
Chief, Business Operations Division, Office for Coastal Management,
National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-13673 Filed 6-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
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